If You Don’t Like Your Contacts, You Might Just Need a Different Brand

Fact checked by Nick Blackmer

Key Takeaways

• New research shows that people who stop wearing contacts because they’re uncomfortable often have success with a different type.

• Providers say that patients often don’t speak up when they don’t like a particular type of contact lens, and they may not realize they have other options.

• If your contacts have been bothering you or you’re just getting started wearing them, work with an eye healthcare provider to find the right lens and fit.

An estimated 45 million Americans wear contacts, but up to 30% of people who try contact lenses stop wearing them.

According to a new study, “contact lens dropouts” may not have to stop wearing them—they often just need to try a different brand of contacts to find the most comfortable fit.

The study, which was presented at the American Academy of Optometry’s annual meeting, included 54 people between the ages of 18 and 40 who had stopped using contacts in the past two years.

The participants were fitted with new contacts that were designed to fight dryness and monitored for six months. At the end of the study, they were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their experience with the new lenses.

The results showed that:

• 92.3% of participants said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the lenses.

• Nearly 83% of participants said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their contact lens comfort at the end of the day

• 92.3% of the participants said they were satisfied or very satisfied with how comfortable their lenses felt during the week.

• 80% of participants said they were likely or very likely to keep wearing the lenses.

These findings support those from a 2002 study of 236 people who had stopped wearing contacts, which found that nearly 75% of them were comfortable wearing contacts again after being refitted for a new pair.

Related: The 10 Best Contact Lenses for Dry Eyes of 2023

Why Do People Stop Wearing Contacts?

Your provider may not recommend contact lenses if you have certain eye problems, and the lenses do come with risks. In general, though, as long as you wear them as prescribed and take care of them, contact lenses are safe.

So what makes people want to go back to glasses? People who were part of the new study said they stopped wearing contacts because they were having dryness and discomfort. Eye healthcare providers say these reasons are similar to what they see in practice when patients quit contact lenses.

“The primary reason for discontinuing contact lens wear is discomfort,” Jennifer Fogt, OD, an assistant professor in the College of Optometry at The Ohio State University, told Verywell.

Erin Rueff, OD, PhD, chief of the Stein Family Cornea & Contact Lens Center at the Marshall B. Ketchum University Southern California College of Optometry, agreed. “Dissatisfaction with contact lens wear is typically associated with some type of discomfort,” Rueff told Verywell. “Discomfort could be due to ocular surface issues, comfort with the particular material, or even eyestrain and fatigue associated with vision.”

Patients may also have underlying eye conditions that make wearing lenses uncomfortable, Mina Massaro-Gordon, MD, a professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania, told Verywell. “Many of my dry eye patients are back in [contacts] due to a combination of treating an underlying condition, using them appropriately, and changing the polymer or the fit,” said Gordon.

For example, there are lenses designed for patients with dry eye disease and allergies, Vivian Shibayama, OD, an optometrist at UCLA Health, told Verywell.

Even if you can wear contacts and have tried several brands, you may end up deciding that they’re just not for you. Experts say that some patients are less likely to have success wearing contacts.

“People with active infections, dry eye, or even ocular allergies are less likely to enjoy wearing contact lenses,” Fogt said, but added that these problems are often fixable and that “after the eyes are treated, wearing contact lenses can become more comfortable.”

Patients who read a lot or have trouble reading may also struggle with wearing contact lenses, and “they may not like the full distance correction with their contacts,” Shibayma said.

Related: What to Know Before You Get Contact Lenses

Why Don’t Providers Offer a Different Brand of Contacts?

Providers may not realize that patients aren’t happy with their contacts simply because patients don’t speak up about their discomfort or dissatisfaction.

“Contact lens ‘dropouts’ often don’t complain, so doctors don’t know until the next time they come in for an exam,” said Fogt.

If they don’t like them, patients usually just stop wearing contacts and go back to glasses, Rueff said.

“If they don’t understand that their discomfort or dissatisfaction could be addressed with their eye care provider, then they may return to spectacle wear without reaching out to their provider,” said Rueff. “This is why follow-up, especially after trying a new contact lens brand, is so important.”

As for why providers don’t follow up with other options, Massaro-Giordano said that some do—but a lot depends on the practice.

“We have contact lens specialists that reach out, but patients become complacent as well,” she said.

When patients are fitted for contacts, they’re usually asked to return to the office within a year. Contact lens prescriptions expire in one year.

“Typically, the return would be dictated by their supply of lenses,” said Shibayma, adding that some patients never come back for that follow-up appointment.

Related: Monthly and Yearly Cost of Contact Lenses

How to Find the Right Contacts

If you’ve tried contacts and don’t like them, experts stress the importance of talking to your provider.

“See a contact lens specialist, if possible,” Massaro-Giordano said.

Your provider should take steps to help you feel more comfortable in contacts.

“In my experience, providers will examine a patient’s eyes to see if there are health reasons causing the discomfort and then recommend some treatment,” said Fogt.

If a patient’s eyes are healthy, a provider will usually fit a contact lens made of a different material or with a different edge design, size, or curve.

“There are a lot of lens parameters that are not written on the boxes—different soft contact lenses, even with the same prescription or base curve, do not all fit or perform the same,” Fogt said. “Be sure to tell your doctor if there is something about your lenses that you do not like.”

Shibayama stressed that patients can often find success by trying different contacts. “Failure in one type of lens doesn’t mean failure in all lenses,” she said. “Talk to your doctor about your issues, and we will work together to find a solution.”

Rueff agreed, adding that “we have more options available now than ever before. A patient shouldn’t be discouraged if the first option—or even the first few options—they try do not meet their expectations.”

What This Means For You

Up to 30% of people who try contact lenses stop wearing them. If you’ve tried contact lenses but don’t like how they feel, tell your eye health provider and ask them about trying a new type or brand of lenses.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.