Wearing contact lenses is a great eye care option for those who dislike wearing glasses due to a number of reasons- physical discomfort, social embarrassment, inconvenience, and management. Invented back in 1887, contact lenses embolden you to go out and look the world in the eye (no pun intended!) with confidence. The best part about contact lenses is they are invisible to the naked eye.
Here are five lesser known facts about contact lenses:
1) Water can harm your lenses: Rinsing your contact lenses with tap water, bottled water, or your saliva is a very serious mistake because they run the risk of causing eye infections. It is for this reason that it is sensible to avoid swimming while wearing the lenses.
2) Contact lenses suitable for kids too: Yes, that’s right! Young children are actually better candidates for contact lenses than their older counterparts. This is because unlike adults, they have been found to be very careful in following eye care instructions. Of course, you would not want to make them wear lenses without consulting an eye specialist. However, don’t be surprised if the doctor sees no problem with your little one wearing tiny contact lenses.
3) They can be worn by diabetes patients as well: There is a widespread misconception that a diabetes patient cannot wear contact lenses because they suffer from frequent eye dryness. However, this is not true. All it means is that the choice of their lens would be slightly different from regular ones. If you’re one such diabetes patient, ensure that you let your eye care specialist know about it. It is also important to follow their suggestions on lens maintenance to the ‘T’.
4) Contact lens can tackle myopia: Recent research studies suggest that the use of specific lenses during the night can actually retard the progress of myopia. This goes to show that they have preventive as well as curative value, if worn correctly.
5) You should not wear them even while taking a nap: As a thumb rule, wearing contact lenses during sleep is a strict no-no. This eye care rule is applicable even for a short nap of 10-15 minutes. Doctors opine that not doing so can cause redness, soreness and even ulcers in the eye.
