An Optometrist Shares 13 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Contact Lenses
If you are one of them 45 million American dressed Contact lensesvery likely you use them in an unhygienic way. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 99% of contact lens wearers Practice at least one “Contact Lens Hygiene Risk Behavior”. These include not often replacing cases and sleeping with lenses.
In some cases, these behaviors can lead to doctor visits and other health problems – but many of them are preventable. This is what you should and should not deal with contact lenses to minimize the risk of infection and discomfort.
13 Things You Should Never Do with Contact Lenses
Is the contact safe? Yes – but only used correctly. From being filled with old contact solutions to touching the eyes with dirty hands, these are some of the most common contact lens mistakes.
Wipe your eyes
There is one reason you are told not to rub your eyes while wearing contact lenses. Dr. Jennifer Martin Maples, Optometrist with more than 20 years of experiencetells CNET: “regardless of the wear of contact lenses, friction is not a good idea because bacteria and viruses are transferred from the hands to the eyes, which can lead to eye infections.”
Rubbing the eyes can also worsen eye allergy and is associated with corneal intestinal structure – an eye disease that can cause thinner cornea and poor vision even with the best glasses or contacts. Not to mention, rubbing the eyes can cause contact lenses to fall off, fall off or become heterogeneous.
You don’t want to take risks either Scrape or destroy the cornea or cause your contacts to fold in your eyes. For safety reasons, wash your hands and remove the contacts before wiping or touching your eyes.
Sleeping with contact lenses
According to the CDC, One third of contact lens wearers Say they sleep or take a nap on the camera. However, the agency warned against doing so, saying lying in bed can make you six to eight times more likely to get an eye infection. So, is contact at night bad for your eyes?
“When you sleep in contact lenses, the front surface of the eye known as the cornea is deprived of oxygen and the risk of corneal infection is increased.”
Contacts are used daily even if certain contacts are approved for extended or overnight use Reduce hydration and oxygen flow In your eyes, this makes them more susceptible to bacteria and infections, such as bacterial keratitis and fungal keratitis. In addition, Maple also noted that corneal infections can cause painful corneal ulcers and may lead to vision loss.
Reuse solutions
When you sanitize your contact lenses, you should first make sure you clear any old contact solutions that still existed since the last time you clean the lens. You should then rinse the case with a new solution and let it dry before washing the lens again. Remember that the contact lens solution used is no longer sterile.
If you reuse or top the old solution, Low efficiency in the disinfection processyou will be more likely to obtain Bacteria in your case or lens.
“Reusing or pouring old solutions increases the risk of bacteria, fungal and amoeba infections,” Maples said. These can eventually lead to eye infections and ulcers. So make sure you use a fresh solution every time.
Use tap water instead of solution
Another risky behavior is to use Tap water or other liquids, rather than sterile contact solution, to clean your lens or case. The official CDC suggests Keep contact away from water Toss or disinfect any lenses that are exposed to water completely.
“Exposure of microorganisms and contact lenses in water can greatly increase the risk of corneal infections, ulcers and irreversible vision loss,” Maples said.
Leave sunscreen on your contacts
As you know, eating sunscreen in your eyes can be a painful experience. “You should be careful to avoid applying sunscreen on your eyes or contacts, as sunscreen can irritate your eyes,” Maples said. However, if you get it on your contacts, it may be worse because it will not only sting your eyes, but it will also destroy your lens. If this happens, you will need to prepare a backup Lens or glasses.
To prevent sunscreen from leaving on contacts, wash and dry before placing them near your eyes. Follow the same procedure when removing them.
Shower and contact person
You should also avoid showering for the same reasons mentioned above. Even if you live in an area with clean, drinkable water, the shower has contacts Increase your risk of keratitisa serious eye infection that can lead to permanent vision loss or disorders. As Maples mentioned, adding water to the contact can introduce bacteria into the eyes, so you want to avoid this.
Another common question: Can you wash your face with your contacts? Again, no. Keeping your contacts moist (whether during a bath or while washing your face) may cause them to bend or stick to your eyes, potentially scratching your cornea and causing them to be painfully removed.
swim
Wearing contact lenses like showering and cleaning contact with water, swimming or using a hot tub is another major taboo. This just gives you a greater risk of infection, so it is not a support for getting used to maple trees.
Whether you are in a swimming pool or in natural water, your contact can absorb water (possibly contaminated with bacteria) and capture it on your eyes. After this happens, you may be more likely to develop discomfort and danger Eye problemsincluding inflammation, infection, irritation and corneal wear.
They are not replaced frequently
Contact lenses come in many types, including daily wear and extended wear options. But no matter what kind of variety you have, it is important Replace them According to your ophthalmologist’s advice. This could mean changing them daily, weekly or monthly.
“As the lens ages, more pathogens are collected on the lens,” Maples said. “Even if it is often cleaned and disinfected, small defects on the lens surface can hide the pathogens in the small tears or gaps on the lens surface.”
If you use a pair of contact lenses too long, the consequences can be serious, regardless of the Discomfort with the pain of blindness. If you notice any of these symptoms, talk to your ophthalmologist immediately.
Use dirty hands to touch your eyes
Whether inserting or deleting contact lenses, you must do this with clean hands. “Even if your hands appear clean, they still have pathogens that can cause serious eye infections.” You can attract a variety of bacteria to your contacts or eyes, increasing your chances of development,” the maple warns. Inflammation or infection.
There are some easy ways to reduce these risks: Make sure to wash your hands with soap and water before handling the lens, and then dry with a clean towel.
Even if your eyes are itchy, you will leave a contact
Itchy eyes can be triggered by many things, including Seasonal allergiesdry or Allergic reactions to your contacts or contact solutions.
“If it is not managed correctly, environmental allergies can be exacerbated by wear of contact lenses,” Maples said.
In some cases, contact lenses may trigger an allergic reaction. Either way, it’s best to be temporary Remove your contact person Until you determine and resolve the doctor’s problem.
“Without proper treatment, persistent contact lenses can worsen allergic symptoms and lead to discomfort and increased irritation,” Maples explains.
In some cases, itching, dry eye relief may be as simple as changing the contact brand, changing lenses more frequently or Use eye drops. Your ophthalmologist can help you determine the best solution for your situation.
Keep the case dirty
Since your case holds contact lenses when washing, it should also be kept clean and sealed. Otherwise, it’s OK Transfer bacteria to lenses And may lead to eye infection. “Over time, pathogens accumulate on the contact lens housing, which can form a thin film called a biofilm, which can lead to infection,” Maples said.
She recommends using contact lens solutions, daily cleaning cases for rinsing and air drying in rooms that are not your bathroom. Maples recommends changing the contact lens case once a month.
Leave the makeup in your contacts
If you are wearing makeup, you need to be careful not to put it on your contacts as it may leave film and contaminate them. To avoid this, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before putting them in the contacts before removing them.
In addition, the American Optometry Association recommends Put in soft lens Before applying makeup. If you wear rigid gas lenses, you should insert these lenses after the entire makeup.
“Makeup should be removed every night to avoid blockage of the mebomiya glands in the eyelids and remove bacteria and allergens (such as pollen),” Maples said. She added that blockage of the eyelid glands can lead to infection, often called styling.
Tamper with your contact solution
If you are Go to a business trip or weekendit may be easy to transfer your contact solution to a smaller travel-friendly container. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends not to do this Infertility of compromise solutions And put you at risk of eye infection. “This can also cause damage to the eyes and reduce the effectiveness of the disinfection and cleaning process,” Maple said.
The FDA recommends handling any contact solution that has expired or discarded dates, as the formula may be less efficient after these dates.
