Contact lenses are a fantastic alternative to glasses! They can make playing sports more convenient and promote greater comfort for people who need to wear headphones for work or play. Best of all, they allow the world to see your face unobstructed!
Contacts do require extra care and good hygiene to maintain healthy wear. Keep your contacts and your eyes in tip-top shape with these four contact lens hygiene tips!
- Wash your hands before you touch your contacts or your eyes.
Even if it’s obvious, this tip is important enough to include anyway. Hand washing is your first defense against harming your eyes with debris, bacteria, or viruses. It also prevents you from spoiling your lenses with the same harmful contaminants.
Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them with a lint-free towel before you handle your lenses. Your eyes will thank you.
- Be certain you are cleaning your lenses properly.
The bottle of lens solution may say “no rub”, but you should do it anyway. Rub your contact lenses with a fingertip, one lens at a time, for between two and 20 seconds. Once you have rubbed each lens clean, rinse it with the solution. Ask your vision care professional for a demonstration if you are unsure.
- Only use the contact lens solution recommended by your doctor.
Certain types of contact lenses do better with certain types of solutions. Your eye care professional will know which products work best with the contacts you have been prescribed. Stick to this type of solution, and if you have questions about a different type of solution, ask before you use it.
Never use saliva to clean your contacts! You should also avoid rinsing your contacts with water.
- Don’t forget to clean your case.
Your case needs love, too! Give it a good rubdown, just like your contacts. Rinse out your contact lens case with solution, not water. Store it with the caps off, and turn it upside down so it can’t collect dust or debris.
The Eyes Have It at Valley Eyecare Center
If you want to try contact lenses, or just want to update your glasses prescription, Valley Eyecare Center wants to see you! Contact us online, or call us at (602) 955-2700 for an appointment.
