Proper Contact Lens Hygiene

By Kasey Brown, D.O.

Throughout late childhood and adolescence and before choosing to have permanent vision correction, contact lenses are a common alternative to glasses - but they are also a big responsibility! There are several rules that everyone needs to follow while using these devices in order to make sure the health of your eyes stays at its best. The biggest 3 are listed below:

1) Cleanliness: It is of the utmost importance that your contact lenses are kept clean and properly sterilized before each use. This means ensuring you have a clean case, the proper type of solution, and clean hands from soap and water prior to inserting your lenses.
2) Taking your contact lenses out regularly: It is important to avoid sleeping in your contact lenses. Even contact lenses that are approved for overnight use can increase your risk of infection and permanent vision loss.
3) Seeing your eye doctor: It is important to see your eye doctor on a regular basis in order to ensure proper fit of your contact lenses since they can change shape and warp your cornea. Contact lenses can also cause abnormal blood vessels to grow into your cornea, and the early stages can only be seen under a special microscope.

There is a solution!

After many years or multiple attempts to wear contact lenses, many of us will seek independence from contact lenses and research laser vision correction (LVC). LVC can be a great option even if you’ve been unsuccessful with lenses in the past. In fact, there are millions of people every year that can no longer wear contact lenses! Now, it is best to wait for LVC until your eyes have matured and your prescription has been stable for at least 1 year. For most people, this occurs between the ages of 18-21.

LVC has actually been shown to be safer, especially if you aren’t perfect about taking your contact lenses out at night, and less expensive than contact lenses over a lifetime. It is important to have a thorough LVC consultation to determine if you are a candidate. In order to properly evaluate you though, it is best to discontinue contact lens wear for at least three days before coming in for your appointment so we can have the most accurate measurements.

We look forward to serving you during a complimentary consultation to see if we can assist you in achieving your vision goals!