Bad Habits You May Have With Your Contact Lenses

Contact lenses allow you to have clear vision without needing to wear eyeglasses. Contact lenses need to be worn properly though in order to preserve your vision. Caring for your contact lenses properly is just as important. If you aren't taking good care of your lenses, you could potentially cause your vision to worsen, while also opening yourself up to eye infections and other issues. Read on for some bad habits you may have and tips to correct them.

Not Cleaning Your Lenses

Your contact lenses should be cleaned when you take them out and before putting them into your eyes. Failing to clean your lenses could result in debris being on your lenses and scratching your eyes or causing infections. Clean your contact lenses with contact solution only, not tap water or your saliva (either of these could carry bacteria and germs). You can find contact solution at your eye doctor's office, or at your local pharmacy.

Not Cleaning Your Contact Case

The contact case you place your lenses into each evening should also be cleaned. Clean this with mild soap and water and allow it to dry thoroughly. Be sure to empty the contact solution each time you take your lenses out of the case. This lens case should be replaced every 6 months. Lens cases can be found at your eye doctor's office or you can purchase a new one at your local pharmacy.

Not Washing Your Hands Before Handling Your Lenses

Think about everything you touch during the day, then think about this before you touch your lenses. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water before handling your contact lenses. Bacteria and germs from your hands can spread to your lenses and to your eyes very easily. This is also true if you are simply rubbing your eyes during the day with unwashed hands. Never touch your eyes or your lenses without washing your hands first.

Over-Wearing Your Lenses

If you are over-wearing your contact lenses, it could cause a problem with your vision and your eyes. You could dry out your eyes and cause some serious problems. Be sure to change your contact lenses as instructed and give your eyes a break during the day. Take out your lenses when you're at home to allow your eyes to "breathe". Contact lenses sit directly on the eye, which can block oxygen to the eye. Taking them out can prevent dry eye issues.

Contact lenses help you to see, but they take some responsibility. If you aren't wearing them properly and caring for them properly, it could cause detrimental problems to your eyes. Talk to your optometrist, such as at Master  Eye Associates, about other contact lens tips.