Hygiene is critical to wearing your contact lenses

Hygiene is critical to wearing your contact lenses

Contact lenses can significantly improve your vision but it’s very important to care for them properly to avoid potentially serious infections or other problems.

Your habits, supplies, and eye doctor are all essential to keeping your eyes healthy so it’s important to follow instructions for proper care and to call us if you have concerns. 

These recommendations will help extend the life of your contact lenses and keep your eyes safe and healthy. 

Your lens insertion and removal routine

• Before you handle contacts, wash and rinse your hands with a mild soap.
• Make sure the soap doesn’t have perfumes, oils, or lotions. They can leave a film on your hands.
• Dry your hands with a clean, lint-free towel before touching your contacts.
• It’s a good idea to keep your fingernails short and smooth so you won't damage your lenses or scratch your eye when inserting or removing your contacts.
• Lightly rubbing your contact in the palm of your hand with a few drops of solution helps remove surface build-up.
• Rinse your lenses thoroughly with a recommended solution before soaking the contacts overnight in a multi-purpose solution that completely covers each lens.
• Store lenses in the proper lens storage case.
• Don't use tap water or saliva to wash or store contact lenses or lens cases.
• If you use hair spray, use it before you put in your contacts.
• Put on eye makeup after you put in your lenses. Take them out before you remove makeup.
• Always follow the recommended contact lens replacement and wearing schedule prescribed.

Your supplies

• Use doctor-recommended solution.
• Rub and rinse your contact lens case with sterile contact lens solution. Never use water.
• Clean the case after each use.
• Replace your contact lens case at least once every three months. 
• Don’t “top off” solution. Use only fresh contact lens disinfecting solution in your case. 
• Never mix fresh solution with the old or used solution.
• Change your contact lens solution according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

Your eye doctor

• Visit us yearly or as often as recommended.
• Ask us if you have questions about how to care for your contacts and case or if you are having any difficulties.
• Remove your contact lenses immediately if your eyes become irritated. Call us and let us know what’s going on.
• Call us if you have any sudden vision loss, blurred vision that doesn’t get better, light flashes, eye pain, infection, swelling, unusual redness, or irritation. 

Wear your contacts safely

• Some contacts need special care and products. Always use the disinfecting solution, eye drops, and enzymatic cleaners your doctor recommends. Some eye products or eye drops aren’t safe for contact wearers.
• Saline solution and rewetting drops do not disinfect lenses.
• Use a rewetting solution or plain saline solution to keep your eyes moist.
• Don’t wear your contacts when you go swimming in a pool or at the beach.
• Don't sleep in your contact lenses unless prescribed by your eye doctor.
• Don’t clean or store your contacts in water.
• See us for your regularly scheduled contact lens and eye examination.
• If you think you’ll have trouble remembering when to change your lenses, ask for a chart to track your schedule or make one for your needs.

Be sure to call us if you have any questions about caring for your contact lenses or if you’re eyes are having problems.

Mark your Calendars!!! On Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, a solar eclipse will be visible across the entire continental United States.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks any part of the sun, and with this one, all of North America will experience at least a partial eclipse lasting 2 to 3 hours.

A lucky few million people along a 70-mile-wide path from Oregon to South Carolina will experience a brief total eclipse when the moon completely blocks the sun for up to 2 minutes. For that 2 minutes or so it will look like nighttime along that path.

This total eclipse will make the solar corona visible, and stars and the planets may also be visible during this time.

But looking directly at the sun before it is covered is unsafe. Although there is a limited chance of eye damage if you are in the proper area during the total eclipse it is not worth the risk of retinal damage to even take a quick look at the eclipse if it is not “total”.

A large part of the country is not along the pathway where the eclipse will be total so you should not look at the sun without protection.

The only safe way to look directly at the eclipse is through special solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers.

Ordinary sunglasses, even if they are very dark and polarized, are not safe for looking at the sun. To date, four manufacturers have certified that their eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for such products: Rainbow Symphony, American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical, and TSE 17.

All the companies above have instructions printed on or packaged with their filters. You MUST follow the instructions to keep your eyes safe. Always supervise children using solar filters.

Specific instructions are found below, courtesy of NASA’s eclipse website https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety:

1. Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After glancing at the sun, turn away and remove your filter - do not remove it while looking at the sun.

2. Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical devices. Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer - the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury. Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device.

3. A solar eclipse is one of nature’s grandest spectacles. By following these simple rules, you can safely enjoy the view and be rewarded with memories to last a lifetime. An eclipse is a rare and striking phenomenon you won't want to miss, but you must carefully follow safety procedures. Don't let the warnings scare you away from witnessing this singular spectacle! You can experience the eclipse safely, but it is vital that you protect your eyes at all times with the proper solar filters. No matter what recommended technique you use, do not stare continuously at the sun. Take breaks and give your eyes a rest! Do not use sunglasses: they don't offer your eyes sufficient protection. One excellent resource for safe solar eclipse viewing is here: https://www.nasa.gov/content/eye-safety-during-a-total-solar-eclipse.

The solar eclipse is a spectacular sight but please remember to watch it safely.

Article contributed by Dr. Brian Wnorowski, M.D.

This blog provides general information and discussion about eye health and related subjects. The words and other content provided on this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately licensed physician. The content of this blog cannot be reproduced or duplicated without the express written consent of Eye IQ.