Tips for contact lens wearers
Here are some essential tips for contact lens wearers to ensure comfort, safety, and eye health:
Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly before handling your contact lenses to avoid transferring dirt and germs to your eyes. Follow the recommended schedule for wearing and replacing your lenses as advised by your eye care professional. Clean and disinfect your lenses daily with the appropriate contact lens solution; never use tap water or saliva. Never sleep in your contact lenses unless specifically prescribed for overnight use. Avoid wearing lenses while swimming, showering, or in hot tubs to reduce the risk of eye infections. Store lenses in a clean case and replace the case every three months to prevent bacterial buildup. If your eyes become red, irritated, or uncomfortable, remove the lenses immediately and consult your eye care provider. Regularly attend eye check-ups to monitor eye health and update your lens prescription as needed.
Tips for Contact Lens Wearers at Every Age
How Long Can I Wear My Lenses?
The length of time you can wear contact lenses depends on the type of lenses prescribed and your eye care professional’s recommendations:
Daily Wear Lenses: These lenses are designed to be worn during the day and removed before sleeping. Typically, they can be worn comfortably for 8 to 16 hours but should never be worn overnight unless explicitly approved by your eye care provider.
Extended Wear Lenses: Some lenses are approved for overnight or continuous wear for up to 6 consecutive nights or sometimes up to 30 days. However, extended wear increases the risk of eye infections and should only be done under strict medical supervision.
Disposable Lenses: Wear time varies depending on the type—daily disposable lenses are meant for single use only, while weekly or monthly disposables should be replaced exactly as per schedule to maintain eye health.
Specialized Lenses: Certain lenses, like rigid gas permeable or therapeutic lenses, may have different recommended wear times depending on your eye condition and doctor’s advice.
Always follow your eye care professional’s instructions regarding how long to wear your lenses. Overwearing lenses can cause discomfort, dryness, and increase the risk of infection or more serious eye problems. If you experience irritation, redness, or pain, remove the lenses and consult your eye specialist promptly.
Before You Touch Your Lenses
Before touching your contact lenses, it is crucial to follow these important steps to ensure eye safety and comfort:
Wash Your Hands: Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Use a mild, fragrance-free soap if possible.
Dry Your Hands: Dry your hands with a clean, lint-free towel to avoid transferring any fibers or debris onto the lenses.
Avoid Contaminants: Make sure your hands are free from lotions, oils, makeup, or any other substances that could irritate your eyes.
Prepare a Clean Area: Handle your lenses in a clean, well-lit area to reduce the risk of dropping or contaminating them.
Check Your Lenses: Before putting them in, inspect the lenses for any damage, tears, or debris. Never use damaged lenses.
Use Fresh Solution: Always use fresh contact lens solution to clean and store your lenses. Never reuse old solution or use water.
Following these simple but vital steps helps protect your eyes from infection and ensures a comfortable wearing experience with your contact lenses.
Putting in Your Lenses
Start with the same eye each time so you don’t mix up the right and left lenses. Use your index finger to slide the lens out of the package or case and into the palm of your hand. Rinse it with the solution recommended by your eye doctor. Place the lens on the tip of your index finger. Pull your lower lid down with the middle finger of the same hand and hold your upper lid with your other hand. Place the lens directly on the iris of your eye. Gently release your lids, and blink.
Removing Your Lenses
First, wash your hands before removing any lenses. To take out soft lenses, pull down your lower lid. Look up or to the side, and gently move your lens to the white of your eye. Using your thumb and index finger, gently pinch the lens and lift it off your eye. For gas-permeable lenses, open your eyes wide and pull the skin near the corner of your eye toward your ear. Bend over your open palm and blink. The lens should pop out into your palm.
Cleaning and Storage
There are many ways to clean lenses. A multipurpose solution lets you clean, rinse, disinfect, and store your lenses. Some systems have separate products for cleaning and rinsing. “No-rub” solutions say that rinsing alone will clean the lenses, but research suggests that rubbing cleans better. With hydrogen peroxide solution you put your lenses in a basket that goes in a cup of solution. Never use this solution to rinse your lenses.
Water and Lenses Don’t Mix
If you’re out of contact lens solution, you might be tempted to rinse your lenses with tap water. Don’t do it! Water sometimes has microbes that can cause serious eye infections. Don’t even wear contacts in the shower. And never put your lenses into your mouth or use saliva to wet them.
The Case Matters, Too
Clean your lens case as carefully as you clean your lenses. You should rinse it at least every night with disinfecting solution. Wipe the case with a tissue and let it air dry to help get rid of lingering bacteria. Replace your case every 3 months or more often.
When Your Lenses Hurt
A lens might feel uncomfortable if there’s something on or under it or if it’s inside out. Take the lens out and rinse it with rewetting drops or a non-peroxide solution to remove the dirt or dust. Don’t keep wearing your contact lenses if they stay uncomfortable. And don’t wear them when your eyes are already red and irritated. If you’re not better after you stop wearing them, see an eye doctor.
How Long Can I Wear My Lenses?
Replace your lenses as often as the doctor suggests, even if you don’t wear them every day. For instance, if you have the disposable kind that are good for one wearing, throw them out after you’ve worn them once, even if they still feel fresh. When you wear lenses for more days than you should, or when you sleep in lenses that aren’t made for overnight wear, you raise your risk of eye infections.
Before You Touch Your Lenses
Always wash your hands before you put your lenses in or take them out. Don’t lather up with oily or heavily scented soaps. Lenses can cling to wet hands, so dry your hands well with a lint-free towel. If you want to use a moisturizer, wait until after you’ve put in your lenses. The residue from lotions can stick to them.
Putting in Your Lenses
Start with the same eye each time so you don’t mix up the right and left lenses. Use your index finger to slide the lens out of the package or case and into the palm of your hand. Rinse it with the solution recommended by your eye doctor. Place the lens on the tip of your index finger. Pull your lower lid down with the middle finger of the same hand and hold your upper lid with your other hand. Place the lens directly on the iris of your eye. Gently release your lids, and blink.
Removing Your Lenses
First, wash your hands before removing any lenses. To take out soft lenses, pull down your lower lid. Look up or to the side, and gently move your lens to the white of your eye. Using your thumb and index finger, gently pinch the lens and lift it off your eye. For gas-permeable lenses, open your eyes wide and pull the skin near the corner of your eye toward your ear. Bend over your open palm and blink. The lens should pop out into your palm.
cleaning contact lens
Cleaning and Storage
There are many ways to clean lenses. A multipurpose solution lets you clean, rinse, disinfect, and store your lenses. Some systems have separate products for cleaning and rinsing. “No-rub” solutions say that rinsing alone will clean the lenses, but research suggests that rubbing cleans better. With hydrogen peroxide solution you put your lenses in a basket that goes in a cup of solution. Never use this solution to rinse your lenses.
Water and Lenses Don’t Mix
If you’re out of contact lens solution, you might be tempted to rinse your lenses with tap water. Don’t do it! Water sometimes has microbes that can cause serious eye infections. Don’t even wear contacts in the shower. And never put your lenses into your mouth or use saliva to wet them.
The Case Matters, Too
Clean your lens case as carefully as you clean your lenses. You should rinse it at least every night with disinfecting solution. Wipe the case with a tissue and let it air dry to help get rid of lingering bacteria. Replace your case every 3 months or more often.
When Your Lenses Hurt
A lens might feel uncomfortable if there’s something on or under it or if it’s inside out. Take the lens out and rinse it with rewetting drops or a non-peroxide solution to remove the dirt or dust. Don’t keep wearing your contact lenses if they stay uncomfortable. And don’t wear them when your eyes are already red and irritated. If you’re not better after you stop wearing them, see an eye doctor.
Teens and Contact Lenses
Mature teenagers can wear lenses as long as they learn to take care of them and can be trusted to follow all care instructions exactly. Disposable lenses that are worn just 1 day are a good option. There’s no cleaning or care involved. Work with your eye doctor to find the best contacts for you. Never try on a friend’s lenses. An eye doctor has to fit contact lenses perfectly to your eyes. The doctor can give you samples to make sure the chosen lenses fit well.
Makeup Tips for Lens Wearers
Put on soft contact lenses before you apply makeup. Put on gas-permeable lenses after you’ve put on your makeup. Always take lenses out before you take off your makeup.
Use non-allergenic makeup. Avoid metallic or glittery eye shadows and liners, and lash-lengthening or waterproof mascara. These can irritate or stain your lenses.
Don’t apply eyeliner to your inner rims, between your lashes and your eye.
Replace your eye makeup at least every 3 months.
Contact Lenses and Sports
You can wear your lenses for most sports and activities. They rarely move or fall out. Plus, they don’t fog up like glasses, and they give you better peripheral vision. If you swim, though, especially in lakes, avoid wearing your contacts in the water. Even with watertight goggles, you can get an eye infection from water, and your lenses can be hard to take out if they get wet. If you do accidentally wear them in the water, use saline or rewetting drops to loosen them and remove them as soon as possible. Then clean and disinfect them.
Keep Your Glasses
Even after you get contact lenses, you’ll probably still wear glasses sometimes. You should keep a pair of up-to-date prescription glasses for when your eyes need a break or if you can’t wear your contacts for some reason. You should also have sunglasses to protect your eyes from damaging UV light. Choose sunglasses that block 99% of UV light and wear them — especially in the sun, when you’re driving, and around snow, water, or sand.
Decorative and Cosmetic Lenses
It might look cool to have cat’s eyes for Halloween or change your eye color just for fun. Decorative and cosmetic lenses can be safe, but make sure you get them from an eye doctor. It’s actually illegal to sell decorative lenses without a prescription in the U.S. Ill-fitting contact lenses can scratch your eye or cause an eye infection.
Your Eyes and Your Screens
Teens and young adults spend hours in front of computers, televisions, and cell phones. All that screen time can cause computer vision and eye strain problems. We blink less when we’re focusing up close like that, so eyes can get dry and tired. To help, try the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break from the screen to look at something 20 feet away.