Precautions one must take while wearing lenses

 The gift of vision is one of the greatest gifts given to mankind by God and we all must consider it our duty to keep it safe and sound at all times. While difficulties in perfect vision can be corrected with spectacles or contact lenses, it becomes our job to keep them in the best condition, in the same way, as we do when it comes to our clothes. Hence it is a matter of utmost importance to be extremely careful to avoid eye infections or further deterioration of your vision. While spectacles are rather easy to handle and manage, the contact lenses require special care attention for prolonged hassle-free use. 

Following are the few good practices that one must follow while using these tiny miracles for perfect vision are as follows:

v  Keep your nails trimmed while applying lenses – In order to keep your lens membrane clean and unscratched, make sure you always apply lenses with your nails trimmed because otherwise the membrane is too delicate and soft and can easily tear apart with something as sharp as a fingernail.

v  Always apply/remove lenses with clean hands – Whenever you are applying or removing lenses, make sure you wash your hands with soap and water, and dry them with a clean cloth before touching your lenses. Otherwise, dirty hands can make your lenses dirty which can cause eye infections later and also hamper the membrane of your lenses.

v  Never let your lenses come in contact with water – Any kind of water can be a carrier of germs for your lenses so avoid creating direct contact between your lenses and water. This includes not using lenses while taking a shower, swimming, or even crying. Water can harbor microorganisms that can lead to severe infection. Do not store the lenses or rinse the lens case with water or any non-sterile solution.

v  Clean your lenses properly at regular intervals of time - Make sure you clean your lenses after prolonged use (full day or so) with a sterile contact lens care solution recommended by your eye care professional. In case you are using daily disposable lenses, then you need not worry, you can simply dispose of them after one time use as they will no longer be effective. Using those lenses again can also cause an eye infection.

v  Take good care of your contact lens case – Besides the lenses that you wear, always make sure that the the case you keep it in is also completely clean, free from water, and is filled with enough sterile solution at all times to prevent drying of the lenses kept in it.  Regularly empty it, wipe it with a clean tissue, fill it with contact lens care solution, and then store your lenses in it. Importantly, you should replace your contact lens case at least once every three months.

v  Be in regular contact with your eye doctor – To avoid any kind of emergencies, make it a habit to get an eye check-up after regular intervals.

v  Be prepared for any emergency - You never know when you may need to take out your contact lenses. Be prepared by carrying a backup pair of glasses with a current prescription—just in case something unexpected occurs. 

v  Never “top off” solution. Never mix fresh solution with an old or used solution. ​
Mixing fresh solution with the used solution while maintaining contact lens hygiene practice or for storing contact lenses, this has been an important risk factor in serious outbreaks of contact lens associated with germs and infections. Using solution, in this case, can become contaminated by germs that are on contact lenses or in the contact lens case. Prevent yourself from doing this disaster.