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27th, December 2021 | Donna

Wear Contacts Properly: Are You Doing it Right?

Do You Wear Contacts Properly?

People all over the world wear contacts for a lot of reasons. Some use them as cosmetic accessories, while others who suffer from refractive errors use contacts for vision correction.

Either way, using contact lenses can be a little challenging especially for beginners. After all, it’s important for you to know how to wear contacts properly to avoid eye issues.

Why Wear Contacts Properly?

Knowing the dangers of improper contact lens habits is the first step to ensuring the safety of your vision. There are a number of reasons why you need to wear contacts properly.

For example, wearing them incorrectly can lead to issues, such as corneal abrasions and eye irritations. Additionally, wearing your lenses properly ensures that you can enjoy the best contact lens experience that’s possible.

Below is a list of problems that can occur from improper use and maintenance of contact lenses.

Dry eyes

Do you ever notice your eyes drying up as you wear your contacts throughout the day? Though this issue may not be as common for casual contact lens owners, daily users should know about this.

Your eyes have a tendency to dry up when you wear your lenses for long periods of time. Additionally, using reusable contacts everyday can lead to more instances of dry eyes.

To avoid this, you can start by making sure that your lenses are well disinfected and moist before you wear them. Here are more tips to keep your eyes moist and avoid dry eyes:

Look for well-known contact lens brands that offer high levels of moisture on their contacts.
Make sure that you soak your lenses with the right solution before using them.
You can use a specific moistening solution in the middle of the day to add moisture to your eyes.
Avoid staring too long at computer screens when you’re wearing contacts.
Drink a lot of water and stay hydrated throughout the day.
Make sure you have enough rest and get a good night’s sleep.

Irritation

Eye irritations can occur when you frequently wear contact lenses. Irritations can range from itchiness, reddening of eyes, burning sensation, and mild pain. Eye issues can occur due to various reasons, such as allergies, fatigue, infection, and more.

You should follow these tips the moment you notice any kind of irritation when you wear your lenses:

Make sure your hands are clean and remove your contact lenses immediately.
Store your lenses in their proper container and fill it with a disinfecting solution.
Rest your eyes for a few minutes and check to see if the irritation subsides.
Refrain from using your contacts throughout the day.
Take note of your contact lens brand and solution.
Visit an eye doctor and share your experience.
Ask for alternative products that may help reduce the chances of eye irritations.

Scratches

Eye scratches or corneal abrasions can occur when you wear compromised lenses. When you wear broken or uncomfortable contacts, they could potentially rub against your cornea.

Eye injuries caused by damaged lenses can lead to serious eye problems if left untreated. Additionally, continuously wearing your lenses while your eyes dry up can also lead to scratches on your eyes.

Here are a few tips that you can follow to avoid eye scratches:

Always get a contact lens prescription before you buy contact lenses.
A prescription will ensure that you get lenses that fit perfectly on your eyes.
Never borrow or share your contact lenses with anyone.
Avoid wearing damaged contact lenses.
Remove your lenses as soon as you notice signs of itchiness, irritation, and pain.
Have annual eye checkups with a trusted eye doctor.
Don’t reuse old or expired contact lenses.

Corneal hypoxia

Did you know that your eyes can run out of oxygen, suffocate, and get hurt? Corneal hypoxia occurs when your contacts block oxygen from reaching your eyes.

Corneal hypoxia normally occurs when you wear contacts that aren’t breathable for your eyes. Similarly, overwearing your lenses can also lead to strain and oxygen blockage.

Corneal hypoxia can lead to any of the following symptoms:

Blurry vision
Corneal swelling
Eye discomfort
Cornea problems

Protein Build Up

Lastly, wearing your lenses for prolonged periods of time can lead to an accumulation of dirt and protein deposits. Though this isn’t something to be afraid of, it’s still best practice to wash them thoroughly. Keeping your lenses free from protein deposits helps avoid contamination and damage to your lenses.

You can use various types of contact lens solutions to clean off dirt from your lenses. However, protein remover solutions are the most effective at removing build up on your contacts.

How to Wear Contacts Properly

How do you know if you’re wearing your contacts properly? Similarly, can you tell if you’re wearing them wrong? First of all, there are many aspects to wearing your lenses.

It can start from putting them on and end to taking them off to clean them overnight. What you do in the middle of the day as you wear them also affects the quality of your experience.

1. Putting Your Lenses On

If you want to wear contacts properly, you need to start by putting them correctly. Though this may seem easy to some, beginner lens users often find this step the hardest.

If you want to simplify your experience, you can follow our easy guideline for putting on your lenses:

Wash your hands and make sure they’re free from soap, lotions, and any other liquid that could ruin your lenses.
Open your lens case and carefully take out your lenses with your fingers.
Place your lens on the tip of your index finger.
Inspect the lens to see if it is inside out, it should form a perfect bowl.
With your lens on one hand, use your other hand to keep your eye wide open.
Look away from the lens as you gently place it on your eye.
As soon as you place the lens, close your eyes a few times until the lens sits perfectly.
Blink a few more times to let the lens settle before you put on the other pair.
Check for irritations and discomfort.
If everything feels comfortable, proceed to insert your other pair using the same steps.

2. Wear Contacts Properly

Putting on your lenses is one thing, keeping them safe throughout the day is another. If you want to wear contacts safely, you need to avoid a few bad habits that could ruin your experience.

Don’t sleep with your lenses on

Most contact lenses aren’t designed for extended periods of use. This means that sleeping with your lenses overnight could lead to eye problems like eye infections.

Additionally, you should also avoid taking long naps while you’re wearing your lenses. Sleeping with your lenses prevents oxygen flow and moisture build up, which puts you at risk of developing eye problems.

Don’t swim with your lenses on

Contact lenses aren’t generally designed to be used underwater. This means that swimming with them on could ruin both your lenses and your vision.

When you wear your lenses while you swim, you put yourself at risk of catching waterborne ocular diseases. Water can hold a number of harmful bacteria that could contaminate your contacts and potentially infect your eyes.

Don’t ignore eye irritations

If you frequently wear contacts, you need to look out for eye irritations such as itchiness, dry eyes, and more. Though mild irritations may seem normal, these discomforts could be indicators that something is wrong with your eyes or lenses.

When it comes to eye health, It’s better to play it safe than to be sorry in the long run. That’s it’s important for your to have regular eye checkups and take not of any of the following eye issues:

Blurry vision from contact lenses
Lack of moisture or dry eyes
Itchiness
Uncontrollable blinking
Red eyes
Teary eyes
Mild pain and discomfort
Burning sensation:

Don’t share your lenses

If you want to keep everyone’s vision safe, you should refrain from sharing contact lenses. Sharing your contacts with your friends puts everyone at risk of corneal scratches and eyes diseases.

Remember, your contact lenses are specifically made to fit your ocular needs. This means that sharing lenses could harm the eyes of others and even transmit bacteria from one person to another.

Don’t use expired contacts

You wouldn’t eat expired food, right? The same idea goes for contact lenses. Using expired lenses can easily put you at risk of problems like eye infections, scratches, and vision loss.

You should always check the expiration dates of both your contact lenses and your lens care products. After all, using expired products will always do more harm than good.

3. Taking Your Lenses Off

After you wear contacts, the next thing to do is to remove them when you get home. Even though removing your lenses naturally becomes an easy task, beginner’s tend to require a little help with this.

Luckily, we’ve got the right tips to help you remove your lenses with ease and comfort. Just follow the step-by-step guideline that you’ll find below:

Wash your hands before you touch your eyes and contact lenses.
Use one hand to open your eyelids as wide as you comfortably can.
Softly pinch your lenses with your index finger and your thumb.
Make sure to keep your eyes staring straight forward to make things easier.
As soon as you have a grip of your contact, slowly pull it out.
After removing your lens, place it inside your contact lens case that’s filled with a fresh disinfecting solution.
Follow the same steps to remove the other lens.

Wear Contacts Properly: Final Thoughts

In conclusion, everyone can safely wear contacts as long as they follow the right guidelines. Whether it’s getting a prescription or wearing your lenses, the safety of your vision depends on your good lens-care habits.

With all things considered, nothing should stop you from enjoying the different types of lenses available. You may even discover the fabulous effects of wearing colored contact lenses to change your looks!

IMPORTANT TIPS ABOUT COLORED CONTACT LENSES FOR DRY EYES

TOP 5 CONTACT LENS SOLUTION YOU NEED TO TRY!

CONTACT LENS PRESCRIPTION: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

CONTACT LENS ALLERGY AND HOW TO CURE IT

TIPS FOR PROPER CONTACT LENS CARE