Wearing & Caring for Contact Lenses

For safe contact lens wear, follow your lens care routine:

• Always wash, rinse, and dry hands before handling contact lenses
• Always use fresh, unexpired lens care solutions
• Use the recommended lens care system and carefully follow instructions on solution labeling. Different solutions cannot always be used together, and not all solutions are safe for use with all lenses. Do not alternate or mix lens care systems unless indicated on solution labeling
• Always remove, clean, rinse, and disinfect your lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your eye care professional. The use of any cleaning solution does not substitute for disinfection
• Do not use saliva or anything other than the recommended solutions for lubricating or rewetting your lenses. Do not put lenses in your mouth
• Lenses prescribed in a frequent replacement program should be thrown away after the expiration of the wearing period prescribed by your eye care professional

Never rinse your lenses in water from the tap. There are two reasons for this:

• Contact lenses should never be stored in tap water^2^, nor should they be rinsed with tap water. Tap water contains micro-organisms that can latch onto the lenses, encouraging eye infections - which if left untreated can lead to permanent vision loss. Make sure you always use a lens solution. Tap water should also never come into contact with your lens case for the same reasons and you should always use a contact lens solution to clean your lens case.
• You might lose the lens down the drain.

Steps for Contact Lens Care

1 - Clean one lens first (always the same lens first to avoid mix-ups), rinse the lens thoroughly with recommended saline or disinfecting solution to remove the cleaning solution, mucus, and film from the lens surface. Follow the instructions provided in the cleaning solution labeling. Put that lens into the correct chamber of the lens storage case. Then repeat the procedure for the second lens.

2 - After cleaning, and rinsing, disinfect lenses using the system recommended by your eye care professional. Follow the instructions provided in the disinfection solution labeling.To store lenses, disinfect and leave them in the closed/unopened case until ready to wear. If lenses are not to be used immediately after disinfection, you should consult the labeling of the storage solution for information on lens storage.

3 - After removing your lenses from the lens case, empty and rinse the lens storage case with solution(s) recommended by the lens case manufacturer; then  wipe with a clean tissue and allow the lens case to air dry face down. When the case is used again, refill it with fresh storage solution. 

Replace lens case at regular intervals.Your eye care professional may recommend a lubricating/rewetting solution to wet (lubricate) your lenses while you are wearing them to make them more comfortable.

It is essential that you follow your eye care professional’s directions and all labeling instructions for proper use of lenses and lens care products, including the lens case. Contact lens cases can be a source of bacteria growth. Lens cases should be emptied, cleaned, rinsed with solutions recommended by the lens case manufacturer, and allowed to air dry each time you remove the contact lenses from it. Lens cases should be replaced at regular intervals as recommended by your eye care professional^4^.

Ask yourself these three questions, each time you wear your lenses:

1. Do my eyes feel good with my lenses? — no discomfort
2. Do my eyes look good? — no redness
3. Do I see well? — no unusual blurring with either eye^4^

If the answer to any of these questions is no then leave out your contact lenses and contact your eye care professional, who will advise you on what to do next.

If you notice any issue with your contact lenses such as eye stinging, burning, itching, eye pain, comfort less than when lens was first put in, abnormal feeling of something in the eye, excessive watering, unusual eye secretions, redness, reduced sharpness of vision, blurred vision, rainbows or halos around objects, sensitivity to light or dry eyes you should immediately remove your lenses.

If the discomfort or problem stops, then look closely at the lens. If the lens is in any way damaged, do not put the lens back on your eye. Place the lens in the storage case and contact your eye care professional. If the lens has dirt, an eyelash, or other foreign body on it, or the problem stops and the lens appears undamaged, you should thoroughly clean, rinse, and disinfect the lenses; then reinsert them. 

After reinsertion, if the problem continues, you should immediately remove the lenses and consult your eye care professional.When any of the above problems continue, a serious condition may be present. You should keep the lens off your eye until your eye care professional can identify the problem. 

Regular check-up examinations by your eye care professional are an important part of wearing contact lenses. We recommended that you follow your eye care professional's directions for follow up examinations. Be sure to keep all appointments for your check-up visits.

Contact Lens Care Guide 2017