The American Optometric Association (AOA) advises several recommendations for clean and safe contact lenses. If you’re a contact lens wearer, news of these recent infection outbreaks, however isolated they may be, means it’s a good time to be reminded of the importance of the proper care needed to wear contact lenses.
These recommendations for clean and safe contact lenses include:
1. Always wash your hands before using handling your contact lenses, and dry your hands using a lint-free towel.
2. Carefully and regularly clean contact lenses, as directed by your optometrist and the patient information included with lens care products.
3. Rub the contact lenses with fingers and rinse thoroughly before soaking the lenses overnight in enough multi-purpose solution to completely cover the lens.
4. Store lenses in the proper case and replace the lens storage case every three months. Clean the contact lens case after each use and keep the case open and dry between cleanings.
5. Use the proper products to clean and disinfect contact lenses as recommended by your optometrist. Remember that saline solutions and rewetting drops are not designed to disinfect lenses.
6. Only fresh solution should be used to clean and disinfect contact lenses. Never re-use old solution. Contact lens solution must be changed everyday, even if the lenses are not used daily.
When wearing or cleaning contacts:
· Do not use cream soaps to clean contact lenses. Cream soaps can leave a film on the hands that can be transferred to the lenses.
· Never put contact lenses in the mouth or moisten them with saliva, which is full of bacteria and a potential source of infection.
· Don't use tap water or homemade saline solutions. Improper use of solutions has been linked to a potentially blinding condition among soft lens wearers.
· Never use contacts that have not been prescribed by an eye doctor. Contact lens wearing is not an option for everyone; always consult with your eye doctor to see if it's an appropriate option.
In addition to proper care and usages of contact lenses, eye care professionals such as Dr. Jackson encourage wearers to never ignore vision problems and to alert an eye doctor as they occur.
Anyone who experiences the following symptoms should contact their eye doctor immediately:
· Sudden blurred or fuzzy vision
· Red and irritated eyes lasting for an unusually long period of time
· Pain in and around the eyes
· Increased sensitivity to light
· Excessive eye tearing
This news hopefully will remind those who wear contact lenses to never grow complacent. Proper hygiene and handling of contact lenses will result in good eye health and vision correction.
