Contact Lens Care Guidelines: What Are Contact Lenses?
Contact lenses are a prescribed medical device placed on the cornea of your eye. Corneal damage and other ocular complications can occur as a result of not sticking to the guidelines of contact lens care recommended by your doctor.
At Real Eyes Optometry, we offer ‘Total Contact Lens Care’. This means that all of your contact lens-related visits and contact lens modifications are covered when you purchase them through our office.
How To Put In Contact Lenses
Safely putting in and taking out your contact lenses is also a crucial part of eye health and contact lens care. Here are a few tips on how to put in your contact lenses.
- Always be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before handling your contact lenses, and clean them with contact lens solution before putting them in.
We recommend staying away from soap that contains extra oils or fragrances, as soap can stick to the surface of a lens.2. Dry your hands with tissues or a lint-free cloth so that particles don’t wind up floating around in your contact3. Put the contact lens on the tip of either the index finger or middle finger, using your fingertips and not your nails to handle the lens.4. Check to see if the lens is clean and without tears or damage.5. Make sure the lens is right-side-out. The best way to do this is to make sure that the edges of your lens do not curl out.6. Hold your lower eyelid open with your ring finger to help make space for the contact lens sitting on your middle or pointer finger.7. Look up at the ceiling as you gently place the lens on your eye.8. Slowly shut your eyes and blink a few times to help the lens settle on your eye. If the lens feels uncomfortable or like there is debris in your eye, remove it and try again.
Real Eyes Optometrist provides spcialized contact lenses for orthokeratology, dry eyes, and daily use. Follow our Instagram for promotions on contact lenses.
6 Things You Should Do For Contact Lens Care
- Keep scheduled follow-up appointments with your Optometrist.
- Wear your contact lenses for at least 4 hours on the day of your follow-up appointment, unless they are causing discomfort.
- Remove your contact lenses at least one hour before bedtime to ensure proper oxygen nourishment gets to the cornea.
- Give your eyes a break from contact at least one full day a week to ensure proper oxygen nourishment gets to the cornea.
- In contact lens care it is important to ALWAYS wash your hands before handling your contact lenses.
- See your Optometrist right away if your eyes/contact lenses are uncomfortable, irritated, painful, or if your vision is blurry.
5 Things You Should Not Do: Contact Lens Care
- Continue the use of contact lenses if your eyes become irritated, red, or painful, or if your vision gets worse while wearing them. If this occurs, remove the lenses, thoroughly clean them, and allow your eyes to adjust back to normal. If this problem continues, contact our office.
- Exceed the recommended wearing schedule, even if the lenses feel comfortable in your eyes.
- Wear your contact lenses longer than 12 hours a day, unless told otherwise by your Optometrist.
- DO NOT use saliva/tap-water when handling the contact lenses. Saliva/tap water contains bacteria that can penetrate and destroy your cornea within hours.
- 5. Never sleep with them in unless otherwise specified by your optometrist
Real Eyes Optometry
Real Eyes Optometry is centrally located in Metrotown Mall. Our convenient location includes free, accessible parking and the ability for parents to complete errands without driving all over the city.
Consider being able to run to a grocery store, make a clothing return, and grab a quick bite, all while your child is having an eye exam. Of course, accompanying your kid during their eye exam is always a good idea. For details on how to find us, click here.
Contact Lens Care: Health Hazards
Not following these guidelines can lead to numerous eye conditions that can cause blindness. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, please contact us for an eye exam. These symptoms include redness and swelling in your eye, eye pain, light sensitivity, eye-watering, discharge from your eyes, blurred vision, irritation or a feeling that something is in your eye.