Wearing contact lenses is a safe and convenient way to correct your vision – as long as they are worn, cleaned and cared for correctly, while careless contact lens use can put you at risk of developing eye infections or even cause eye damage. In other words, contact lenses are the best alternatives to glasses if worn correctly and hygienically, because if good lens hygiene habits are not maintained, they can even lead to serious infections threatening the sight, such as bacterial or viral corneal ulcers or Acanthamoeba keratitis.
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Therefore, if a child or adolescent is not prepared to responsibly handle contact lenses, their wearing may be delayed. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Priyanka Singh (MBBS, MS, DNB, FAICO), Director and Consultant Ophthalmologist at Neytra Eye Center in New Delhi, “Contact lenses come in different types depending on their duration or their validity. It varies from daily, monthly and 3 monthly to yearly types. Daily contact lenses have the lowest risk of infection with low maintenance but high cost compared to annual contact lenses. While monthly and quarterly contact lenses are the most commonly used contact lenses”.
She added: “It is advisable not to use contact lenses beyond their expiration date, even if it seems fine and the total contact lens wearing time in a day should not exceed 6 to 8 hours and should not be worn while bathing or sleeping.” She suggested:
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1. Always remove your CL before sleeping and never sleep with CL on.
2. Before putting on your CL, always wash your hands well with soap and water. Dry with a lint-free towel then put on one CL at a time (to avoid mixing the right and left sides)
3. To remove CL again, first wash your hands and dry them with a towel to minimize transfer of infection from your hands or water.
4. After removing the lenses, rinse CL with lens solution and replace the solution in the lens case with a fresh one.
5. Always change the solution daily even if the lenses are not in use
Dr. Priyanka strongly advised, “Never replace your lens solution with anything else. Buy a good quality solution and check the seal and expiration date before using it. In case of eye irritation, do not wash your eyes with water, instead put on eye drops prescribed by your ophthalmologist. If irritation persists, remove lenses and see your eye doctor. Also, stop wearing contact lenses for a while if you have an eye infection and throw away the CL as it might be carrying the infection.”
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For makeup lovers, she recommended:
1. Put on contact lenses (CL) before applying makeup
2. Remove CL before removing makeup
3. Do not apply glitter or eyeliner inside the inner rim of the eyes
Highlighting the dose of contact lens wear and maintenance, Dr. Pallavi Joshi, Consultant-Cornea, Ocular Surface and Refractive Surgery at Sankara Eye Hospital, Bangalore, suggested:
1. Wash your hands before touching your eyes or handling your lenses. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water and after rinsing, dry your hands with a clean towel.
2. Disinfect your lenses when you remove them from your eyes, using only solutions recommended by your eye doctor.
3. Remove your contact lenses before sleeping, swimming and showering.
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4. Clean your contact lens case weekly with lukewarm water and replace it at least every 3 months or as recommended by a doctor.
5. Take a pair of glasses with you in case you need to remove your contact lenses. Plus, always keep your lens case handy wherever you go.
6. Change your solution in the lens case daily and clean the lens case with clean water.
Talking about the don’ts of contact lens wear and care, she advised:
1. Don’t wear your lenses too much. Replace them as often as your doctor recommends.
2. Do not rub your eyes when wearing contact lenses.
3. Don’t let makeup get into your eyes while wearing contact lenses.
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4. Do not share your contact lenses with anyone.
5. Do not wear your contact lenses if your eyes are irritated or red. Give them a chance to relax before reinserting them into your eyes. In case the redness in the eyes persists with blurred vision, please consult your ophthalmologist at the earliest.
6. Don’t skip your routine eye exam. Even if your eyes look good, eye health and control are very important, especially if you regularly wear contact lenses.
Always consult your doctor about the correct refractive power of your eyes and which contact lenses are best for your eyes.
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