Idea for Wear
5 Important Things to Know About Contact Lenses
Apr
Tired of adjusting glasses or dealing with unstable frames? Contact lenses offer a liberating alternative, providing a full field of vision and all-day comfort. However, proper care is essential for safe use. The good news? It only takes a few simple habits to reduce infection risk—just follow these five key tips. Your eyes will thank you.
Don’t Overwear Us
Do you often try to get one more day out of your daily disposables, or an extra week out of your monthly contacts? Using contact lenses past their recommended usage period is a very common—and potentially very serious—mistake. “We see many complications related to overwear in my practice,” says Ann Madden, O.D., an optometrist at the Grossnickle Eye Center in Indiana. Overuse can cause the lens to degrade and protein to build up in the eye. This can cause allergic reactions and reduce the oxygen permeability of the lens (the cornea needs oxygen to stay healthy), potentially leading to infections and other damage.
We Don’t Mix Well With Water
Water can cause soft contact lenses to change shape, swell and stick to the cornea. “This can irritate the eyes, making them susceptible to infection,” Dr. Madden says. This is why you should never rinse or store your reusable contacts in water, and always use an appropriate contact lenssolution. The same goes for exposing your soft contact lenses to water while showering and swimming—even a short time in water can expose your contact lenses to bacteria that may be harmful. There’s also an amoeba that lives in both fresh and tap water, called Acanthamoeba, that can fester underneath the contact lens and lead to a serious infection.
Please, Please Clean Us
A dirty contact lens case can lead to bacterial buildup and infections. Always empty old solution—don’t top it off—then rub, rinse with fresh solution, dry with a tissue, and store upside down with the cap off. Replace your case every three months; an easy trick is to switch it at the start of each season.
Learn more from trusted sources:
Mayo Clinic: Contact Lens Basics
CDC: Healthy Contact Lens Wear and Care
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Contact Lens Hygiene Tips
Keep Our Case Clean, Too
A dirty contact lens case can lead to bacterial buildup and infections. Always empty old solution—don’t top it off—then rub, rinse with fresh solution, dry with a tissue, and store upside down with the cap off. Replace your case every three months; an easy trick is to switch it at the start of each season.
Ready for Bed? Don’t Forget to Remove Us!
Sleeping in contact lenses increases your risk of corneal infections like microbial keratitis, which can cause pain, redness, and blurred vision. This happens due to buildup on the lenses, limited eye movement during sleep, and reduced oxygen to the cornea. Follow proper care tips and see your eye doctor yearly to keep your eyes and contacts healthy.
