Wearing Tips
Are
contacts lenses hard to take care of?
It
differs from lens to lens. Oxygen permeable contact lenses, which
last for years, need daily cleaning and disinfecting but generally
no enzyming, since their slick surface resists deposit buildup.
Daily disposable lenses are worn once, then discarded, with no maintenance
required. Weekly soft disposables are rubbed and rinsed at the end
of the day, then soaked in disinfecting solution until tehey're
worn again. Since they're discarded before dposit buildups occur,
they don't need to be soaked in an enzyme solution. Other soft lenses
usually require daily cleaning/disinfection and weekly enzyming.
Warning! Even though your contact lenses are shipped factory
sealed and sterile, if you fail to use good hygiene or the recommended
solutions correctly, you may cause an eye infection. Also, do not
open the contact lens vials unless you have the proper solutions
and a lens storage
case. Never share your contact lenses with others or use their
color contact lenses.
Soft
Contact Lens Care
You
have purchased contact lenses and viewed the instructions
on how to insert, remove, and clean them. Do you need
to know more? Yes! Following are some tips and information
for new contact lens wearers. Before opening your
lenses and removing them from the sterile container
they were shipped in, make sure you have your contact
lens storage solution, case, and cleaning supplies
on hand. Contact lenses need to be stored correctly
to avoid bacteria getting onto the lenses and into
the eyes and causing infection.
*INSERTION-
Always wash and dry your hands before handling your
contact lenses. Remove the lens from the package.
Make it a habit of handling the right lens first which
will prevent you from mixing up the lenses. Place
the lens on your index finger. Check that the lens
is clean and the right side is up.
Hold
your upper lid open with your left hand's index and
second finger. At the same time hold your lower lid
open with the second finger of your right hand. Look
straight at your eye in the mirror, and slowly and
gently place the lens on your eye. Then carefully
release your eyelids and blink. You can gently massage
your eyelid to center the lens.
REMOVAL-
Look up and hold your lower lid down. Pull the lens
downwards, and gently with your index finger and your
thumb pinch the edges of the lens and remove it from
your eye.(Fig.4)*
DISINFECTION-
Always before inserting the lens and after removing
it from the eye, rinse the lens with contact lenses
solution suggested by your practitioner. After wearing
your lenses, store them in a case filled with fresh
contact lens solution. If you do wear your lenses
infrequently, change the contact lens solution in
the case with fresh solution once a week.
Do's
and Don'ts
- Always wash your hands before handling contact lenses, and be
sure your contact lenses are clean as well.
- Clean, rinse, disinfect and soak your contact lenses with lens
solution. E.g. Bausch & Lomb's "RENU"
solution or Alcon's "OPTIFREE
Express" solution, to maintain sterility when not wearing
the contact lenses.
- Always
handle your right lens first and your left lens last.
- Do not
let hair spray or other cosmetic aerosols come in contact with
your lenses.
- Put
your contact lenses in after applying hair products like hairspray,
and before applying cosmetics, especially eye makeup.
- Remove
your lenses before taking your makeup off.
- Do not
lend your lenses to anyone. They are only for one patient at a
time.
- Do not
participate in any water sport with your lenses on.
- Remove
your lenses before going to sleep. Your cornea may not get the
necessary oxygen while you are sleeping.
- Insert
your lenses before putting makeup on.
- If
you work in a hazardous environment, or with chemicals, you should
not wear contact lenses to work. Gases and solutions can get behind
your lenses and cause permanent eye damage.
- Make
sure you don't catch a contact lens in between the edge of your
case and the top of the case. Push the contact to the bottom of
the case before closing the lid on that side.
- If one eye starts to bother you more than the other, switch
it by placing it on the different eye for a few minutes to determine
if your lens is bad. If, during the switch, the same lens continues
to bother you, you probably are over-wearing the contact lens
and need to give your eyes a rest. Try cleaning the contact lens.
If cleaning doesn't help, the contact lens will probably need
to be replaced.
- If your
eyes get red and irritated or if you feel any pain remove your
lense and contact your eyecare practitioner.
- Keep
your contacts either in your eyes or in your case.
- Remember
regular check-ups and always follow the advise of your eyecare
practitioner.
Most
Important Rules
Only
sterile normal saline solution and hydrogen peroxide
should ever come in contact with your soft lenses.
If you are using a commercial preparation -- follow
the instructions for that preparation. Please remember
the great majority of the problems we see with contact
lenses are due to improper cleaning and handling.
Enjoy
Your New Lenses!!
*Provided by cl-tinters.finland.net
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