Contact lens care is easy and simple , but there are some important steps wearer must follow. To help ensure a successful and healthy contact lens experience below are some important basic tips :
- Wash and dry hands thoroughly before handling contact lenses.
- Use finger tips to handle contact lens.
- Check to ensure contact lens is clean from debris and damage free before attempting to insert in your eye. Never put a damaged contact lens in your eye.
How to care for contact lenses is dependent on the type of contact lenses and solution recommended by your eye care professional.
- For Successful ad comfortable contact lens exprerience be sure to follow your eye care professional’s directions and package insert instructions
- . Contact lenses should be replaced according to the schedule provided by your eye care professional.
- Always remember to use fresh solution when caring for your contact lenses recommended by your optician.
Lens Care Do’s & Don’ts
Whether you’re new to contact lenses or have been wearing them for a while, below are some helpful Do’s & Don’ts when it comes to contact lens care.
Do’s Please do all the time | Don’ts Please never do again |
DO: Stick strictly to the wearing schedule prescribed by your eye care professional and dispose of your contact lenses as directed. | DON’T: “Stretch” your lens wear beyond what your eye care professional has recommended. If you are told to replace your contact lenses every two weeks, that means two weeks – not three or four. |
DO: Clean, rinse and disinfect your contact lenses with fresh solution each time you remove them. Always remember to use fresh solution. Do not add more solution on top of what’s already in the case. | DON’T: Use saliva, tap water or anything other than contact lens solutions for lubricating, rewetting and/or cleaning your lenses. |
DO: If your eyes become red, irritated or your vision changes, remove your lenses immediately and consult your eye care professional. | DON’T: Let the tip of solution bottles touch other surfaces–including your fingers, eyes or contact lenses. |
DO: Always refill your lens case with new solution instead of adding more solution on top of what’s already in your case. | DON’T: Share your contact lenses with anyone!. |
DO: Always handle your lenses with clean, dry hands. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly with a lint-free towel before touching your lenses. | DON’T: Be stingy with your lens solution and try to use less or reuse solution. Always use fresh solution to rinse, clean and store your lenses. |
DO: Keep bottles of solutions closed when not in use and use solutions before expiration date marked on bottle.3 | DON’T: Expose your contact lenses to any kind of water–tap, bottled, distilled, lake or ocean water. |
DO: After use, always empty and rinse the lens case with fresh solution and allow the lens case to air dry. | DON’T: Change the brand of contact lens solution unless recommended by your eye care professional. Not all solutions are the same. |
DO: Replace your contact lens storage case according to your eye care professional’s directions and product instructions. | DON’T: Reuse – or top off – old lens solution to disinfect your lenses. Discard all of the lens solution after each use and use fresh solution each time. |
DO: Insert contact lenses before applying makeup and remove your lenses before washing off makeup. | DON’T: Cut corners when it comes to lens care habits. |
Contact Lens Care Habits
Most contact wearers would probably say they have pretty good contact lens care habits. However, more than 80 percent of Americans believe they follow good lens care practices while only 2 percent actually do.
To assess your contact lens care habits, answer “Yes” or “No” to indicate if you’ve ever done one of the following:
- Not thrown out my contacts at the recommended time
- Reused or topped off yesterday’s contact solution
- Added fresh contact solution to yesterday’s contact solution
- Cleaned my contact lens case with tap water only
- Rinsed my contacts with tap water only
- Put my contacts in my eyes without rinsing them
- Rinsed a contact lens by putting it in my mouth
If you answered “Yes” to even one of the above, it’s time to brush up on your contact lens care habits.
If you answered “Yes” to two or more of the behaviors above, it seems you may have picked up some poor contact lens care habits. Be sure to discuss proper contact lens care with your eye care professional during your next appointment. In the meantime, take a look at some important Do’s & Don’ts.
Myths & Facts About Contact Lens Care
Days, months, years – no matter how long you have been wearing contact lenses, there is a good chance you have heard that there are ways to “bend some of the rules” of contact lens care to save time or money – or both. However, doing so can put your eyes at risk.
MYTH: It’s perfectly fine to reuse contact solution. Throwing out your contact lens solution after each use is just a marketing tactic to get you to buy more.
FACT: Reusing old solution or adding fresh solution to the old solution that is in your existing case diminishes the disinfecting properties of the fresh solution.2 Lens cases can be a source of microbial contamination. Be sure to follow your eye care professional’s directions and product instructions for replacing your case to help avoid buildup of bacteria and residue.
MYTH: You can wear contacts much longer than the packaging suggests.
FACT: Successful contact lens wear depends on following the instructions. Contact lenses should be discarded and replaced according to the schedule provided by your eye care professional to help ensure successful, comfortable lens wearing experience. Protein, calcium, lipids and other substances found naturally in your tears can build up on your contact lenses, making them less comfortable.3
MYTH: It’s OK to use tap water to clean contact lenses and lens cases. It’s just water, right?
FACT: Even when clean and clear, tap water is not appropriate for cleaning lenses. Tap water does NOT disinfect your contact lenses, and it can contain bacteria, chlorine, minerals and metal particles, which can damage both the lenses and the eyes.4
MYTH: You can tell when contact lenses and contact lens cases are dirty just by looking at them.
FACT: Just because the contacts lenses or lens solution looks clear does not mean it is clean. That’s why it is essential that you clean your contact lenses immediately after removing them and NEVER reuse contact lens solution.
MYTH: It’s OK to swim while wearing contacts lenses as long as you close your eyes.
FACT: Never swim while wearing your contact lenses.6 All water contains bacteria that can cause eye infections, and water does not disinfect your contact lenses.7
MYTH: Cleaning contact lenses takes a long time and involves a difficult process.