If you wear contact lenses, it’s very important to use and look after them properly. Here are the top 5 mistakes most contact lens wearers make and how to avoid them for healthy and clear vision.
Contact lenses offer patients an extremely convenient, comfortable, and safe vision correction alternative to traditional eyeglasses. However, to lower your risk of any infections and other eye hazards when wearing lenses, you must make sure to:
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before inserting your contact lenses
- Remove your lenses every night and gently rinse them before putting them in their case
- Throw away daily disposables every evening after use
- Remove your lenses before taking a shower, going swimming, or engaging in any other activity that involves water
- Keep your contact lens case clean and replace it every 3 months
Remember: Taking shortcuts when it comes to contact lens hygiene can result in eye infections, discomfort, and possibly even vision loss.
Comprehensive Contact Lens Fittings and Care in Calgary
At Blink Eyewear, our qualified optometrists offer comprehensive contact lens fittings to find the right lenses for your specific needs and lifestyle. During this consultation, you will be advised on how to take care of your lenses to ensure your vision always stays clear and safe.
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Top 4 Mistakes Made By Contact Lens Wearers and How To Avoid Them
Did you know that a recent survey done at the University of Texas of 443 contact lens wearers found that less than 1% cared for their lenses properly?
To help protect your vision, here are some of the most common mistakes made by patients and why it’s important to avoid these habits:
Mistake 1: Storing or Washing Contact Lenses in Tap Water
Although this may seem harmless, tap water can cause serious injury or damage to your eyes. Because it isn’t sterile, tap water increases your risk of developing infections, which can affect your vision and cause severe discomfort.
What you should do: NEVER wash or store your contact lenses in tap water or any other liquid other than the contact lens solution recommended to you by your optometrist. In addition, you should never swim or shower with your lenses as this can increase your risk of infection.
Mistake 2: Using Saliva to Wash Your Lenses
Saliva is full of bacteria and washing your lenses with it can lead to this bacteria getting trapped under your lens and causing an infection. This can even lead to a corneal ulcer, which when left untreated, can lead to vision loss or even blindness.
What you should do: Always carry a small container or artificial tears or contact lens solution. This way, if your lens feels dry or uncomfortable, you can moisten them with the proper solution.
Mistake 3: Reusing Cleaning Solution
Contact lens solution is a very effective disinfectant unless you leave it sitting around or reuse it for days at a time. This is because bacteria will proliferate in the solution and stop it from being sterile and lead to a higher risk of serious infection.
What you should do: Every time you store your lenses, make sure to use fresh solution. Also, ensure that you remove ALL of the old solution from the case. If you find that this becomes too cumbersome, you may want to consider daily disposable lenses.
Mistake 4: Wearing Your Lenses Even Though They’re Uncomfortable
If your contact lenses are feeling uncomfortable, or your eyes are red and itchy, you shouldn’t keep your lenses in. You’re feeling irritated for a reason: you could have an infection, your contact lenses may be ill-fitting or there might be a tear in your lens.
What you should do: Remove your lenses immediately. If the discomfort persists, you should visit your Calgary optometrist as soon as possible.
3 Reasons Why You Should Never Wear Poor Fitting Contact Lenses
Mistake 5: Sleeping With or Overwearing Contact Lenses
Contact lenses are a very effective way of correcting your vision, however, you must give your eyes a break or period of rest. Whether you’re overwearing them or sleeping with your lenses, this can result in your eyes not getting enough oxygen, which can lead to a corneal abrasion, infection, and even vision loss.
What you should do: Always remove your contact lenses before going to sleep and consider wearing your eyeglasses in the evening after work, or during the weekends when you’re at home.
Call Today
Are you a new contact lens wearer? Are your current lenses feeling uncomfortable? To find out more about our comprehensive contact lens fittings and how our optometrists can help you find the right solution for your specific needs, visit one of our three branches, Crowfoot (67 Crowfoot Terrace NW, T3G 4J8), West Springs (1009 873 85 St SW, T3H 0J5) or Creekside (12192 Symons Valley Rd NW, T3P 0A3).
Alternatively, you can contact our team at our Crowfoot Branch (403-547-5417), West Springs (403-242-0999) or Creekside (403-516-2292).