Do’s and Dont’s

DO’S

* Always wash your hands before handling contact lenses to reduce the chance of getting an infection.
* Remove your contacts before you go to sleep. This applies to extended wear contacts, too. Although extended wear contacts are designed to be worn overnight, continuous wear significantly increases the risk of eye infections.
* Put on soft contact lenses before applying makeup. Avoid lash-extending mascara, which has fibers that can irritate the eyes, and waterproof mascara, which cannot be easily removed with water and may stain soft contact lenses. Remove lenses before removing makeup.
* Use hairspray before putting on your contacts. If you use hairspray while you are wearing your contacts, close your eyes during spraying and for a few seconds afterwards.
* Remove the lenses immediately and consult your eye care professional if your eyes become red, irritated, or your vision changes.
* Always follow the directions of your eye care professional and all labeling instructions for proper use of contact lenses and lens care products.
* Use contact lens products and solutions recommended by your eye care professional.
* Rub and rinse your contact lenses as directed by your eye care professional.
* Clean and disinfect your lenses properly following all labeling instructions provided with your lens care products.Cleaning and disinfecting contact lenses is important to kill micro-organisms which can be responsible for eye infections.
* Keep an eye on the expiration date. Don’t use contact solution that’s past the expiration date.
* Clean, rinse, and air dry your lens case each time lenses are removed. You may want to flip over your lens case while air drying so that excess solution can drain out of the case. Contact lens cases can be a source of bacterial growth.
* Replace your contact lens storage case every 3 months.
* Use rewetting drops approved for re-wetting contact lenses as needed to alleviate symptoms of lens dryness. This is not an actual lens care step, but can be used for extra comfort.
* Discomfort with contact lens wear may be due to an intolerance to a lens care product rather than intolerance to the contact lens, it should therefore be assessed by an eye care professional before continued use.

DONT´S:

* Don’t use contact lens solutions that have gone beyond the expiration or discard date.
* Don’t “top-off” the solutions in your case. Always discard all of the leftover contact lens solution after each use. Never reuse any lens solution.
* Don’t expose your contact lenses to any water: tap, bottled, distilled, lake, or ocean water. Never use non-sterile water (distilled water, tap water, or any homemade saline solution). Remove your contact lenses before you bathe, swim or use a hot tub. Exposure of contact lenses to water has been associated with Acanthamoeba Keratitis, a corneal infection that is resistant to treatment and cure.
* Don’t put your lenses in your mouth to wet them. Saliva is not a sterile solution.
* Avoid lash-extending mascara, which has fibers that can irritate the eyes, and waterproof mascara, which cannot be easily removed with water and may stain soft contact lenses.
* Don’t use hand creams or lotions before handling contacts. They can leave a film on your lenses.