If you wear daily contacts, you may know the basics of how to care for them. But do you know what you should never do with your daily contacts?
Millions of people across the world wear contacts. If you've been wearing yours for a while, you likely do the same things with your contacts every day out of habit. But you could be making some serious mistakes with your daily contacts if you aren't careful.
Wearing contact lenses properly is crucial for protecting your vision. Let us give you the rundown on what you should never do with your daily contacts.
1. Never Handle Contacts Without Washing Your Hands
Do you always wash your hands before touching your contacts? If not, you should. When you touch your contacts with dirty hands, you transfer bacteria to your lenses. Bacteria doesn’t stay in one place. They move around, so they'll get all over the lens and your eye after you touch it just once. Washing your hands before doing anything with your contacts will prevent bacterial infection.
2. Never Reuse Old Cleaning Solution
Contact lens solution works well to disinfect and clean your lenses. Even if you wear daily contacts, you should keep some solution on hand. You may choose to remove your daily contacts for your eyes to rest, or to take a shower. You must disinfect your contacts in a fresh solution before replacing them. But you should never reuse the solution from the initial application of your contacts. That old solution has given any bacteria enough time to grow and multiply. If the bacteria gets on your contacts and then into your eyes, you could get a serious infection.
3. Never Reuse Your Contacts
Daily contacts are called ‘daily’ for a reason. They aren't meant for many days of use. Once the day is over, you must throw away your contacts. Don't try to reuse them!
Daily contacts are thinner and more fragile than other lenses. They also do not hold moisture very well. This makes them perfect for single use. If you try to reuse them, then your eyes can become dry and irritated.
4. Never Put a Dropped Contact Back in Your Eye
The beauty of daily lenses is that each pair is inexpensive. If you drop one in the sink or on the ground and you are lucky enough to find it, don't put it back in your eye. You won't be saving much money if you do. The health risks of using a contaminated lens are too serious to make it worthwhile.
5. Never Use Aerosol Sprays Around Lenses
If you're going to use aerosol sprays, (such as hairspray), then make sure to close your eyes first. These sprays can get on your lenses and leave a film that will irritate the eyes and make it harder for you to see.
6. Never Put Contacts in Your Mouth
Sometimes it may be tempting to use your mouth to re-wet a pair of daily contacts. But, your mouth contains tons of bacteria, so this is never safe. You can get an infection in your eye from using lenses that have been in your mouth. You should always use your prescribed eye drops to moisturize your contacts.
7. Never Wear Your Lenses Too Much
Wearing your lenses too long can damage your eyes - even if they're daily contacts. You should have a schedule that allows you to take out the contacts and let your eyes rest. You can also wear glasses for at least one or two days each week.
If your eyes aren't getting enough oxygen, the corneas might get swollen. This can lead to corneal abrasion, and even infection if bacteria enters the eyes.
Your eyes need to rest, just like any other body part. Give them a break sometimes.
8. Never Sleep in Your Contacts
Just as wearing your contacts too long can lead to problems, so can sleeping in them. If you sleep with your contacts overnight, or take a nap in them, you may experience eye irritation. This may also mean your eyes can get swollen, which is something that you should avoid. If the irritation persists after removing your lenses, visit an eye care professional.
9. Never Get Makeup on Your Contacts
Sometimes, you can't help getting a little smudge of eyeliner or mascara on one of your lenses. But it's important that you remove the lens and clean it off right away to avoid problems. If it's too dirty, then replace the lens altogether.
10. Never Wear Contacts When Your Eyes Are Irritated
If you have irritated eyes, then you shouldn't wear your contacts. Your eyes are experiencing irritation for a reason. It could be that you have a damaged contact, or an eye infection.
If your body feels like it's rejecting your contacts, go ahead and take them out. You can replace them with a fresh pair after your eyes feel better.
11. Never Expose Your Contacts to Water
It can be tempting to swim, shower, or do other water activities with your contacts in. Yet any source of water may contain bacteria that can wreak havoc in your eyes before you realize it.
Some diseases contracted from water can cause temporary vision loss or permanent blindness. If you must get in the water with your contacts, then you should also wear a pair of waterproof goggles. After water exposure, you must remove and clean your contacts before replacing them. This “water vigilance” also includes exposure to tap water. It may be safe to drink, but it doesn’t belong on your contacts!
12. Never Rub Your Eyes
Rubbing your eyes with or without contacts in them can lead to long-term eye conditions. You can end up with blurry vision, and you might even damage your cornea. Instead you should buy anti-itch eye-drops to relieve any discomfort. This advice applies both to daily contacts and contacts meant for multiple use.
We have explored the list of things that you should never do with your daily contacts. The good thing is that if you ever make a mistake, then you can discard the affected lens. Daily contacts are a convenient alternative that also saves you money. Please visit our blog to learn more about caring for your eyes and lenses and maintaining perfect vision.
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