So you finally got rid of your spectacles and there’s nothing quite like the freedom from them, right? Your contact lenses make you look much better and you don’t need to worry about glasses shattering or breaking anymore either! It all sounds fine and dandy, but in reality, using contact lenses isn’t a walk in the park by any means, they’re extremely delicate and can cause a lot of damage if not used properly. Here’s how to take care of your contact lenses in the best way, so that you can avoid infection, eye damage and a lot more.
There are a couple of steps you need to follow to make sure you don’t cause any damage to your contact lenses, or worse, your eyes. Using unclean or improperly disinfected contact lenses could lead to a whole bunch of eye infections like keratitis, which in turn could lead to partial or complete blindness and might even require a corneal transplant. If that doesn’t sound like something that will spur you on to take utmost care of your contact lenses, we don’t know what will. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to take good care of your contact lenses, all you need is a little bit of patience. Make sure to follow these steps:
- Before starting the cleaning process, wash your hands thoroughly with a mild disinfectant soap. Anything that advertises moisturizers and perfumes usually leaves a coating on your hands that might cause irritation to your eye once transferred to the lenses, so try to avoid them.
- Wipe off your hands with a clean and dry lint free cloth or towel so that you don’t smudge the lenses while handling them.
- Carefully remove one contact lens from your eye and clean it with an appropriate contact lens cleaning solution. Make sure to hold your eyelid up with the free hand while removing the contact lens so you don’t blink in between the process.
- Depending on the type or solution (rub or no rub), begin the cleaning process. If your solution recommends rubbing, gently rub the contact lens after putting a couple of drops of solution onto it. Take care not to use your fingernails or press too hard. Now rinse the lens properly, this is very important for no rub lenses since it’s pretty much the only step you need to take for proper dirt/bacteria removal.
- Place the lens in the case filled with a fresh batch of contact lens solution. Do NOT use the same solution you poured out for the previous day or night. It’s a good practice to also clean your case everyday, following the same precautions as you’d take for your lenses.
- Repeat the above steps for your other lens as well.
- If you’ve used a hydrogen peroxide based contact lens solution, don’t forget to dip it in a neutralized solution after the cleaning process or you’ll end up with injured eyes.
Quite honestly, cleaning your contact lenses isn’t too difficult and doesn’t take too much time either, you just need to take the required precautions. It’s very important to get the correct contact lens solution though, especially if you have sensitive eyes. There are a multitude of options available in the market for users with sensitive eyes, so it’s always better to get recommendations from your optometrist or ophthalmologist since they know exactly what suits you best.
Apart from all the steps above, there are a few things you absolutely should NOT do. Despite how well intentioned they seem, these commonly seen mistakes could really cost you in the long run. Here’s what we mean:
- Do not use a towel or cloth to wipe or clean your contact lenses, no matter how soft it is. Even microfibers can damage and scratch the lenses.
- Do not reuse solution at all. It may look like there’s no need, but you absolutely must replace the contact lens solution for soaking every single time you clean your lenses.
- Do not go swimming or into a very hot place with your contact lenses on, they can get damaged and cause eye damage as well.
- Do not use just any contact lens solution you see, consult your eye doctor before making a purchase. The same goes for contact lenses as well, obviously.
- Do not use the same lens case for more than 2 months and make sure you clean it every day. When not in use, keep it dry and open. Any moisture buildup could lead to fungus formation.
- Do not use tap water, saliva, eye drops or any other liquid to clean your lenses.
- Do not use the lenses beyond their recommended usage period.
- Do not let the tip of the solution bottle touch anything other than the lenses.
So there you have it, the simple dos and don’ts of contact lens care. If it isn’t already apparent, contact lenses are extremely delicate, and so are your eyes. Even the smallest misstep could lead to a painful infection, so you need to be extra careful in this case. It’s also one of the reasons younger kids aren’t supposed to wear contact lenses, because they usually cannot undertake the whole cleaning process. The bottomline is that if you want the comfort and freedom contact lenses offer in comparison to spectacles, you’ll have to put in extra effort for cleaning and maintenance. It’s a pretty fair tradeoff, isn’t it?
Photo Credits:
thebrunettediaries.com, korean-lens.com, ds5cvxtqu2rt0.cloudfront.net