Contact lenses are tiny discs made of plastic, which are worn to correct an eye problem like myopia, hypermetropia, etc. These conditions are known as refractive errors. The lenses may also be worn by people who have had a cataract surgery.
Contact lenses are directly worn on the eyes, and they float on the tiny layer of tears over the cornea. Proper design, comfort and fitting of them is essential for safety of the eyes. There have been a lot of improvements in the contact lenses and as a result, it’s quite easy to wear them. In the States, most of the people sport soft contacts.
Irrespective of whether you are already wearing these or are considering them as a future option, this article will be very helpful for the safety of your eyes.
Never buy lenses before visiting a doctor who could provide you proper service. The service would include an examination on the eyes, evaluating whether your eyes would be suitable for contacts, suggest cleaning kits, and providing guidance for proper wearing and follow-up visits to the doctor as well.
Listed below are few suggestions for people who wear lenses:
o Before handling them, wash your hands thoroughly to prevent any chances of getting dirt from your hands on them.
o Regularly clean them as suggested by the optometrist. Make sure to rub the lenses with your fingers and then rinse as you put it in a solution overnight. Also, let them dry after cleaning. Make sure to use only the prescribed solution for cleaning purposes. Besides, NEVER re-use solution for yours, and always use fresh solutions. The solution should also be changed as per the manufacturer’s guidelines, notwithstanding how much you use the product.
o Store your pair in a good case and make sure to replace them every quarter of a year.
o Keep in mind the replacement schedule of the contacts as suggested by the optometrist.
o Take them out before indulging in any activity that would wet the contact lenses from outside.
o Pay regular visits to the optometrist for eye and lens check-ups.
Normally, people who can’t see far-off objects clearly and need correction round the clock wear lenses. Also, one needs patience and motivation to adjust wearing lenses, and dealing with their cleaning, replacement, etc. Contact lenses are better than glasses for sportsmen where glasses can be fatal.
However, contact lenses should not be used by you if you have dry eyes of if you are unable to take proper care of the lenses, or even if you are diabetic. Also, asthma, allergies, etc. cause wearing contact lenses difficult. If your job is such that you are exposed to lot of dust particles, chemicals, etc. then you would be better off with glasses than lenses, since those particles would invariably stick to the lenses and repeated patterns of that sort may damage the lenses.