The type of contact lens you use determines how you treat the contact lens. For example, disposable contact lenses require easier maintenance than conventional contact lenses. To avoid complications in your eyes, you must strictly follow the guidelines given by eye experts. If you have difficulty cleaning your contact lenses, tell your eye specialist. Maybe they will help you ease the steps needed, or you might even be advised to change the type of contact lens you wear.
Tips to keep contact lenses clean and sterile
- Before handling contact lenses, wash your hands thoroughly. Use non-cosmetic soap. Soap containing perfume, oil, or lotion leaves a layer on your hand, which can move to your contact lenses when you hold it, then cause irritation to your eyes or blurred vision when you wear these contact lenses.
- After washing your hands , dry your hands with a clean towel.
- Each type of contact lens has a different procedure in treatment. Always use disinfectants, eye drops, and cleaners recommended by your eye specialist. some eye care products or eye drops are not suitable for contact lens wearers.
- Never wash your contact lenses directly with tap water. Microorganisms may live in that water, which if entered into your eyes through contact lenses, can cause irritation or damage to your eyes.
- Clean your contact lens case every time you use it. You can clean it with sterile liquid, or warm water. After that, dry it. Change your contact lens holder every three months.
- Don't let the inside of the liquid bottle for your contact lenses touch anything, including your fingers, eyes, or contact lenses. This can contaminate the liquid in the bottle.
Contact lenses vs makeup
For those of you who are women, there are some rules that must be considered related to the use of makeup and contact lenses. This is important to follow to avoid lens contamination of beauty products.
- If you want to use hair spray , first use hair spray before wearing contact lenses.
- If you want to use makeup , first attach contact lenses to your eyes to avoid makeup from sticking to your contact lenses. However, when you are going to clean your makeup , first remove your contact lenses.
- Make sure your nails are short and neat to avoid you damaging your contact lenses or accidentally scratching your own eyes.
What not to do when using contact lenses
Eye experts still agree that the safest contact lenses are contact lenses that are wasted. Talk to your eye specialist to determine which type of contact lens is best for you. After that, follow the instructions given.
Here are some things you should avoid if you are a contact lens wearer:
- Do not wear contact lenses for 24 hours without removing them at all.
- Do not wear contact lenses if they have passed the time limit for use. If you have problems remembering when you need to replace your contact lenses, ask your eye specialist a chart to set a contact lens schedule for you. If you don't have an eye specialist, try it for yourself.
- Never use other people's contact lenses, especially those that have been used. Wearing other contact lenses can spread infections or particles from other people's eyes to your own.
- Don't sleep with your contact lenses unless your contact lenses are a type of contact lens that can indeed be used while sleeping. When you close your eyes while sleeping, the oxygen that enters your eyes (which is needed by contact lenses) is not at its maximum state.
- Wearing contact lenses can make your eyes more sensitive to sunlight. Use sunglasses that have UV protection or wear a wide hat to protect your eyes when you are in the hot sun.
- To keep your eyes "lubricated", use eye fluid that has been recommended by your eye doctor.
- Do not wear contact lenses when swimming. Wearing goggles to protect your contact lenses is always better, but it would be better if you don't wear contact lenses when swimming, so you avoid infection.
If you feel your eyes are irritated, remove your contact lenses and don't wear them again before you talk to your eye doctor. Wearing contact lenses that are contaminated makes the infection not heal. When you return to using contact lenses, follow any instructions given by your doctor so that you are no longer infected. Quickly see your doctor if you suddenly feel your vision become blurry, sore eyes, infections, crunchy eyes, red eyes. or irritation.