23rd, July 2019 | Donna
5 Easy Steps on How to Take Out Contacts
Wearing contact lenses can be very convenient for your day-to-day activities. However, the long day can cause your contact lens to get stuck in your eye.
Which can be very inconvenient. To help you out with this dilemma, here are some ideas on how to take out contacts easily and a few more extra tips for contact lens care.
Contact lenses are very common these days. In fact, there are around 45 million Americans who wear contact lenses, according to a report by MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly.
If you’ve ever had contact lenses stuck in your eye, then you’re just like the rest of the people in the world.
And if you feel scared about it, don’t worry, because your contact lenses can’t get lost behind your eyes.
How to take out contacts easily
For people who don’t use contact lenses, removing them may seem like a simple task.
But do you know that most contact lens users aren’t doing the right things? In fact, a WebMD article shows that 90 percent of contact lens users do not follow the ideal hygienic standards for proper contact lens care.
And if you’re new to the contact lens world, removing your lenses may seem like a hard and dangerous endeavor.
However, you shouldn’t worry too much because you’ll eventually get used to wearing and removing your contacts as time passes by.
But for the meantime, here are some tips that you can stick to on how to take out contacts more easily.
1. Make sure your hands are clean
Before you even try to touch your contact lenses, you should first make sure that your hands are clean.
And in this case, clean hands means more than just wiping your hands on your shirt.
Your eyes and contact lenses are more sensitive compared to your skin, so you should wash your hands with soap and water before you touch them.
And when you wash your hands, make sure that you wash them thoroughly, a buildup of dirt in your fingernails can be very nasty.
And accidentally cutting your eyes with dirty nails can lead to bad eye infections.
After washing your hands with soap and water, make sure to dry them out completely.
2. Pull down your lower eyelid
Once your hands are nice and clean, it’s time for the first step on how to take out contacts easily.
Pick the eye that you want to start with, which is normally the right eye for most people.
Then, before you try touching your lenses, make sure that you look up at the ceiling so that your eyeballs are pointing upwards.
Next, use the middle finger of your left hand to pull down on your lower eyelid. That wasn’t so difficult right?
3. Carefully put your finger to your eye
The next step on how to take out contacts easily is going to seem scary to most beginners.
Since this step involves your finger touching your eyeball. Some people may think that this is no big deal, however most people would think of it as frightening.
Don’t worry, your eyes aren’t as sensitive as you may think. In fact, touching them won’t really do any harm.
Although, you should avoid putting any sharp or rough object against your eyes —now that’s a recipe for disaster!
Read this article to find out why going to bed with your contacts is a bad idea: REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN’T SLEEP IN YOUR CONTACT LENSES.
With all jokes aside, it’s time for you to take a deep breath and follow these simple instructions.
With your eyes looking up and while your left hand is holding down your lower eyelid, gently place your right index finger on your eye.
Your eyes are instinctively going to try and close themselves, so make sure that you have a good grip on your lower eyelid.
Next, use your index finger to carefully locate the edge of your contact lens. Once you find the edge of your lens, slowly slide it down to the bottom of your eye.
4. Squeeze your contact lens
This part can be a little tricky if you’re not used to it yet. Once you have your contact lenses at the bottom part of your eye, use your index finger to keep your lens at bay.
Then, let your thumb meet your index finger, add a little pressure to the lens, and try to scoop up your contacts —imagine yourself pinching your contact lens to remove it.
During this step, you should your other hand should keep pulling down your lower eyelid to keep your eyes from blinking.
Additionally, you should try your best to keep staring at the ceiling so that your contact lens doesn’t slip from your index finger.
5. Store or dispose your lenses properly
Now this part of how to take out contacts can differ depending on what type of contact lenses you’re using. Yes, you heard that right.
There are actually many different types of contact lenses that have their own unique features, characteristics, and purpose.
But for this guide, you’ll generally want to put your contacts in an appropriate container that’s filled with contact lens solution.
Additionally, don’t ever use tap water, or any kind of water to store your lenses!
However, if your using daily disposable lenses, you should dispose of them after using them for the right amount of time.
Healthy Contact Lens Habits that You Should Follow
Aside from learning how to take out contacts, you should also know the right habits for contact lens care.
Your eyes play a huge role in your life, and ruining them could change your life in a very negative manner.
As tiresome as it may seem, as a contact lens user, you have more reasons to take care of your eyes. Think about it, you wear your contact lenses directly on your eyes for almost everyday of your life.
As a result, you are more prone to eye infections and complications if you don’t take care of your contact lenses properly.
Luckily, we have your back. So read on and learn about our list of healthy habits for better contact lens care.
Check Your Daily Schedule
Like most people, you probably wear your contact lenses on a daily basis. Whether it’s for work or play, your lenses are there to aid your vision and increase your quality of living.
However, contact lenses aren’t supposed to be worn 24/7 so you should keep track of when and where you wear them.
Where are you going?
If you commute to your office, you should make sure that your route is not too dusty.
Dust can very easily get inside your eye and irritate your vision. And wearing contact lenses can only make it more inconvenient.
So make sure you know where you’re going and try to avoid dusty or windy places where dust particles might get to your eyes.
However, if you can’t avoid these types of places, you can always use sunglasses to protect your eyes.
Do you take naps?
To maintain a comfortable contact lens experience, you should stick to a schedule that allows you to rest your eyes for at least a couple of hours.
However, you should always try to avoid napping with your lenses on. In fact, you really shouldn’t sleep with your contact lenses on.
Remember, you’ve read how to take out contacts easily, so make sure to practice these tips daily.
Going out all night?
Remember, contact lenses aren’t generally made to be worn nonstop. So you should always find the time to remove them from your eyes.
Additionally, wearing them for too long can lead to dry eyes and irritation. So check your plans ahead of time and make sure you have everything you need for a night out.
Always bring a container for your contact lenses so you can properly store them before you sleep.
And you can also bring some eye drops to help keep your eyes moist and healthy.
Wear Prescribed Contact Lenses
How to take out contacts is easy, the real challenge is following the proper contact lens care.
Contact lenses are very common these days. In fact, they aren’t only used to aid your vision anymore since there are now lenses that are purely for aesthetic purposes.
Whether your wearing corrective or cosmetic contact lenses, you should always make sure to get a prescription before buying your contacts.
And you should never buy contact lenses from random stores because they could be made with materials that can permanently damage your eyes.
Always Use the Right Cleaning Solution
Water and contact lenses don’t mix! Yes, contact lens solutions were made for a reason, and that reason is to keep your contact lenses clean and safe to use.
While water on the other hand plays an opposite role. You water can have very tiny particles that can damage and possibly contaminate your lenses.
So to avoid any eye problems, don’t use water as a cleaning solution, ok? Besides, its very easy to buy the correct cleaning solution for your contacts.
Just make sure that you talk to your ophthalmologist and buy the solution that they recommend.
References:
Risk Behaviors for Contact Lens–Related Eye Infections Among Adults and Adolescents — United States, 2016
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6632a2.htm
Warning Suggested for Contact Solutions
https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/news/20080610/warning-suggested-for-contact-solutions#1
TOP 5 CONTACT LENS MYTHS DEBUNKED
CONTACT LENS CARE: PREVENT EYE INFECTION AS YOU KEEP YOUR CONTACT LENSES CLEAN
REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN’T SLEEP IN YOUR CONTACT LENSES
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