EP. 05 : "Best Ways To Prevent Contact Lens Infections?" By Dr. Patchima Chantaren
The most important thing in contact lens care is cleanliness which is not only the contact lens but also a contact lens storage case. Here are two important steps to contact lens care.
--
1. Take proper care of your contact lenses
- Before you handle contact lenses: -- Always wash, rinse, and dry hands. It is helpful to keep your fingernails short and smooth.
- After removing the contact lenses: -- Here are the steps you will need to take when removing and cleaning your contact lenses with multipurpose solution:
Put your contact lens on the palm of your hand. Pour multipurpose cleaning solution over the lens.
Gently rub your lens with your finger into your palm. This helps to remove surface dirt and other impurities.
Pour sterile saline solution over your lens. This helps to wash away excess impurities that may still be present after rubbing.
Place your lens into your lens case. Fill the compartment with storage solution and let your contact lenses sit in the holder for a minimum of six hours. (Make sure to replace solution after every use of your lenses)
--
2. Care for your contact lens storage case
Contact lens storage case contamination is a common problem among wearers. When you don’t follow the proper steps to clean a case it can become a breeding ground for bacteria, possibly transferring to your lenses and causing an infection. Here are steps to care for your contact lens storage case.
Throw out your old solution and start with fresh solution daily.
Rinse the case with soap or clean contact lens disinfecting solution.
Air dry the case face down on a tissue with the caps off in a clean, dry location.
-----
Proper care of the contact lens and the lens storage case will help you to have good eye health, minimize the chance of eye infection. If there may be any eye problems such as redness, burning, or irritation, we recommend that you stop wearing lenses immediately and bring your contact lenses with the lens storage case, and the lens solution that remains in the case with you on the day of the doctor's visit. This may be required by an eye care professional to further analyze the underlying cause.
*Rinse off the lens solution with sterile saline only (do not use boiled saline solution or boiled water) before inserting the contact lenses. *