Introduction
Contact lenses are a great way to see the world in a new light. If you have good vision and an easy time with contact lenses, they can be an attractive option for your eye care. But if you don’t take some basic steps to protect yourself and your eyes, wearing contact lenses can be dangerous. Here’s how to wear them safely:
When you do wear contact lenses, wash your hands well before and after.
Before you put in your lenses, it’s important to wash your hands well. This will keep germs from contaminating the lenses. After handling them and putting them on, it’s important to wash your hands again. This helps prevent any germs from getting into or onto your eyes during the day.
For those with sensitive skin, washing with an antiseptic cleanser is also recommended after wearing contact lenses for long periods of time (over 12 hours).
Don’t share anything with others except to replace the lens and clean it with fresh solution.
It’s important that you don’t share things with others. If someone is sick, it’s good to wash off your hands and don’t let them touch your lenses, solution or case.
Don’t share contact lens solution, cases or eye drops with others. This can cause an infection in other people and make their eyes red and sore.
Never use the same bottle of contact lens solution as someone else if they are unwell (e.g., colds and flu) or if they have had conjunctivitis (pink eye).
Remove your contact lenses before going swimming or swimming in chlorinated water.
- Contact lenses are not waterproof.
- Chlorine can damage your contact lenses, so you should remove them before swimming or going in chlorinated water.
- The chlorine in pools and hot tubs can irritate your eyes.
Don’t sleep in your lenses.
It’s a fact: you should never sleep in your contact lenses. This can be harmful to your eyes and may even lead to an eye infection or dry eyes, so it’s important to be aware of the risks.
If you do choose to sleep in your contacts, make sure that you’re using the right kind for that purpose. Some contact lenses are designed specifically for overnight use (they’re called extended wear contacts), but if yours aren’t—and even if they are—take care not to push them past their limits by leaving them on too long.
Other than being bad for your health, there are other reasons not to sleep in your contacts: sleeping with them increases the risk of eye infections because bacteria can build up on a lens over time; it’s also terrible for getting good quality rest since it causes squinting and blinking throughout the night due to discomfort with having something covering up half of each eye all night long (every blink will feel like tiny explosions).
Keep your contacts clean, but don’t disinfect them — your eyes can become infected if you do.
You can use a specially formulated cleaning solution to remove protein, oil, and other debris from your contact lenses. Never use disinfectant or bleach to clean your lenses — these products can cause serious eye infections.
If you have open-eye surgery after wearing contacts for several years, it’s best to wait at least six weeks before wearing them again. This gives your eyes time to heal and reduces the risk of complications with new contacts if you have any.
Wear contact lenses safely to protect yourself and your eyes
Contact lenses should be replaced every 3 months or 1 year to make sure they’re safe to wear.
If you are unsure about the condition of your contact lens, don’t wear it. If a lens looks cloudy, has a bubble (air pocket) in it, or if the edges seem sharp or crinkled, throw it away and replace with a new contact lens.
Contact lenses need to be cleaned daily with fresh solution. Do not re-use old solution if you’ve been wearing your contacts for more than one day; use fresh solution each morning when you put them in again.
Always store your contacts in a clean, dry place between uses—don’t keep them wet!
Conclusion
We hope that this article has helped you to understand the importance of wearing contact lenses properly. Your eyes need to be protected and cared for, so it’s important not to take them for granted. If anything in this article sounds unfamiliar or confusing, then please seek the advice of an eye care professional before starting any new contact lens regimen!