Wearing contact lenses offers so many benefits, and many people prefer to wear them exclusively for vision correction. If that describes you, it’s important to remember that wearing contact lenses requires care and commitment on your part so that your eyes stay healthy, and you can continue to experience comfortable, clear vision every day.
We will share some contact lens care and safety tips to help you avoid irritating or damaging your eyes.
Contact Lens Care and Safety Tips
Unlike eyeglasses, contact lenses sit directly on your eyes. If contaminants get on your contact lenses and then you put them on your eyes, you can develop serious eye problems. Avoid this scenario by practicing proper contact lens hygiene.
- Wash your hands every single time before putting your contacts in.
- If you aren’t wearing a daily or one-time use contact lens, always clean and store your contact lenses in a fresh contact lens solution. Do not reuse old solutions.
- Wash your contact lens case with the contact lens solution and not water. Allow it to dry between uses and be sure to replace it every three months.
- Never store or clean your contacts in water. There are harmful microorganisms in water, and they can get onto your contact lenses.
- Pay close attention to the instructions for how long to use a pair of contacts before replacing them.
How to Avoid Irritation and Infection
Good hygiene and proper care and storage of your contact lenses are part of the care required for contact lenses, but there are other important steps to take to avoid developing irritation and infection.
Don’t Sleep in Your Contacts
Unless your eye doctor tells you that you can sleep in your contact lenses, permanently remove your contact lenses before going to sleep at night or even before taking a nap.
Your eyes need oxygen to be healthy, and when you sleep in your contact lenses, you wake up with dry eyes and feel like the contact lenses are “stuck” to your eyes at best, and at worst, you can develop very painful and serious infections.
Don’t Rub Your Eyes
Rubbing your eyes while your contact lenses are in your eyes can damage or dislodge your contact lenses, and even worse, can damage the cornea, the front surface of the eye.
Don’t Shower While Wearing Contact Lenses
There are tiny microorganisms in the water that can get on your contact lenses if you shower with them in your eyes, so remove them before taking a shower.
Don’t Overwear Your Contact Lenses
Follow your prescription on when to replace your contact lenses to avoid developing serious infections.
Remove Your Contact Lenses if Your Eyes are Irritated
Don’t wear your contact lenses if you have red, itchy, or irritated eyes. You should have a “back-up” pair of eyeglasses in case your eyes are sore, red, or infected or if you feel unwell.
Need Contact Lenses? Schedule an Appointment for Contact Lens Exam at Decatur Family Eye Care
If you’ve been struggling with your contact lenses or need new contact lenses, please give us a call to schedule an appointment for a contact lens exam. The doctors at Decatur Family Eye Care have expertise in fitting patients in the right contact lenses so that patients experience visual clarity and comfort while wearing their contacts.