Why is accidentally putting contacts in backward so excruciating?

r/

It’s not something that I do often. But sometimes I’m in a hurry and don’t notice, and oh my GOD my eye feel like they’ve got acid in them! It hurts so bad I can barely get my eye open to take it out and flip it around. It also stays bloodshot and angry for like 20 minutes after. Why does this happen?? Is the front textured differently from the back?

Comments

  1. HVAC_instructor Avatar

    Wouldn’t that make them cupped the wrong way?

  2. maxintosh1 Avatar

    It’s odd, the only feeling I get is “everything is blurry” not pain but they are shaped differently when inverted.

  3. Alternative-Dig-2066 Avatar

    I gave up contacts once I needed bifocals, no more pain!

  4. Wolf_E_13 Avatar

    The curvature is completely different

  5. bean-jee Avatar

    it hurts you? it tickles for me! i can feel the inverted edge that’s lifting up against the inside of my eyelids and it tickles

  6. EuroSong Avatar

    Because the edges are angled so that they sit flush with the eyeball. Backwards, the edges would be curving up into the eyelid, scratching it.

  7. Urik_Kane Avatar

    I think it depends on how soft they are. Ones I use are quite soft and there’s definitely been such occasions, where I’d wear an inverted one for a while before noticing, and it just feels kinda weird like increased friction / not sitting right.

  8. Beth_Bee2 Avatar

    I had some that had letters on them and inside out, the letters scraped and scratched my corneas. And corneas have a ton of nerve endings.

  9. Deadlyfloof Avatar

    My stoned ass thought you meant adding a new contacts to your phone and putting their surname first.

  10. Space__Monkey__ Avatar

    Probably kind of like if you turn a baseball cap inside out. It still fits but not quite right lol

  11. Lucky-Emergency-9673 Avatar

    best to inspect your lenses by holding them up to a light and check for manufacturing marks, this is how i get mine the right way round everytime

  12. Penis-Dance Avatar

    So glad I got LASIK 22 years ago and don’t have that problem anymore.

  13. Poochwooch Avatar

    Your contacts should not feel different on either side, it may be the contour of the lens is irritating your eye because you’ve reversed it and that would feel irritating. Mostly it would be out of focus. Perhaps you should check with your optician and make sure there’s nothing wrong with the lens themselves