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Everyday Eye Care

Here are some safety tips you should follow if you wear contact lenses.

Make sure to:

• Get regular eye exams to assure the continued health of your eyes.
• Always have a back-up pair of glasses with a current prescription in the event that you have problems with your contact lenses.
• Always follow the directions of your eye care professional and all labeling instruction for proper use of contact lenses and lens care products.
• Always wash your hands before handling contact lenses to reduce the chance of getting an infection.
• Clean, rinse and air-dry your lens case each time lenses are removed. Contact lens cases can be a source of bacterial growth.
• Remove the lenses immediately and consult your eye care professional if your eyes become red, irritated, or your vision changes.
• Ask your eye care professional about wearing glasses or contact lenses during sports activities to minimize your chance of injury.
• Always ask your eye care professional before using any medicine or using topical eye products, even those you buy without a prescription. Some medicines may affect your vision or irritate your eyes.
• Apply cosmetics after inserting lenses and remove your lenses before removing makeup.
• Apply any aerosol products (hairspray, cologne, and deodorant) before inserting lenses.
• Always inform your employer if you wear contact lenses. Some jobs may require the use of eye protection equipment or may require that you not wear lenses.
• Follow and save the directions that come with your lenses. If you didn’t get a patient information booklet, request one from your eye care professional or look for one on the manufacturer’s website.
• Replace contacts as recommended by your eye care professional. Throw away disposable lenses after recommended wearing period.

Do Not:

• Sleep in daily wear lenses because it may increase your chance of infection or irritation.
• Purchase contact lenses from gas stations, video stores, record shops, or any other vendor not authorized by law to dispense contact lenses. Contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription. See Buying Contact Lenses to help you take simple precautions to make your purchase safe and effective.
• Swap contact lens with another person. Swapping provides a way to transfer germs between people. Contact lenses are individually fitted. Incorrectly fitted lenses may cause permanent eye injury, infection and may potentially lead to blindness.
• Smoke. Studies show that smokers who wear contact lenses have a higher rate of problems (adverse reactions) than nonsmokers.
• Swim while wearing contact lenses. There is a risk of eye infection from bacteria in swimming pool water.
• Put your lenses in your mouth to wet them. Saliva is not a sterile solution.
• Use tap water, distilled water or any homemade saline solution. Tap and distilled water have been associated with Acanthamoeba keratitis, a corneal infection that is resistant to treatment and cure.
• Transfer contact lens solutions into smaller travel size containers. This can effect the sterility of the solution which can lead to an eye infection. Transferring solutions into smaller size containers may also leave consumers open to accidentally using a solution not intended for the eyes.
• Rely on contact lenses to protect your eyes from the sun. Make sure to use sunglasses that block ultraviolet light. For more information, see “What to Look For in a Pair of Sunglasses” and “Sunglasses: It’s Just As Much About Function as Fashion.”

For information on handling your contact lenses, insertion, removal and care, go to:

Contact Lens Council
http://www.contactlenscouncil.org/

Updated March 26, 2007