Most people wear contacts lens as a means of correcting their vision while some wear it merely for fashion purposes. There is one thing all wearers must be extra careful about, however, and that is safety. Here are a few valuable safety tips for safe contact lens wearing.
Get a Prescription from an Eye Doctor
You must get a prescription and exact fittings from a qualified eye doctor. Eyes are extremely sensitive organs, and you must leave no stone unturned when it comes to your eye care. Take proper instructions on lens care from the professional and follow them strictly.
Do Not Leave Your Contact Lenses on Overnight
It is verified by several qualified eye care professionals that we reduce oxygen in the eyes if we leave our contact lenses in place and keep our eyes closed all night. By doing that, we increase the risk of infection to the surface of the eye. Additionally, you also trap more germs against the cornea when you close your eye with a lens in between.
Do Not Wear Contact Lenses while Swimming or Showering
You increase the risk of infection if you mistakenly wear lenses in water. Germs called acanthamoeba may accumulate and cause eye infections. Indulging in any water-related activity with the lens can potentially increase the risk of acanthamoeba eye infections.
Do Not Reuse Lens Solution
Please do not compromise the health of your eyes to save a small amount of money on contact lens solution. You may think reusing the solution will save you a chunk of precious cash, but you must also bear in mind that the disinfecting capability of the solution diminishes. Every time you store your lenses in their case, make sure you use a fresh round of solution.
Saline Solution Is Not Suitable for Disinfecting or Cleaning Contact Lenses
Saline solution is made with sterile salt water. It does not have the power to disinfect or properly clean contacts. You require a solution that also contains a disinfectant.
Do Not Use Your Contact Lens Case beyond Three Months
Just like toothbrushes, contact lens cases tend to accumulate more dirt than the eye can see. You should, therefore, replace your lens case after every two to three months.
Remove Your Contacts If They Continue to Bother You
We tend to take it quite easy when our contact lens bothers or irritate our eyes. Do not take any signs of continuous irritation lightly as it could be a big indicator of an infection or another problem.
Do Not Ever Use Saliva as a Wetting Agent
Mouths are one of the dirtiest parts of the human body. Saliva should never be used for wetting contact lenses as it could give rise to many infections and bacteria in the eye.
Always Follow These Three Steps When Handling Your Contacts
- Before you touch your contact lens, wash and scrub your hands with water and soap. Dry off after with a lint-free towel and then handle your contacts.
- When you have to remove your lenses, take each out from your eyes and then gently rub them a solution. Use fresh solution to rinse off each lens for disinfection before you store them. Each case must also contain enough solution for the lens.
- After you have disinfected the lens as per the solution bottle instructions, rinse each lens with fresh solution before you wear them again. Always use fresh solution, discard the old one, and also rinse the case with fresh solution each time, not water, and air dry the case.
As good as they are for correcting your vision, contact lenses also require proper care when you use them. Since they are in contact with your eyes for as long as you are wearing them, you must pay extraordinary attention to their cleaning, disinfection, and expiration.
