3 Essential Hygiene & Cleanliness Tips For Contact Lenses
Upgrading to contact lenses can be incredibly liberating, especially for those who couldn’t quite get used to glasses and their tendency to slide down the nose bridge every couple of minutes. Aside from not having this inconvenience, contact lenses give you a complete field of vision as they move with the eyes. To fully leverage their benefits, it’s imperative that one indulge in taking proper care and handling of their contact lenses. Looking after your contact lenses as instructed by your eye care practitioner in Singapore will help to reduce the risk of developing eye infections.
By this point, you would’ve heard of all the horror stories about contact lenses. However, contrary to popular belief, wearing contact lenses rarely result in infection, and if there is any, it’s only because of one thing and one thing only: poor hand hygiene. So if you’re looking to get yourself a pair, you’ll want to ensure that you have the basic cleaning routine at the back of your hand. Have a look at 3 smart hygiene tips to adopt.
1. Wash Your Hands
When dealing with anything on your face, you’ll want to always wash your hands – and this goes the same for your contact lenses. Whether you’ve opted for the daily, bi-weekly or monthly contact lenses, always wash your hands before and after. Wash your hands with soap and water to get rid of any germs before proceeding to dry them with clean tissue. This single, simple step is all it takes to significantly reduce the chances of getting eye infections, effectively securing and maintaining your eye health.
2. Clean Your Contacts Daily
Whilst they may appear clean after use, your contact lenses are actually coated with bacteria and your body’s proteins. As such, it’s imperative that you disinfect your contact lenses daily. Once you’ve removed your lenses, immediately clean them with the prescribed lens care solutions and gently scrub them clean from edge to edge. Do not wait until morning, as the debris can get stuck on the lenses and cleaning won’t be as effective.
Be sure to never use water as a replacement for the solution. While it may appear to be harmless, tap water contains a number of impurities that can easily cause serious damage to your eyes. The same could be said for reused lens solution, homemade saline, and saliva. If you’re not sure, always consult your eye care practitioner in Singapore to find the best cleaning solution for your contact lenses and eyes.
3. Contact Lens Case Care
Good contact lens hygiene is not without cleaning your contact lenses and the case that comes with them. You’ll want to wash the storage case with the same lens solution, wipe it with a clean tissue before letting it dry. Keep the case bottom side up to ensure that no dirt or dust can settle on the grooves’ surfaces. Besides cleaning and disinfecting, you’re recommended to replace your lens case every three months.
The Bottom Line
Improper contact lens hygiene can lead to eye irritation, blurry vision, and in the worst-case scenario, severe infections like keratitis, and corneal abrasion, which can lead to vision loss. The bottom line: always listen and follow your optometrists’ instructions and make it a daily habit to keep your lenses clean!
If you’re still not sure of the ways to go about it or have any enquiries, EMME Visioncare can help! Our team of expert opticians and optometrists will guide you through the entire process, from choosing the ideal contact lenses for you to giving you step-by-step instructions on how to clean and disinfect your lenses. Book a consultation to learn more.