Lens Care and Handling
If you want to try contact lenses the first thing you should do is book a contact lens examination with your Optician. He / she will take you through the whole process of getting fitted for contact lenses. Your Optician will first check if your eyes are suited for contact lenses (most people’s are). He / she will then train you in how to insert and remove your contact lenses and will also show you how to clean and take care of them.
Putting your contact lenses in
It does take a little practice to perfect your technique so don’t despair if you’re finding it difficult for the first few days or weeks.
* Wash your hands with soap, rinse them thoroughly and dry them with a clean towel.
* Place the contact lens on the palm of your hand, check that it is clean and not torn.
* Ensure that the contact lens is not inside out (if it is the edges will flare up slightly) and place it on your forefinger (your pointing finger).
CORRECT FALSE
* Insert the lens. Use the forefinger on your opposite hand hold up your upper eyelid to prevent you from blinking. Use the third finger on the hand in which you have the contact lens to hold down your lower eyelid. Look up and place the contact lens onto the white of your eye. Look downwards to allow the lens to slip into position. Remove your fingers and close your eye momentarily. Your lens should be in place.
* Repeat the same method on your other eye.
Helpful Tip: get into the habit of putting your right eye’s lens in first. It’ll reduce the chances of mixing up your contact lenses.
Taking out your contact lenses
* Wash your hands with soap, rinse them thoroughly and dry them with a clean towel.
* Pull down your lower eyelid with your third finger. Hold this down tightly as it will reflexively try to shut. With your lower eyelid pulled down, place your fore finger on the bottom edge of your lens and slide it down to the white part of your eye.
* Squeeze the contact lens gently between your finger and your thumb and remove the contact lens from your eye.
Helpful Tip: get into the habit of removing your right eye’s lens first. It’ll reduce the chances of mixing up your contact lenses.
Cleaning and storing contact lenses
Before you take out your contact lenses always ensure that you wash your hands with soap, rinse them thoroughly and dry them with a clean towel.
* Fill your clean contact lens case just below the rim with your contact lens solution.
* Remove your contact lens from your eye. Place the contact lens in the palm of your hand. Apply a few drops of your contact lens solution to each side of the contact lens and gently rub for 10 secsonds on each side.
* Thoroughly rinse each side of the lens for 5 seconds, with fresh solution.
* Place cleaned lens in the case and soak according to the time recommended by your specifc products.
* After putting your contact lenses back in your eyes, pour the remaining solution out of the lens case. Rinse the lens case with fresh solution and let the inside of the case dry out in the open air.
Warning: please never use water to clean or store your contact lenses. Water does not have the necessary contents to disinfect your contact lens correctly. In fact, cleaning your contact lenses with water may lead to a contamination of your lenses and has been known to cause irreparable harm to the eye.