Don’t Make Assumptions About Contact Lens Hygiene

When you first begin wearing contact lenses, you’re probably hyper focused on following your doctor’s instructions. After a while, you might start taking your lenses for granted and failing to be as careful about caring for them. This is a mistake, particularly when it comes to contact lens hygiene. Whether you have been wearing contact lenses for five minutes or 50 years, proper contact lens care is never any less important than it was in the beginning. Never forget that contact lenses are medical devices and should be treated with care.

• Practice good habits when cleaning your lenses. Because they directly touch the eye, contacts must be scrupulously clean. Clean them by placing each lens in the palm of your clean hand with solution, rubbing with your index finger, rinsing thoroughly with more solution, and soaking overnight in a clean lens case with fresh solution. Never use water to rinse your contact lenses, because water can contain microbes. Put them in before you put on your makeup and take them out after you take it off, to avoid getting makeup on your contacts.
• Make sure everything that touches the contacts is also clean. Wash your hands thoroughly before you ever touch a contact lens. Replace contact lens solution every time, and never transfer it from one container to another. Don’t use anything other than a contact lens holder to store your lenses, either. Use a contact lens holder with fresh solution every time, replacing your lens holder every few months. Never share contact lenses with a friend. Never, under any circumstances, put your contact lenses in your mouth.
• Don’t try to bend the rules. Never get contact lenses without a prescription. Don’t try to extend the life of your contacts, wearing them longer than you’ve been advised to wear them. Don’t sleep in contact lenses. Don’t swim in them, rather taking them out first and replacing them with new lenses after swimming. Alternately, you can clean them thoroughly after you swim before putting them back into your eyes.
• Listen to your doctor. Your doctor will advise you on the proper care of your contact lenses. Listen to this expert advice and follow it to the letter. Schedule regular appointments with a qualified ophthalmologist or optometrist so that you can be sure your eyes are healthy and the contact lenses you’re wearing are in good shape and working well for you.

If you’re looking for an ophthalmologist or optometrist in Derry, Raymond, Londonderry or Windham, Spindel Eye Associates is here for you. Celebrating over thirty-five years in eye care, we proudly provide our patients with personalized eye care, using top of the line technology. For more information or to schedule an appointment call 603.421.6536 or contact us through our website.