Contact lenses are a convenient and efficient method of enhancing your vision, yet to maintain your eyes in good health, as well as to make your lenses comfortable, you need to take proper care of them. Maybe you have just started wearing contacts or have been wearing them all your life, but proper care practices can help minimize the chances of eye infection and lens damage. The following are five important tips for taking care of your contact lenses.
Wash and Dry Your Hands Before Handling Lenses
Wash your hands with a fragrance-free soap and rinse well before touching your contact lenses. Hand hygiene can be used to avoid the transmission of dirt, oils, and germs that may cause eye irritation or infection. Make sure to dry your hands with a lint-free towel to avoid transferring any fibers or bacteria to your lenses. For reliable contact lens products, check out www.lens.co.il
Wash and Disinfect Your Lenses Every day
Contact lenses that are reusable should be washed and disinfected daily to make sure that they do not have any harmful accumulations and are safe to use.
- Take off all your lenses and put them one by one on your palm.
- Use the suggested multipurpose cleaning solution.
- Wipe the lens on each side roughly 20 seconds to wipe off any protein deposits, oils, and microorganisms.
- Wash with a lot of fresh disinfectant solution; tap water should never be used because it may harbor harmful bacteria.
- Overnight dipping of the lenses in fresh solution is recommended to completely disinfect and moisturise them.
Additional tips:
- Never substitute the contact lens solution prescribed or suggested by your eye care professional, as some solutions are specific to lens materials.
- Do not use no-rub cleaning regimens without specific recommendation by your eye doctor, since rubbing is effective in removing hard deposits.
- Proper disinfection of lenses eliminates the potential of getting eye infections like keratitis and conjunctivitis that may result in redness, blurred vision, and soreness.
Use Fresh Solution and Change Your Lens Case
It is equally important to have a clean storage place for your lenses as it is to clean the lenses themselves.
- You should always put fresh contact lens solution in your lens case each time you put in your lenses.
- Do not reuse or top off old solution, as this decreases its efficacy in killing microorganisms.
- Always use a fresh solution, not water, to clean your lens case.
- Keep the case on air dry in an open and upside-down position to avoid the growth of bacteria.
- Change your lens case once in 1-3 months to prevent contamination and infection.
- Frequent change of the case can avoid such problems as the formation of biofilm, which may undermine the safety of the lens.
Adhere to the Recommended Wearing and Replacement Schedule
- Following the wearing and replacement schedule as offered by your eye care professional will keep your eyes healthy and guarantee optimum performance of the lenses.
- Wear disposable lenses on a single-day basis and discard them after use.
- In case of reusable lenses, change the lenses as per the schedule of the manufacturer; be it every two weeks or every month.
- You should not wear your lenses longer than the specified time because wearing them too long may lead to dryness and discomfort, and may also predispose you to infections.
- Wearing of lenses should only be done at night when your doctor has clearly stated so, because when you sleep in your lenses, you will be depriving your eye of oxygen.
- Visit the optician at least once every month to review your prescription and lens fit.
Additional tips:
- In the case of irritation, blurred vision, or redness, take out your lenses and seek medical care with an eye professional.
- Do not prolong the use of lenses just because it is convenient, because this may cause some dire effects, such as corneal ulcers.
- Always have a spare pair of glasses so that you can give your eyes a rest.
Keep away from Water and other Contaminants.
Do not expose your lenses to tap, shower, pool, or hot tub water. Water can also bring about harmful microorganisms such as Acanthamoeba, which can cause serious eye infections. Never put your lenses in the water or shower without protective goggles that are made to keep the water out.
Conclusion
It is important to take proper care of contact lenses to have healthy eyes and a comfortable vision. Good hand hygiene, lens cleaning, fresh disinfecting solutions, a replacement schedule, and lens protection against water exposure can help greatly to minimize the risk of infections and other complications. Always make a point of visiting your eye care professional so that your lens and eye health are in excellent condition. These habits will make it easier to wear your contact lenses and reap the maximum benefits of the same in a safe and comfortable manner.
