Placing a contact lens inside out is a common experience, especially for new wearers, and often leads to immediate concerns about vision quality and comfort. When the lens is incorrectly oriented, its delicate curvature does not align with the natural shape of the cornea. This misalignment almost always results in vision that is noticeably blurry, cloudy, or distorted immediately upon insertion. The reversed curve prevents the lens from sitting correctly on the eye’s surface.
How to Visually Identify an Inside-Out Contact
The primary method to confirm a backward lens is to examine its shape before insertion by placing it on the tip of your index finger. When the lens is oriented correctly, it should form a smooth, perfect cup shape with the edges pointing straight up, much like a small mixing bowl. If the lens is inside out, the edges will noticeably flare outward, resembling the rim of a saucer or a shallow bowl. This visual inspection, often done at eye level, provides a straightforward confirmation of the lens’s orientation.
A secondary technique is the “Taco Test,” which involves gently folding the lens. Hold the lens between your thumb and forefinger and lightly pinch the edges together. If the lens is right-side out, the edges will curl naturally inward toward each other, forming a shape similar to a hard-shell taco. Conversely, if the edges resist folding and instead flare outward toward your fingers, the lens is inside out.
Laser Markings
Some manufacturers also etch tiny laser markings, such as numbers or letters, onto the lens edge. These markings appear backward when the lens is flipped inside out.
Sensory Indicators of Incorrect Wear
The improperly aligned curve of the lens fails to distribute the tear film evenly across the cornea. This poor fit disrupts the lens’s optical properties, resulting in the expected visual distortion and lack of clarity.
The reversed orientation causes physical discomfort that does not diminish after the first few moments of wear. The feeling is often described as a gritty sensation or a foreign object scratching the eye’s surface, prompting excessive blinking. An inside-out lens also tends to move around excessively on the eye, often shifting out of place when the person blinks. This increased movement is due to the flared edges failing to adhere smoothly to the eye’s natural contour.
Immediate Steps for Correction
Once a lens is suspected or confirmed to be inside out, the first action must be to wash and thoroughly dry hands with a lint-free towel. Proper hygiene is necessary to avoid introducing contaminants to the eye or the lens during the correction process. The lens must then be carefully removed from the eye using the pads of the fingers, avoiding fingernails which can damage the material.
The removed lens should be placed in the palm of the hand and flushed with fresh contact lens solution. Never use tap water, as it contains microorganisms that can cause serious eye infections. After rinsing, the lens can be gently flipped to its correct orientation. It must then be rinsed again with fresh solution to remove any debris picked up during handling before safe reinsertion into the eye.