Best Practices for Contact Lens Wear and Care

At least 99% of the people who wear contact lenses in the United States engage in more than one unsanitary or risky behavior with their lenses. Contact lenses provide a convenient and safe way to improve your vision. However, failure to wear and care for your contact lenses increases the risk of your eyes getting germs and bacteria, resulting in eye complications and damage. If you wear contact lenses or are considering purchasing some, here are eight healthy practices to safely wear your lens and protect your eyes.

Avoid overwearing your contact lenses

Ensure you wear your contact lenses according to your eye doctor's recommended days and times. Overwearing lenses causes the corneal epithelium to erode, which leads to an open sore in the cornea (corneal abrasion). Infections could spread through the abrasions, resulting in corneal scarring, leading to vision deterioration and distortion. Some signs and symptoms of contact lens overwear include reduced vision, ocular redness and pain, light sensitivity (photophobia), and tearing. For this reason, replace weeklies each week, monthly each month, and get rid of dailies before bedtime. Visit an eye doctor for replacement or order contact lenses online.

Clean your contact lenses properly

Be sure to clean your contact lenses regularly to eliminate germs, debris, and deposits that could cause eye infections. Use the “ rub and rinse” cleaning technique to clean your lenses. Rub the lenses with clean fingers, then use a contact lens disinfecting solution to rinse them off. Do not use water or saliva to rinse the lenses. You should also never use saline solutions or reuse or top off old disinfecting solutions. Ensure you use a new disinfecting solution each time you want to disinfect or clean your contact lenses.

Wash and dry your hands

Before putting your lenses in or taking them out, wash your hands with soap and water. Contact lenses often cling to wet hands. Some germs and bacteria live in water. For this reason, ensure you dry your hands with a clean cloth before touching them. If you often use moisturizers, always wait until you put in the contact lenses to apply. The residue from these lotions can stick to contact lenses and cause eye infections.

Never sleep in your contact lenses

Unless prescribed by your eye doctor, you should never sleep with your contact lenses in. Sleeping in your contacts increases the risk of contracting an eye infection. This is because contacts reduce the amount of oxygen that gets to the cornea, especially when your eyes are closed. Without sufficient oxygen supply, the cornea begins to swell up and enlarge, a condition known as keratitis. 

Do not swim or shower in your contact lenses

Be sure to remove contact lenses before swimming or showering. As earlier established, water sometimes contains microbes that could result in severe eye irritation and infections like keratitis. If left untreated, keratitis can result in vision loss.

Showering or swimming in contact lenses could also cause soft lenses to swell, change shape or even stick to the eyes, which can be uncomfortable. If contact lenses attach to the eye, they could also scratch the cornea, making it easier for germs and debris to penetrate and cause an eye infection.

Take care of the contact lens case

After removing the contact lens, clean the case by rubbing and rinsing it with an approved solution by your eye care professional. You should empty the solution and use a clean cloth or a lint-free tissue to dry the case. Next, store your contact lens case upside down with the case off in a clean, low-humidity environment after every use to prevent contamination. Never use water to clean the contact lens case. Be sure to replace the case every three months to avoid infection and irritation.

Talk to your eye care doctor

Based on your vision and ocular health, your eye care doctor will likely recommend how often you should visit the clinic for eye exams. Ensure you follow through with these appointments to improve eye health. 

Discuss contact lens wear and care during your next clinic visit to prevent eye infections. If you have any concerns, such as sensitivity to light, red, painful, or watery eyes, before your next appointment, do not hesitate to contact your eye care professional for assistance.

Do not share contact lenses

Whether your contact lenses’ purpose is to correct vision or purely cosmetic, you should avoid sharing them with anyone else. Sharing contact lenses results in the spread of eye infections. Contact lenses are also fitted to the exact configuration and size of a specific person’s eye. This means the contact could damage the surface when worn by a different person.

Endnote

Wearing a contact lens is an effective way to improve your vision. Do not overwear your contacts, wash and dry your hands before handling lenses, avoid sleeping, swimming, or showering in them, take care of the lens case, and speak to your eye care professional to prevent eye infections and corneal ulcers.