Tips for safely using contact lenses

 Contact lenses are an invaluable visual aid but they need to be respected and looked after carefully, and so do your eyes. Here are some tips.

You can ensure a lifetime of healthy eyes by following the instructions for daily or weekly contact care for your type of lenses that were given to you by your optician — including how long you can wear them for — and by observing the following guidelines:

• Use only the solutions recommended by your optician. There is a wide choice of "one-bottle" systems — all-in-ones which are the easiest and quickest to use.
• Never use tap water to rinse your contacts or their cases. There is a risk of microbial and amoebic contamination from tap water, which can cause severe eye infections.
• Don't use saliva to moisten your contacts — it's full of bacteria.
• Take your contacts out before showering or using a sauna, steam room or hot tub.
• If possible, don't wear your contacts for swimming or water sports unless you are also wearing goggles with a firm seal. Otherwise they may float from your eyes, or they could absorb the pool water, with the risk of infection or pain from the chlorine.
• Wash your hands and dry them thoroughly before handling your contacts.
• After inserting your contacts, immediately discard the storage solution.
• Air-dry the storage case and fill with fresh solution before storing contacts overnight.

• Replace your storage case every month to stop a buildup of contamination.
• Don't wear your contacts for longer than the recommended time.
• Replace contacts and solutions at the recommended intervals. Replacing lenses prevents discomfort, dryness, blurred vision and allergic reactions that can result from a buildup of protein deposits on the lenses. This is especially true of soft lenses that you wear overnight.
• Never reuse a daily disposable contact lens. Putting in new, sterile contacts every day is the healthiest way to wear contact lenses; reusing them could damage your eyes.
• Put your contacts in before applying makeup, and take them out before taking it off.
• If you develop any symptoms, take out your contacts and don't try wearing them again until you've seen your optician — make an appointment right away.