Contact Lens Care
Your Guide to Beautiful Healthy Eyes
Contact lenses offer a world of convenience and clear vision. However, to fully enjoy the benefits of these tiny wonders, proper care and maintenance are essential. Neglecting the hygiene and upkeep of your contact lenses can lead to discomfort, eye infections, or even more severe complications. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the essential steps for pristine contact lens care. From cleaning and disinfection to storage and wearing practices, you’ll learn how to keep your eyes healthy and your vision sharp. So, let’s delve into the world of responsible contact lens care and ensure that your lens-wearing experience is as trouble-free as it is clear.
Basics of Contact Lenses:
There are two types of soft contact lenses.
- Daily-wear lenses are made to be worn for one day, then thrown away. You use fresh lenses each day, so you don’t need to clean them.
- Extended-wear lenses are made to last longer. You clean them each day you wear them. The label may say they can be worn day and night, but wearing your lenses while sleeping can cause infection and eye damage. To protect your eyes, it’s usually best to take your lenses out before sleeping.
If you wear contacts, it’s a good idea to also have a pair of glasses. You can wear the glasses if your contacts are irritating your eyes.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF CONTACT LENSES
Contact Lens Care is very important, Otherwise You can get a serious eye infection if you do not clean, disinfect and store your contact lenses correctly.
You must clean and disinfect any contact lens you remove from your eye before you put the lens back in. There are many types of cleansing systems. The choice depends on the type of lens you use, if you have allergies or if your eyes tend to form protein deposits. Ask Us what kind of cleaning solutions you should use.
Take special care to clean and store your lenses correctly to avoid dangerous eye infections.
Here is what you should do, Follow these instructions exactly.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
- Mark the Date you open a new pack of Your Contact Lens somewhere safe and follow the schedule your Eye Doctor/Optometrists gives you for wearing and replacing your lenses.
- Follow directions from your doctor, from the contact lens manufacturer, and from the lens cleaning solution manufacturer to clean and store your lenses. If you store your lenses in the case for a long time, read your instructions to see if you should re-disinfect them before wearing them. Never wear your contact lenses if they have been stored for 30 days or longer without re-disinfecting.
- Follow up regularly with Your Optometrists appointments. Contact lenses can warp over time, and your cornea can change shape. To make sure your lenses fit properly, and the prescription is right for you.
- Do not shower, swim, use a hot tub or doing anything where water gets in your eyes when wearing contacts. Water and contacts don’t mix.
- Do not sleep in daily wear lenses.
- Put in your contacts before you put on eye makeup. Get new eye makeup every 3 to 6 months. This will help prevent infections.
- It is a good idea to carry an extra contact storage case and storage solution with you. Then you will be ready if you need to take out your contacts at any time
It’s important to take good care of your contact lenses. If you clean them every day, you can prevent sore or infected eyes. This is because cleaning removes harmful chemicals and bacteria.
CONTACT LENS CARE DURING INSERTION, REMOVAL AND STORAGE.
- Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them with a lint-free towel before touching your contact lenses.
- Wear your lenses only as long as directed. Your doctor may give you special instructions
- Use a “rub and rinse” cleaning method no matter what type of lens cleaning solution you buy. Rub your contact lenses with clean fingers, then rinse the lenses with solution before soaking them. Use this method even if the solution you are using is a “no-rub” type.
- Never put contacts in your mouth to wet them. Saliva (spit) is not a sterile solution.
- Do not rinse or store contacts in water (tap or sterile water).
- Never use a homemade saline solution.
- Do not use saline solution or rewetting drops to disinfect your lenses. They are not disinfectants.
- Use new solution each time you clean and disinfect your contact lenses. Never reuse or top off old solution.
- Do not pour contact lens solution into a different bottle. The solution will no longer be sterile.
- Make sure the tip of the solution bottle does not touch any surface. Keep the bottle tightly closed when you are not using it.
- Do not use any Hydrating Drops containing any sort of Preservatives while you are wearing your Contacts in the routine. Only Use Preservative Free Hydrating Drops if you feel your Eyes are getting dry or if you have spend much time infront of a screen.
CARING FOR YOUR CONTACT CASE:
- Keep your contact lens case clean. Rinse it with sterile contact lens solution (not tap water) then leave the empty case open to air dry.
- Replace the case at least every 3 months, or right away if it gets cracked or damaged.
ARE CONTACTS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Millions of people choose to wear contact lenses. However, they are not for everyone. You might not be able to wear them for the following reasons:
- You get a lot of eye infections.
- You have severe allergies or dry eyes that are hard to treat.
- You work or live where it is very dusty.
- You are not able to properly care for your contact lenses.
Your cornea and tear film must be healthy for you to be comfortable and see clearly with contact lenses.
To safely wear contact lenses, you must be committed to caring for them properly and replacing them when needed. Talk with your ophthalmologist or Book an Appointment with us at Central Optical Eye Clinic to discuss your vision needs and expectations. We perform all basic Eye Check Up Exams and then we can help you decide if contacts are a good option for you and what type of Contact Lens to wear.
Risks of Wearing Contact Lenses:
Contact lenses that are old or that do not fit well can scratch your eye. They can also cause blood vessels to grow into your cornea, a dangerous condition that threatens your vision.
Eye drops can cause problems with your contact lenses. It is best to avoid using any kind of eye drop when wearing contacts. However, you can use wetting drops or preservative-free lubricating drops as recommended by your eye doctor.
Remove your contact lenses and call Us right away if your eyes are very red, painful, watery or sensitive to light. Do the same if you have blurry vision or notice discharge (ooze or pus) coming from your eye. These can be symptoms of serious eye problems.
When to Call for Help.
Call Us or seek immediate medical care if:
- You have signs of an eye infection, such as:
- Pus or thick discharge coming from the eye.
- Redness or swelling around the eye.
- A fever.
- You have new or worse eye pain.
- You have vision changes.
- It feels like there is something in your eye.
- Light hurts your eye.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact Us if you have any problems.
What are the two types of soft contact lenses available?
How long can daily-wear lenses be used before they need to be discarded?
This will Depend on the Specifications provided by the manufacturer. Daily wear lens should be discarded after a full day use or if used for smaller durations then, after being used for 18-24 hours. But make sure to store them in a proper Contact Lens Solution as explained in the article.
Can extended-wear lenses be worn during sleep, according to their label? What are the risks associated with wearing lenses while sleeping?
No. Any type of lenses can not be used during sleep. It carries multiple of risks like folding of lens inside the eye during sleep. Another biggest complication of wearing Contact Lens during sleep is that it causes Dry Eyes.