Jul 13

Caring for your Contact Lenses – Lubbock

By Drs. Gibson, Gibson & Moore Contacts No Comments

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.

Summer Eye Safety

Here at Drs. Gibson, Gibson & Moore, we want to help you keep your eyes safe and make sure you know why it’s important to keep them safe. Summer is when most people like to spend time outdoors doing fun activities to cool off, so this season make sure to think about the protection of your eyes. The UV rays not protected by the ozone layer are called UV-A and UV-B. UV-A can affect your overall vision since it harms the macula, which is located at the back of your eye and is your central vision. UV-B affects the cornea and lens of your eye, which can in turn, be more harmful than UV-A.

In a short amount of time, if one’s eyes are exposed to too much of the sun’s UV rays, one can develop a “sunburn” on their eyes called photokeratitis. This is a temporary condition and symptoms include the feeling of something stuck in your eye, red eyes and extreme sensitivity to light. Over time, too much exposure to the sun’s UV rays can be harmful and lead to cataracts or macular degeneration. Cataracts creates cloudy vision and can continue to increase poor vision over time. Macular degeneration is a condition that can lead to blindness when you are older and affects more men than women. It’s one of the leading causes for vision loss, which is why sunglasses are so important to your eye safety.

It’s pretty easy to protect your eyes from these harmful rays. Make sure when you buy a new pair of sunglasses that they provide protection against UV-A and UV-B rays. They are usually labeled as UV400 or 100 percent UV protection. For added protection, during a long day at the beach or on a boat ride at a lake, wear a hat. Don’t forget about the kids either! If their sunglasses fall off their face constantly while playing on the beach or doing fun activities outdoors to cool off, try getting goggles. They will stay on and your kids will be protected from the sun, sand and everything else. Even if it’s cloudy out, it doesn’t protect you from UV rays.

Have a fun a safe summer from all of us here at Drs. Gibson, Gibson & Moore! Don’t forget to visit us for all your Lubbock eye care needs.

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