Like many people, you might prefer wearing contact lenses to correct your vision instead of more noticeable eyeglasses. However, you need to be careful; improper use of contact lenses can damage your eyes and could even result in an infection. Fortunately, you can protect your eyes while still enjoying the benefits of contact lenses by following these 4 helpful tips.
1. Take Your Contact Lenses Off While Swimming
If you go swimming with contact lenses, there’s a chance of the water getting trapped underneath them. This can increase your risk of suffering from an eye infection due to the harmful bacteria living in the water. Furthermore, any debris in the water may get caught under the lenses as well and end up leaving scratches on your cornea.
Simply put, swimming with contact lenses can lead to all kinds of problems. It’s therefore best to take them out before you get into the pool.
2. Don’t Wear Contact Lenses When You Go to Bed
Just like the rest of your body, your eyes depend on oxygen to stay functional. However, while most body parts receive oxygen from the bloodstream, your cornea gets it from the air. Consequently, if you don’t take your contact lenses out at night, your eyes won’t get the oxygen they need, leading to vision problems, discomfort, and other issues. On top of that, sleeping with contact lenses is known to significantly increase the risk of an infection occurring.
To give your eyes a break and ensure they get enough oxygen, you should always take your contact lenses out before you go to bed.
3. Clean Your Contact Lenses with Lens Solution
If you use bi-weekly or monthly contacts, it’s important to clean and disinfect them regularly. But you can’t use just any liquid to do so. Tap water, for example, is far too likely to contain harmful microorganisms that could cause an infection. And while a saline solution can be used to rinse your contacts after you finish cleaning them, it does not have any actual cleaning power of its own.
In order to properly clean your contact lenses, you will need to use an approved contact lens solution. Be sure to talk to your optometrist to see which brand of solution they recommend.
4. Be Aware of Any Problems That Develop
Has your vision gotten blurred lately? Are your eyes sore, red, or swollen? Is there a white or yellow spot visible in the iris (the colored part of the eye)? If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, then you should let your optometrist know right away; all of these symptoms could potentially point toward eye problems that might be connected to your contact lenses in some way. The sooner you act, the better chance you’ll have of protecting your eyes from further harm.
About the Author
Dr. Nayiri Ajoian went to the New England College of Optometry in Boston. She also trained at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Portland, OR, where she focused on specialty contact lenses and other topics. At EyeSmile Dentistry and Optometry of Belmont, she can help her patients correct their vision with contact lenses that fit their specific needs. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Ajoian, visit her website or call (617) 484-7869.