The first contact lenses ever created were made of glass. These contact lenses caused the eyes to be irritated and were not suitable to be worn for extended periods of time. After these first glass contact lenses, a new type of lens was introduced. Made of Plexiglas, these hard lenses were much more convenient to wear, but also had problems; no oxygen could permeate through the lens to reach the cornea. Scientists dabbling in ophthalmology eventually made oxygen-permeable lenses.

Caring for your contact lens requires a lot of precautions and gentle handling. Your eyes, being very sensitive, are prone to catch infections, if you do not maintain your contact lens properly. By taking the right care, you can extend the life of your lenses, while simultaneously ensuring the safety and health of your eyes. The article comes up with some useful tips on how to care for your contact lens. Follow these guidelines for good care to extend the life of your contact lenses, and protect the safety and health of your eyes.

Contact Lens Care Tips:

1. Always wash your hands with warm water and soap before touching your contact lenses. Make sure to rinse off the soap well. Thereafter, dry your hands with a clean towel. The remains of lotions, soaps, or chemicals can stick to contact lens, causing pain, irritation, or blurred vision.
2. Wear your contact lenses in the way prescribed by your eye specialist and follow the schedule specific to the type of contact lens you have selected. Wear your contact lenses only for the recommended amount of time in a day.
3. Clean and store your contact lenses as prescribed (in a clean case in fresh solution). Different types of contact lenses require special care and certain types of products. Always use the eye care products recommended by your eye doctor. Some eye products or eye drops are not safe for contact lens wearers.
4. Clean your contact lens case after each use with either sterile solution or hot tap water and let air dry.
5. Never use plain water directly on your contact lenses, and never put your contact lenses in your mouth to rinse them. Microorganisms can live in even distilled water, causing infection or sight damage.
6. Clean your contact lens by rubbing it gently with your index finger in the palm of your hand. The newest “No Rub” solutions allow you to rinse your contact lenses without rubbing.
7. Rinse the lens case after each use and leave it open to dry, replacing the solution thereafter. Replace the case on a monthly basis. A dirty case can be a major source of infection. Clean the storage case with a clean toothbrush and contact lens solution on a weekly basis.
8. Don’t use plain water directly on your contact lenses. Microorganisms reside in even distilled water and can easily lead to infection or sight damage.
9. Clean your contact lens by placing them in the palm of your hand and then pouring the solution on top. Gently rub the lens with your index finger and then rinse with the solution once again.
10. If you develop an eye infection, remove the contact lenses immediately. Also, discontinue its use until the infection has been completely treated. After resuming the use of contact lens, closely follow your doctor’s instructions, to prevent future eye infections.
11. Wearing contact lenses may cause your eyes to become more sensitive to sunlight. Wear sunglasses with total UV protection and/or a wide brim hat, whenever out in the sun, to protect your eyes as well as contact lenses.
12. If you think you will have trouble remembering when to change your contact lenses, ask your eye doctor if he or she has a chart for patients to track their wearing schedule. If your doctor does not have one, you may want to consider creating one on your own.
13. Put in your contact lenses before applying makeup to avoid contaminating your contact lens. When removing your makeup be sure that you wash and dry your hands. Once you have done this, remove your contact lenses and then remove your makeup.
14. Don’t let the tip of solution bottles touch other surfaces, including your fingers, eyes, or contact lenses. The solution can become contaminated.
15. Visit your eye doctor right away, if you have the slightest feeling of sudden vision loss, blurred vision, light flashes, eye pain, infection, swelling, unusual redness, or irritation.

Advice:

• If you experience irritation after dutifully caring for your contacts you may be allergic to your contact solution. Contact your eye doctor in order to find a different solution.
• Never wear another person’s contact lenses, especially if they have been worn before. Using other people’s contact lenses can spread any infection or particles from their eyes to yours.
• Try to put your contacts in over a desk or counter so if you drop it, then it won’t go on the floor and you can find it. Always rinse contacts after they have fallen.