Contact lenses have started occupying the market after people started feeling more comfortable with them. Eyeglasses are too heavy and cannot be worn while performing activities like sports. Glasses slide off too easily whereas there is no such problem with contact lenses.
Prescription colored contacts for brown eyes or any other color are safe, convenient, and comfortable. As a matter of fact, contact lenses have become more affordable than traditional glasses. The contact lenses not only improve your vision but also provide you UV protection and can be used during other affairs like swimming, sports, etc, under proper guidance and care.
A colored eye contact prescription is essential to get apt contact lenses for your eyes.
Having said that, contact lenses have risks of infection when not taken care of properly. Avoiding proper and regular cleaning, disinfection, and storing of contact lenses has a risk of causing a severe eye infection.
Contact Lens Risk
Although contact lenses improve your eyesight, overlooking the safety of your eyes can be harmful to your eyes. Using lenses that are too old or do not fit well can scratch your eyes. This can also make your blood vessels grow into your cornea which can threaten your eyesight.
Do not put any eye drops on while wearing contact lenses. However, you can use wetting drops or preservative-free lubricating drops, or any such drop recommended by your eye care professional.
If you feel any kind of itchiness, redness, or discomfort in your eyes, immediately remove your lenses and avoid wearing them until you visit your eye care professional.
How To Properly Store Lens?
Firstly, anytime you go out, remember to carry your lens case and the lens solution recommended by your eye doctor with you. This will assist you in case you feel any discomfort or just need to remove your lens.
If you forget your lens case or solution or both, then you can use glasses to store your lenses for a day with proper precautions.
There are certain activities you must perform before and after wearing your contact lenses. This will help you in keeping your lenses clean and safe for your eyes.
- Wash Hands
Just like before eating, you wash your hands to avoid the germs from getting in your mouth and then your digestion system, similarly, you wash your hands before putting them in your eyes.
Washing and disinfecting them with mild soap and warm water is a prerequisite for wearing or removing the lenses. Dry your hands with a towel and make sure that there is no lint or fluff present on your hands. If you wear makeup, wear and remove your lenses before applying or removing makeup.
Washing hands is important as it removes oil, dirt, and germs from your hands and helps in avoiding any kind of infection or discomfort.
- Clean Contact Lenses
Clean your contact lenses by rubbing them with the solution individually. Rub the solution on both sides of the contact lens with your fingers for about 20 seconds. This will remove any kind of debris or build-up on the surface of the lens.
Squirt a little lens-cleaning solution in your palms and place the lens in the solution. Rub it gently with your index finger and rinse it with the solution. Every time you use your contact lenses, make sure you clean them with the “rub and rinse” method.
- Replace The Solution
Lens solutions are used to clean, disinfect, and store colored eye contact prescription lenses. Ensuring that the lens is fit for these tasks is very important.
Replace the solution every three months. Also, every time you use your lenses, pour the solution from the case and replace it with a new one. If the case is half full with the solution, then don’t add the new solution to this. Replace it with the new solution.
- Check Lenses
Before putting the lenses in your eyes, check them to see if there is any kind of tear or debris in the lens that can irritate your eyes. If you see no such harm, put the lens in your eyes. Before placing the lens, see that the lens is right side out.
Be careful while removing the lenses as there is a risk of lenses getting torn.
- Use Solution Recommended By Doctor
Do not use saliva or homemade solution to store or disinfect your contact lenses. Microorganisms present in water can damage the lens or even cause an eye infection. Only those solutions must be used that are recommended by your doctor. For the same reasons, wearing lenses for swimming must be avoided, or talk to your eye doctor about the same.
- Keep Lens Case Clean
As mentioned above, every time you use lenses, refill the case with a fresh solution. Clean your lens case and wash it thoroughly with the solution. Do not use water for washing the case as there is a risk of water entering the lens. Close the lid of the bottle of the solution after using it.
- Replace Lens Case
Even after keeping the lens case clean, you must replace the case after some time. The duration after which the case should be replaced depends upon the guidance of your doctor.
However, it is recommended to replace it after every three months.
- Follow The Cleaning Schedule
It is not that one day you clean lenses and the next day you don’t. Developing a routine of cleaning the contact lenses according to the instructions given by the eye care professional is important.
- Wear the Correct Type Of Lens
Make sure that you are wearing lenses that are suitable for your eyesight. Wearing the wrong lenses can be harmful to your eyesight and also cause discomfort.
- Do Not Sleep In Them
If you find yourself catching some sleep, then remove the lenses before you fall asleep. Leaving them in the eyes can make them dry out and irritate your eyes. Some lenses can be worn while sleeping, so ask your doctor for that.
Wrapping Up
Wearing contact lenses is not dangerous or harmful if you take the necessary precautions to keep them clean.