Putting in contacts makes me woozy?!
Question: I want to wear contacts but when I get near my eye I feel dizzy and hot and I start sweating and shaking. It's odd. What should I do to solve this problem?
Answers: I want to wear contacts but when I get near my eye I feel dizzy and hot and I start sweating and shaking. It's odd. What should I do to solve this problem?
You are having an emotional response associated with insertion. It is referred to as a vaso vagal reaction. What happens is that in response to the stress of inserting contacts lenses the blood vessels in your body dilate. Dilation of your blood vessels causes the blood to flow down with gravity out of your head and into the lower portions of your body. When the blood flows out of your brain you get light headed and hot and sweaty.
The only way to avoid this is to desensitize yourself to the stress of inserting contacts. Try this. Get some contact lens lubricating solution and cover your insertion finger with the solution. Now practice looking in a mirror as if you were putting the contacts on but without the lens on your finger. Bring your finger toward your eye until you actually touch the front of the eye. As soon as your eye can feel the touch of the finger, slowly remove your finger. Then relax, take a couple of deep breathes, and do it again. And again. And again. Repeating this over and over will hopefully eventually persuade your brain that there really isn't anything to worry about or fear from something touching your eye. When the brain finally figures this out it should be much easier to actually put a lens on the eye. Good luck.
i can't even put them on
its so aggravating
What yagman has said is a pretty good explanation. I do wonder if you have any history of a fainting. Some people respond as you do to any manipulation of the eye or eyelid. I have seen the vaso-vagal response occur in a child who was under general anesthesia (asleep) and having eye muscle surgery. You don't have to be conscious or anxious to experience it.
Your response may be something that you will have to tolerate. If it continues you may want to consider a seated position in front of a vanity whenever you are inserting or removing your lenses.
I agree with Willow and Yagman. Where I work, we've actually had a patient pass out while trying to get their contact lenses in for the first time. It was scary...thank goodness they were sitting down and they didn't hurt themselves. What Yagman said about desensitizing yourself to touching your eyes is right on. We are all taught as kids to keep your fingers out of your eyes and its hard to get past the idea of putting something *in* your eyes. Some people are more squeamish than others. Take Yagman's advice and I hope it works out well for you.