Contact Lens | Care

The key to avoiding the irritation and infection sometimes associated with contact lens wear is proper cleaning. Regardless of the type of disinfection system you choose there are a number of common steps that must be followed.

• Always wash your hands prior to handling your contact lenses. Make sure after washing your hands that you dry them with a clean lint free towel.
• If you are removing your lenses for any period of time, apply a few drops cleaning solution to the lens. Rub both sides of the lens surface to help remove deposits, debris, protein build-up, and any bacterial film. Removing surface deposits and other debris not only contributes to improved vision and comfort but also reduces the risk of infection and allergy. Soft extended-wear contacts may be the most likely to develop a protein build-up that can lead to lens-related allergies.
• After thoroughly cleaning the lens, rinse it with the recommended solutions and store them in fresh solution in a clean case. Homemade saline solutions have been linked to serious eye infections and should never be used.
• Your empty contact lens case should be thoroughly rinsed with warm water and allowed to air dry. All contact lens cases need to be cleaned frequently, including disposable lens cases.

Advice for Contact Lens Patients:

• Never use or allow tap water to touch your lenses.
• Use fresh solution every day.
• Make sure to replace your contact lens containers on a regular basis.
• If you are swimming, wear goggles. If you are showering, keep your eyes closed. If you are in a spa, try to not get water splashed on the surface of your contact lenses.
• If you have a red or a sore or irritated eye, take your contact lenses out and seek your practitioner’s advice immediately.