Topic of the Month

AUGUST IS NATIONAL CONTACT LENS SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH 

Contact lenses are a wonderful alternative to glasses. They are available in a greater variety than ever before. They are made out of better materials than ever before. They are more comfortable and more convenient than ever before.

But contact lenses are still medical devices. They rest directly on the surface of the eye. They have the potential to damage the eye in ways that glasses do not. That’s why contact lens prescriptions are not valid for as long as glasses prescriptions. More frequent examinations are required to determine whether the eye is healthy enough for continued use of contact lenses.

Most contact lens complications can be avoided by proper wear and care habits. Here are 10 tips to keep you happily wearing your contact lenses:

1. Don’t overwear! Replace your contact lenses as recommended by your eye doctor! 

If you want to wear them longer, tell your eye doctor. There are many types of contacts to choose from. 

   2. Make sure you have a pair of glasses to get you by! If you develop an eye infection 

Or, if you can’t wear your contacts for some reason, you may need that spare pair of glasses. 

   3. Wash and dry your hands before handling your contact lenses! Dirty hands can transfer germs to your contact lenses, which may lead to an eye infection. 

   4. Don’t sleep in your contact lenses (unless approved by your eye doctor)!  Some  Lenses do not provide enough oxygen to the eye to be worn in safely. Even lenses approved for overnight wear have up to a 4x greater risk of causing an eye infection, which occurs more often when sleeping in regularly than when sleeping nightly. 

    5. Keep water away from your contacts! Avoid wearing contact lenses while 

showering or swimming. And NEVER wear them in a hot tub. Dangerous germs that live in water can attach themselves to your contact lenses and cause serious eye infections.

 
    6. Rub and rinse your contact lenses with solution each time you clean them, even when using a “no rub” solution! And NEVER use water to clean or store your contact lenses. 

    7. Only use fresh disinfecting solution in your case! Don’t mix old and new. When you put your lenses on, dump out the old solution, and leave the case open to dry out. And NEVER store your contact lenses in water. 

    8. Rub and rinse your case every day with the solution! Then leave it open so that it dries out, and replace your case every three months. A dirty case is one of the leading sources of the germs that cause eye infections. 

    9. Visit your eye doctor once a year- or more often if needed! That yearly exam is not. 

Just to check your vision. It is to make sure that the eyes are healthy enough to continue contact lens wear. Some of the complications of contact lens wear are sneaky- you may not have any symptoms until the condition is advanced and more difficult to manage. 

     10. If you develop painful or red eyes, take out your contacts and call your eye doctor right away! 

New and better contact lenses are being developed all the time. If you are unhappy with your current contact lenses or if you gave up on contact lenses in the past, talk to our doctors. We would love to work with you to find the contact lenses that best suit your needs! 

For more information on safely wearing contact lenses, read up on the CDC recommendations for contact lens use, or visit our contact lens page!