10 Tips to Care For Your Contact Lenses
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Do you wear contact lenses? Taking care of your contacts is important to prevent and eye infection or damage to your eyes. In a survey of people who wear contact lenses, 85 percent believed they follow proper contact lens care, but only one percent were found to be fully compliant with guidelines for proper contact lens use and care.
Whether you are new to contact lenses or have been wearing them for years, here are 10 contact lens care tips to review.
- Have your first pair of contact lenses fitted by an eye doctor who can show you how to properly put them in and remove them.
- Wash your hands before handling your contacts. Anything on your fingers could get on your contacts and cause irritation or even infection.
- Store your lenses in a clean case with the lids screwed securely to prevent your contacts from drying out. Always rinse your case between uses and leave the lids off to allow your case to dry while you are wearing your contacts. Replace your case every few months. (A new case comes with every bottle of contact lens solution—use it!)
- Only use contact lens solution recommended by your eye doctor to clean and store your contacts.
- Don’t wear contact lenses longer than prescribed. If they are two-week lenses, be sure to replace them every two weeks.
- Avoid using tap water to clean your contacts or contact lens case.
- Never use saliva to moisten your contact lenses. Doing can cause an eye infection.
- Avoid swimming with your contacts in or wearing them in a hot tub.
- Never share your contact lenses with another person.
- Avoid falling asleep in your contact lenses.
Don’t get lazy when it comes to caring for your contact lenses. Failing to follow these tips could result in eye irritation or even infection. If you have questions about your contact lenses, or experience discomfort when wearing them, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor.
