Making Contact: Best Practices for Contact Lens Care

Posted on: 24 July 2017

Whether you already wear contact lenses or are thinking about switching from glasses, knowing how to take care of contact lenses is extremely important.  Just like your glasses, they're a vital part of your vision, but since they actually do touch your eye directly, ensuring that they're clean and well-maintained should be a top priority for you.  That way, you can ensure not only that your eyesight is at its best, but that you're also protecting your visual health.  Your optometrist will thank you for that!  With that in mind, here are some top tips.

Never Lick Your Lenses

To some people, this is going to sound like obvious advice.  Maybe you're already pulling a face, but if you've ever licked your contact lens to lubricate it in lieu of having any lens solution, then you'll know it really is a habit some lens wearers have.  In short, you absolutely must not do this.  Licking your lens spreads bacteria all over it, and while you may not put anything harmful on there, there's always a risk of it.  In the worst case scenario, with the wrong kind of bacteria in there, you could completely lose your vision.  Don't risk it!  If you can't find your lens solution, wear your glasses.

Stick (Loosely) to Time Limits

While it may not always be practical to only wear your lenses for a couple of hours at a time, who wants to take them out halfway through a day at work?  You should try your best not to go over too far.  You certainly shouldn't reuse daily disposable lenses, or wear monthlies for longer than a month.  It may seem economical, but these products are designed specifically to allow your eye to breathe for that length of time.  If they get clogged up or damaged, you could be seriously restricting the flow of oxygen to your eye, and that's not good.

Wear Your Lenses to Eye Tests

Again, this may seem like common sense, but on days you're going in for an eye test, you should make sure you're either wearing contact lenses or have brought a pair with you.  Even if you usually wear glasses on a day-to-day basis, an optometrist will need to see them on the eye in order to check how you're doing with them and ensure they're working effectively.

Naturally, these tips and guidelines are just the beginning.  You should also pay great attention to any instructions you're given directly by your optometrist, who knows you and your eyes best, but this is a good starting point to make sure you're heading in the right direction.

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