Care for Your Contact Lenses

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Many people are unaware contact lenses are considered medical devices. The reason for this is that there is the potential for temporary and even permanent eye damage if they are worn or cared for improperly. Here are some contact lens care tips to help keep your eyes healthy:

1. Wash your hands before touching your eyes or handling your contacts.

2. Use fresh solution every time you put your contacts in the case. You should never reuse your solution because the preservatives in the solution lose their effectiveness over time, which can lead to serious eye infections.

3. Replace your case every one to three months. The contact lens case can harbor microorganisms that can live in the pores of contact lenses. Once the contact is placed on the eye, these microorganisms can then infect the eye.

4. Never use tap water to rinse your lenses. Tap water contains microorganisms, which can cause an eye infection as mentioned above. For the same reason, you should also avoid swimming pools, hot tubs, showers, lakes, oceans, etc. while wearing contacts.

5. Avoid generic contact lens solutions.

6. Always adhere to the recommended wear schedule for your particular contact lens brand. Contact lens overwear can lead to corneal hypoxia and serious eye infections. Some infections can cause permanent eye damage.

7. Always buy your lenses from a reputable source. Contact lenses are regulated by the FDA as a medical device. Therefore, you must have a valid prescription to purchase contacts and the prescription must be for a specific brand. There are websites that sell lenses from sources outside of the U.S. Other countries do not adhere to the strict medical regulations we have here in the U.S., so these contacts can be dangerous to wear.

For more information about how you can safely wear or even order contact lenses, call, text or visit our website at leeteyecare.com.