Caring for Soft Contact Lenses
These days caring for soft contact lenses is easier than ever. A visit to the local supermarket or drugstore reveals a confusing array of products designed to help you care for your contact lenses as quickly, safely and easily as possible. It is very important to care for your lenses correctly - not only for the health of your eyes but also to preserve and protect your lenses.
One-bottle care systems and disposable soft contact lenses have revolutionized eye care. It is now easier, cheaper, and less time-consuming to care for your eyes. However, some important guidelines must still be followed to get the most out of your eye care.
Always bear in mind that not all soft contact lenses are compatible with care systems and using an unsuitable product could ruin your contacts or put your eye-health at risk so always talk to your eye-care professional before changing eye care systems.
If you are new to soft contact lenses the first thing you need to learn is how to care for them properly. The better care you take of your contacts the longer they will last.
The Basics of Caring for Soft Contact Lenses:
Clean, Rinse and Disinfect! - Always wash your hands first to rid them of any germs that could contaminate your soft contact lenses or the eye. Never use a moisturizing soap and dry your hands on a lint-free towel.
Next remove your soft contact lenses one at a time and clean them with the recommended solution. The cleaning process gets rid of mucus from the eye itself, any cosmetics or other dirt that make your lenses feel scratchy against the eye. If the solution instructions tell you to rub the lens against the palm of your hand then do so.
Now rinse your soft contact lenses with the cleaning solution to make sure that all the dirt is washed away. Make sure to do this for the time recommended in the instructions on the package.
Now you are ready to store your soft contact lenses in their holder. Fill the holder with some clean solution and soak and disinfect the lenses by immersing them in the solution. Disinfecting is a very important step as this kills any microorganisms that may be on the lenses. Consult the package to find out how long you need to soak your lenses for effective disinfection.
Your soft contact lenses may require you to remove protein deposits. This is not a requirement for all contacts so check with your eye care professional. Simple cleaning will not get rid of all the protein on the lens and build-up can make wearing the lenses very uncomfortable.
Disposable soft contact lenses don't require protein removal but a one year prescription will. You can use an enzymatic cleaner and daily protein removal liquid to remove protein deposits. If you have any dryness or irritation of the eye use contact lens eyedrops to lubricate your eyes and re-wet your lenses. Some people may develop allergy symptoms to contact lens solutions and in this case change to another product or use a preservative-free brand.
