Contact lenses are an easy and safe form of vision correction. But it’s critical that you follow your eye doctor’s instructions when it comes to proper care and wearing instructions. If you fail to use your lenses as directed, you could be damaging your eyes. Protect your eyesight and always practice clean and safe handling of your contact lenses.
Tips for Contact Lens Compliance:
- Wash and dry hands before handling contact lenses.
- Clean your contact lenses as directed by your eye doctor.
- Use multi-purpose solution to rub lenses gently with your fingers and rinse them thoroughly before soaking them overnight in multipurpose solution that completely covers each lens
- Tap water should never come into contact with soft contact lenses – water contains numerous microbes that can lead to an ocular infection.
- And never, ever let saliva come in contact with your lenses – saliva also contains numerous microbes that can lead to an ocular infection
- Store lenses in a lens storage case, and replace your case every three months or sooner.
- Lens cases represent the most common source of contamination – they’ve been shown to include a host of pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, amoeba, and fungi
- Only use the products recommended by your eye doctor to clean your lenses.
- Do not use saline solution and rewetting drops to disinfect lenses; this is not their intended purpose
- Use fresh solution to clean and store contact lenses and never, ever reuse old solution.
- Even if you don’t use lenses daily, make sure to change the solution according to the manufacturer’s recommendations
- Roughly 22% of contact lens wearers report topping off their lens case occasionally, frequently, or almost every night in an attempt to save money – a practice shown to contribute to ocular infections.
- Follow the recommended contact lens replacement schedule prescribed by your eye doctor.
- Remove contact lenses before swimming or entering a hot tub.
- See your eye doctor for your regularly scheduled contact lens and eye examination.
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Don’t sleep in your contact lenses, unless your eye doctor says you can.
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Never share your contacts with others. Only wear contacts prescribed to you by your eye doctor.
Contact lenses and the solutions used with them are medical devices and are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Therefore, it is extremely important to maintain regular appointments with your eye doctor based on your individual eye health needs. Schedule an appointment at Illinois Eye Center today by calling (309) 243-2400.