Proper Contact Lens Care: Wear Yours Without Worry

You only have one pair of eyes, so take care of them! Healthy Eyes = Healthy Habits Taking proper care of your contact lenses improves your vision and keeps your eyes healthy.

Depending on a person's needs, contact lenses can make an excellent alternative to glasses. Not only do they offer the freedom to participate in sports and other activities without worrying about glasses falling off or being broken. Of course, there are pros and cons to choosing contacts over glasses.

Since contact lenses are made of plastic or glasses and sit directly on the eye, they need to be stored and cleaned carefully. Not doing so can result in painful consequences, ranging from irritation and mild infections to more severe damage.

Moreover, following proper contact care protocols reduces your chances of suffering such consequences.

Taking Care of Your Contact Lenses

Taking care of contacts lenses is very simple. You probably already do; the majority of the steps are will be outlined below. If so, good on you. If not, don't worry. Taking care of your contact lenses is more about breaking bad habits than learning proper techniques.

Follow these healthy habits to wear contact lenses and help protect your eyes safely:

Wash Your Hands

• Always wash them with soap and water before handling your lenses.
• Dry your hands intensely with a clean cloth before touching your contact lenses every time.

Properly Clean Your Lenses

• To clean your contact lenses, rub and rinse them with contact lens disinfecting solution rather than water or saliva each time you remove them.
• Don't use a ""top-up"" solution. In your case, only use a new contact lens disinfecting solution; never mix new with an old or used solution.
• Only use the contact lens solution that your eye doctor recommends.

Keep Contact Lenses Away From All Water

• Water can bring germs into the eyes through contact lenses. Remove contact lenses before swimming and avoid showering in them.

Don't Sleep in Your Contact Lenses.

• Don't sleep in your contact lenses unless prescribed by your eye care provider. Sleeping with contact lenses has been shown to increase the risk of an eye infection by up to 8 times.

Take Care of Your Contact Lens Case

• Clean your contact lens case by rubbing and rinsing it with contact lens solution (never water), then emptying and drying it with a clean tissue. After each use, store upside down with the caps removed.
• Replace your contact lens case at least once every three months.

Talk with Your Eye Care Provider

• Discuss your contact lens wear and care habits with your eye care provider at your next appointment to help prevent eye infections.
• Visit your eye doctor at least once a year or as often as they recommend.
• If you experience eye pain, discomfort, redness, or blurred vision, remove your contact lenses immediately and contact your eye care provider.

Be Prepared

• Carry a backup pair of glasses with you, along with a current prescription, in case you have to remove your contact lenses.

Risks Of Improper Contact Lenses Care

The improper care of contact lenses is linked to health issues that can hurt and even impair vision. Poor contact lens care frequently leads to keratitis, or an inflammation of the cornea. Vision blurriness, eye redness, soreness, excessive crying, discharge from the eyes, sensitivity to light, or a "foreign body" sensation are all signs of keratitis. If you notice any of these signs, you should speak with your eye doctor right once to arrange a consultation. Keratitis can result in long-term harm, such as corneal scarring, if it is not treated.

Also the other risks are pink eye, corneal abrasions, and chronic eye discomfort.

Infections caused by contact lenses are frequently caused by improper hand washing. You run the risk of putting bacteria or germs directly into your eyes if you don't wash and dry your hands before handling your contact lenses. Exposing your contacts to water, which might include bacteria and microorganisms, is another typical reason for contact-related issues. Additionally, wearing contacts too much or sleeping in them if they're not meant for that might restrict the quantity of oxygen reaching your eyes, increasing the risk of infection, irritation, and abrasions.

Looking For More Tips?

Visit our Ejones optometrist if you're looking for more ways to keep your contacts in excellent condition. Our optometrists have years of experience and are more than qualified to provide you with unconditional advice on protecting your source of clear vision.

Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson is a Kerala-based eye wear expert and entrepreneur. He is one of the directors of Ejones Opticals, a company dedicated to providing the highest quality eye wear products at the most affordable prices. Eric has been in the eye wear business for over 10 years, and has a deep understanding of the industry. He is passionate about helping people look and feel their best through the right eye wear. Eric is committed to using his expertise to create stylish and functional eye wear that is tailored to each individual's needs.