Proper Contact Lens Hygiene Techniques

Importance of Contacts Lens Hygiene

Contact lenses provide wearers with more flexibility and comfort during the day, but they also require more responsibility. Contact lens use requires the maintenance of hygienic practices to ensure the prevention of infections and other physical harm to the eyes. Keeping a clean hygiene when dealing with contact lenses is one of the best ways to protect yourself from an infection or complications such as a corneal ulcer.

Properly Cleaning the Contact Lens

For the best protection against eye infections, make sure to clean your contact lenses with every use. Daily contacts are the exception to this rule as they are disposable after one use. To properly clean your contact lenses, always washing your hands with soap and water. Next, rinse and gently clean your lenses on both sides with contact lens solution. Never substitute any kind of tap water for this process as water is often concentrated with other minerals and chemicals that can stay on your contact lens.

Importance of Not Extending the Contact Lens’ Lifetime

Even though it might initially come across as tempting to extend your contact lens’ life, never extend your contact lens’ lifetime. Contact lenses have a specific lifetime to ensure that the material is providing the best possible sight and oxygen supply to your eyes. When you go beyond the contact lens’ lifespan, you place your eyes at higher risk of infection and other eye problems. Additionally, by extending using the contact lenses for longer than they are intended, your contacts will experience more distortion, making it harder for you to see well. Different contact lens have specific lifespans and if you have any concerns or questions, be sure to ask your eye doctor.

Healthy Contact Lens Practices

There are many good practices we recommend to patients including:

Always apply makeup after putting in your lenses, and never before. Always remove makeup before taking them off.
Never sleep in your contacts; your eyes need oxygen. By removing them and allowing your eyes to rest overnight, oxygen can be properly exchanged from your eye’s surface to its many blood vessels.

When Hygiene Isn’t Enough

Sometimes, even if a patient follows all the instructions, one small mistake can still lead to contact lenses complications. Please contact an eye care provider is there are new, sudden, worsening symptoms such as sudden increase in pain or redness or discharge/tearing.

Citations:

AOA, A. O. A. (n.d.). Healthy vision and contact lenses. AOA.org. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/vision-and-vision-correction/healthy-vision-and-contact-lenses?sso=y