Eyes are very sensitive organs, which is why you should be careful when putting on your contact lenses. Despite people using these lenses often, they can sometimes develop bad habits. These bad habits can eventually cause serious damage to your eyes, which makes identifying these bad habits so necessary.
Contact Lens Habits You Should Leave Behind
Contact lenses provide some exceptional use, whether you’re wearing them for display or not. They provide some valuable vision benefits and are one of the safest forms of vision correction. However, if you misuse them, they can lead to severe vision damage and eye infections. Some common mistakes include:
Not Changing Your Lens Solution Regularly
Lens solutions that have been sitting for a while may not provide the proper cleaning that’s required for disinfection. Ensure your contact lens solution is new and fresh to prevent dirty lenses. Change the solution according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. This will help keep your contacts clean and fresh for your eyes.
Sleeping With Contact Lenses On
You shouldn’t sleep when wearing your contact lenses. This is a common occurrence for people who snooze while wearing their contacts. This essentially damages your eyes and causes further problems. You need to take them out before going to bed, since keeping them increases the risk of eye infection.
Wearing Them for an Extended Period
Your eyes can breathe in oxygen through the surrounding air rather than from within the body, and if your lenses obstruct your cornea for a long time, it can become a serious problem. Wearing them for an extended period of time would cause your eyes to get itchy and puffy and increase the risks of infection. Consult with your optometrist for the ideal timeline.
Getting Them Wet
People often wear contacts without being careful about getting them wet. You shouldn’t wear your contacts when going near any source of water. You shouldn’t wear them in a pool, at the beach, or in the shower. The bacteria in pools and beaches are incredibly harmful to your lenses. Also, the lack of salt in the shower may cause your lenses to expand or change shape.
Excessively Rubbing Your Eyes
Rubbing your eyes is very natural, as most people do it when they’re tired or perhaps a bit sick. However, excessive rubbing can increase the risks of Keratoconus. This condition can blur your vision and require a corneal transplant in more severe cases. Even though you might want to rub your eyes often, you should avoid doing it.
Not Washing Your Hands
It only requires something inconsequential like oil or a little dirt to cause a severe eye infection that would force you to go to the hospital. Cleaning your hands thoroughly before handling the contacts decreases the chances of contamination.
Conclusion
Lenses make for a great alternative to glasses. They offer plenty of benefits, and significantly improve weaker vision. However, taking exceptional care of your contact lenses is vital. Your eyes are the most sensitive organ in your body, so you need to be very careful when wearing contacts.
