5 Ways To Care For Your Eyes When Wearing Contact Lenses

Woman-Putting-Contact-Lens

 

Those who have prescription eyewear are no strangers to contact lenses. Like glasses, people wear daily contact lenses to correct various refractive errors: nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Some contact lenses can also be used to treat eye diseases such as keratoconus or damage to the cornea caused by infection or injury. Contact lenses make going about your daily activities much easier, especially for those who lead a more active lifestyle. Contact lenses are much lighter and less obtrusive than normal eyewear, allowing you to enjoy your favourite activities more comfortably.

 

However, improper daily contact lens wear and care can cause dry eye issues, and sometimes even exacerbate it. If you struggle with dry eyes and are a frequent user of contact lenses, here are some easy tips to follow to make your contacts-wearing experience go as smooth as possible!

 

1. Wash your hands thoroughly before handling your contact lens.

 

Cleaning Contact Lens

 

Despite the fact that this may seem like a no-brainer, a lot of us neglect to follow this habit regularly. Contact lenses should always be handled with clean hands to minimise the possibility of transferring infection-causing pathogens from your fingers to your lenses. Before handling your contact lenses, we strongly recommend washing your hands thoroughly with water and mild soap, followed by drying them completely with a lint-free towel.

 

2. Don’t go to bed with your contact lens.

 

We are all guilty of going to sleep with our contact lenses at some point. It may seem harmless to go to bed with your contact lenses on, but doing this will put you at a higher risk of getting an infection on your cornea. When you go to sleep with your contact lenses on, you’re limiting the amount of oxygen your eyes receive. In turn, this creates a breeding ground for bacteria. Corneal infections can also cause corneal ulcers, or sores on the surface of the eye. Even if you manage to avoid this, sleeping in your contacts can mess with your natural tear film and worsen your dry eye symptoms in the long run.

 

3. Use a fresh pair of contact lenses as directed instead of extending your contacts’ wear time.

 

Whether you choose to wear a daily or a monthly contact lens, you should always wear a fresh pair and avoid extending the wear time. Despite your best efforts to maintain your lenses, debris can accumulate over time, preventing tears from spreading evenly across your eyeballs and worsening your dry eye issues. Using your lenses for too long and not cleaning them well makes it even easier for them to collect bacteria and debris, aggravating your eye infection.

 

The best thing to do is to follow the wearing schedule prescribed by your optician. Contact lenses worn for too long can cause severe eye infections, causing irritation and discomfort. To avoid the risk of a bacterial infection, be sure to check the expiration date the next time you purchase your contact lens online!

 

4. Replace the solution in your lens case daily.

 

Contact Lens Solution

 

Although topping off the solution in your contact lens case might seem economical, it’s not recommended. After removing your contacts from the case and placing them on your eyes, you should empty the case and rinse it with contact lens solution, then hang it upside down to dry on a clean piece of tissue paper. The effectiveness of the disinfection properties of the contact lens solution decreases when you reuse the solution, and this will lead to issues like inflammation.

 

5. Go a few hours without your contact lens.

 

Although it may be tempting to wear your coloured contact lenses all day long, this isn’t really the wisest thing to do, especially if you suffer from dry eyes. Take a couple of hours off from wearing the lenses so your eyes can breathe. By removing your lenses, your eyes can receive sufficient oxygen and moisture from your tear film without being blocked by lenses.

 

Here’s a pro-tip: Try removing your contact lenses at least two hours prior to bedtime or wear them for two fewer hours than the time you’re awake. So, for instance, if you sleep for eight hours a day, you’re awake for 16. This means that you shouldn’t wear your lenses for more than 14 hours straight. You can be flexible as you figure out how much time off your eyes need, but the most important thing is to give them a break from time to time.

 

Getting contact lens online

 

Contact lenses can make going about daily activities easier, but improper daily contact lens wear and care can contribute to dry eyes and make you more susceptible to getting eye infections. To make sure that your experience wearing contacts is as comfortable as possible, we recommend following these guidelines religiously.

 

For those who are looking to make the switch from glasses to contact lenses, Better Vision is here to help! You’ll be sure to find something that suits your needs, whether you wear daily contact lenses, monthly contact lenses, or even coloured lenses. Book an appointment and visit our stores to get your eyes checked by our experienced optometrists today!


Related Posts