As optometrists, we have to make decisions on which contact lenses are right for each individual patient. This is one of the many reasons why optometrist fight to keep money hungry online websites from being allowed to change contact lens brands because it might not be right for the patient’s eyes. Whether a patient is brand new to contacts or currently wears, how the contact lens interacts with the patient’s eye needs to be examined.

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Contacts have all of the benefits of glasses without the annoying maintenance of wearing, cleaning and fixing them. While contacts are much easier to take care of, it is important to remember to clean them and change them as instructed by your doctor. If you forget about these simple contact hygiene tips, then you risk damaging your eyes. Here is how you can keep your contacts in the best shape for your eyes.

Replace Your Contacts

Most contacts prescribed by optometrists are either daily, weekly or monthly lenses. This means that after the time period has passed, you need to throw the lenses out and put in a fresh pair. If you keep wearing the contacts past the replacement date, then your chance of an eye infection increases. An old pair of contacts increases your risk for developing a bacterial infection.

Take Your Contacts Out at Night

Keeping your contacts in overnight will dry out the contacts and your eyes. The dryness comes from the lack of tear exchange which provides a perfect scenario for bacteria to grow on your contacts and eye. Not only this, the dried out contact can also scratch and rub the inside of your eyelid which can cause major discomfort. Do yourself a favor and spend the extra 10 seconds to take out your contacts before you hit the hay.

Clean Them in Solution

Cleaning your contacts in contact solution, such as Opti-Free, is important when cleaning your contacts. These solutions are designed, filtered and made to clean contacts that you put in your eyes every day. Tap water, on the other hand, is not. Tap water, our daily drinking water, has bacteria that are not visible to the human eye and can contaminate our contacts and eye health.

Take Out Contacts When Swimming

Simply put, you should either take out your contacts or put on goggles before entering the pool. Like tap water, many different kinds of bacteria and chemicals are found in pools, especially public ones. Not only do you risk an infection, but you can also lose a valuable lens if your friend or someone else splashes you.

Conclusion

Contacts are a great way to correct your vision. But if not taken care of properly, you can subject yourself to eye infections and ocular damage. Always wash your contacts with contact lens solution and never swim in your contacts. Both tap water and pool water can cause nasty infections that will cause you a big headache and maybe even a lasting impact. Also, don’t forget to take them out and replace them when necessary in order to protect your eye from scratches and infections. Your eyes are one of the most important organs in the body, so make sure you are following these tips to keep your eyes nice and healthy!

Do you need to order contacts or a schedule an eye exam in Lubbock?  Schedule an appointment with Drs. Gibson, Gibson & Moore today!

Caring for your Contact Lenses

While contact lenses are safely used by millions of people around the world every day, they do carry a risk of eye infection if not properly cared for. There are two general types of contact lenses: hard and soft. The hard lenses are rigid, gas-permeable lenses (RGP for short), that are now and days primarily used for corneal diseases, like keratoconus. The soft lenses are made of soft, flexible silicone-hydrogel that allows oxygen to pass through the eye. There are different soft lenses that are made to be worn for 1-day, 2 weeks, or as a monthly regimen.

Are Contact Lenses Worth it?

Many patients ask: are these worth the extra money? Many doctors highly recommend disposable soft lenses – they are a fantastic choice health-wise; there is less opportunity for protein and bacteria to build up on them. Also, if you invest in these 1-day disposable lenses, which are thrown away at the end of the day, you will not need to buy contact lens solution to clean them after every use! The downside to these lenses would be that they are not created for extended wear, meaning they may cause discomfort if worn during sleep.

Properly Caring for Your Contact Lenses

Regardless of the type of lens you decide on, proper care of your lenses is essential to your eye health! Check out these tips to make sure you’re taking the best possible care of your contact lenses.
• Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water before handling contact lenses.
• Minimize contact with water – this includes removing your lenses before going swimming or in a hot tub.
• Contact lenses should not be rinsed or stored in water – your contact solution should be the only liquid that comes in contact with your lenses.
• Wear and replace contact lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your eye care professional.
• Be sure to use the “rub and rinse” method – this method is considered by some experts to be a superior method of cleaning. This entails rubbing your contact lenses with your fingers, then rinsing the lenses with solution before soaking them.
• Keep your contact lens case clean and replace it regularly – at least every 3 months. Bacteria can gather in your lens case and increase your risk of infection if not replaced in a timely manner.
Be sure to keep those lenses in tip-top shape to ensure you have the greatest summer adventures possible, eye infection free!

Schedule an eye appointment today with Doctors Gibson, Gibson, and Moore.