Can I wear contact lenses if I'm unwell?

Medically reviewed by Tina Patel, Contact Lens Optician at Feel Good Contacts

When we start to feel a drop in temperature, cold and flu symptoms start to affect us. Keeping your contact lenses clean and free from bacteria is essential for maintaining your eye health, but can you wear contact lenses while feeling unwell? In this article we discuss when it is appropriate to switch to glasses and when you can continue wearing your lenses.

How can illness affect your eyes?

Illness can change or reduce your tear production, which can make wearing contact lenses feel uncomfortable as there won’t be sufficient lubrication on the cornea. Feeling unwell can cause headaches which consequently can cause light sensitivity. With some illnesses, the eyes can start to overproduce mucus, causing blurry vision as a result of mucus build-up in the eyes.

If you experience discomfort, remove your lenses

Illnesses like the common cold and influenza can cause eyes to feel dry and/or watery. If your eyes start to feel uncomfortable while you are ill, it’s best to switch to wearing prescription glasses until you are feeling better again.

Should I throw away my contacts after being sick?

Contact lens safety during illness is important, but using your lenses safely is essential all-year round, even when you’re feeling well. Although contact lenses are safe to use when you have a cold or the flu, there is an exception for eye conditions such as conjunctivitis (pink eye).

If you have pink eye or any other eye infection, stop using your contact lenses and switch to glasses for a while. Conditions such as blepharitis and acanthamoeba keratitis will cause discomfort and therefore make wearing contact lenses an uncomfortable and sometimes even a painful experience. Once you realise that you have an eye infection, discard the contact lenses you have already worn. You can usually continue wearing your lenses once your symptoms have gone, be sure to follow advice given by your eye care professional.

Should I avoid wearing eye makeup when feeling unwell?

If you have an eye infection, it’s best to throw away any eye makeup that you were using during or just before your illness. If you don’t discard this makeup, there is a chance that you could re-infect yourself with the illness, so it’s best not to take the chance. If possible, you can take the outer layer off (for example, chopping the top layer off a lipstick) and then continue to use the product.

Is it okay to wear contacts while sick?

Wearing your contact lenses when you are mildly unwell shouldn’t be an issue, as long as you are practising good hand hygiene when inserting and removing your lenses.

Contact lens tips for sick individuals:

• Handling your lenses with clean hands
• Store 2 weekly contacts or monthly lenses in an appropriate contact lens solution
• Avoid touching your eyes
• Reduce your screen time and blink more often
• Keep hydrated
• If eyes feel dry, use lubricating eye drops
• Consider using daily disposables until you feel better

Using daily disposables for the duration of your illness might be better as you won’t require a lens cleaning routine. Some medicines used to treat cold and flu symptoms such as decongestants, can make dry eyes even worse. If you are concerned about wearing contact lenses while you are feeling ill, consider switching to glasses and talk to your optician.

How long after eye infection can I wear contacts?

If you were prescribed antibiotics, you should finish the course of medication before you wear contact lenses again. If your eyes still feel sore or irritated, visit your GP or optician before you consider wearing your lenses again.

At what point can you not wear contact lenses?

Although most of the time you should be able to wear your lenses without issue, there are some occasions when it is best to wear glasses. Here are some examples of when you should avoid wearing contact lenses:

• Taking a bath/showering
• If you’re eyes are sore or irritated
• If you have an eye infection
• Don’t sleep in your lenses

Choose Feel Good Contacts for eye care

If you’re concerned about wearing your contact lenses while you are ill, you can check with your optician for further advice. For all your other eye care needs, Feel Good Contacts has a broad range of contact lenses, prescription glasses, designer sunglasses and eye care products, all at affordable prices. We also have an Eye Care Hub with many useful articles, covering topics across eye health, contact lens care, choosing the best prescription glasses for you and the benefits of wearing UV-protecting sunglasses.

Disclaimer: The advice in this article is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical care or an in-person check-up. Please check with an eyecare professional before purchasing any products or remedies. For information on our article review process, please refer to our Editorial Policy.