Contact Lens Health Week

It's contact lens health week and we are promoting healthy habits!  You only have one pair of eyes so it is so important to take care of them.  Did you know that you put yourself at risk of an eye infection or worse everyday if you do not properly take care of your contact lenses?  Not many patients are aware of the risks involved so we are going to review the simple steps you can follow to protect those precious eyes.

1.  ALWAYS, I REPEAT, ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS before you touch your eyes or your contacts. Do not use hand sanitizer, use soap and water.  Contact lenses will pick up anything left behind on your fingertips including lotions, dirt and grime, bacteria, etc. So make sure your hands are always clean.  It is best to use a lint free towel to dry your hands.

2.  We recommend that you limit your wear time as much as possible.  Dr. Friedberg suggests wearing your glasses and taking a break from your contact lenses after work or school.  Limiting wear time will increase the amount of oxygen to your cornea.  

3.  Follow the schedule that we recommend.  We have often heard patients say they "stretch" their lenses out.  This is never a good idea.  Protein, pollen, dust and dirt build up on the lenses so replacing them is the best thing to do. 

4.  NEVER SLEEP in your lenses!  Remove lenses every night.  If you wear dailies toss them in the trash.  If you wear two week, monthly or yearly replacement contacts you must disinfect your contact lenses using the proper solutions.  Never use water.  We recommend Opti-Free Pure Moist.  Contact lenses must be rubbed and rinsed every single night on each side and placed in your case with fresh solution.  Never use solution from the night before.  In the morning, rinse your contact lenses on both sides and be sure to dump the old solution out.  Rinse your case out using solution and let it dry upside down.  It is recommended to replace your case every three months to prevent bacteria from getting on your lenses.



5.  Never shower or swim with your contact lenses.  Water is not germ free and your contact lenses will collect those germs. 

6.  Remove your lenses if you have any pain, redness or blurred vision.  Call us if your symptoms do not improve after one day.

7.  Return to the office when the doctor tells you to.  Contact lenses are medical devices and must be monitored on a six month or yearly basis.  

Remember that serious problems can occur from contact lenses if the appropriate steps are not followed.  You only have one pair of eyes, so take care of them.

For more information on healthy eyes when wearing contact lenses visit the CDC. Follow on twitter #onepairtakecare.

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