Contact lenses: tips and advice
Do you wear contact lenses as a substitute for eyeglasses, to catch up with fashion, or for purely aesthetic reasons? We have a few things you need to know first.
Although wearing contact lenses usually does not expose the wearer to any health risks, it may do so in a few cases when the person does not observe the necessary safety rules. Learn about a set of important tips and instructions when using contact lenses in the following:
Instructions when using contact lenses
Here are the most prominent ones:
1. Check out the contact lens solution
You have to check periodically and without neglecting the expiration date of the contact lens cleaning solution , as this solution is very important for sterilizing contact lenses before their next use, and it is necessary to get rid of the expired lens cleaning solution and replace it with a new one, for the following reasons:
- The solution loses its effectiveness in sterilizing contact lenses when it is expired.
- The use of this solution may make the eye vulnerable to bacteria, infections and allergies .
2. Change the contact lens case
These boxes that are used regularly to keep the lenses away from pollutants daily may turn into a trap that traps many diseases and germs inside, and it is preferable to take into account the following tips so that these boxes do not cause you any significant harm:
- Change your contact lens case at least once a month.
- Wash the inside of the lens case with lens disinfectant solution and allow it to dry each time you use your lenses and leave them empty.
- Avoid using any other liquid to sterilize the case or store the lenses, except for the designated solution.
3. Avoid wearing contact lenses in the cold
If you are one of the people who suffer from seasonal allergies and the fever that accompanies them, contact lenses may help relieve symptoms by forming a barrier that prevents certain types of pollutants from entering the eye, but these lenses may be harmful if your allergies are accompanied by severe itching in the eyes.
In general, if you suffer from symptoms of fever and high temperature, as in cases of cold and flu , it is preferable to stay away from wearing contact lenses and to replace them with medical glasses for the following reasons:
- The need to use eye drops constantly during the day.
- Increasing the chances of you picking up germs and microbes from contact lenses becomes greater, as a result of the weakening of the immune system during the disease, and you may even destroy the cornea without realizing it.
After recovering from the disease, change your contact lenses immediately and buy new ones.
4. Avoid swimming while wearing contact lenses
Wearing contact lenses while swimming or showering is strictly prohibited, and the reason for this is due to a microorganism called amoeba that lives in water and may attach to contact lenses when exposed to water, so it hides behind them and begins to destroy the eye gradually and without you realizing.
This medical condition, although it is rare, its treatment when it occurs will be very difficult, as most of those who suffer from it may need to take a group of medications together, and many of them have ended up with corneal transplants, so we recommend the following:
- Avoid rinsing contact lenses with tap water.
- Avoid wearing contact lenses while taking a steam bath or sauna, as steam is not much different from water and may cause the same damages mentioned.
- Wear swimming goggles over your eyes if you must not wear contact lenses while swimming , and remove the contact lenses as soon as you get out of the pool.
5. Give the eyes a rest from contact lenses
The period of wearing ideal and healthy lenses depends on the condition of the eyes. If the wearer suffers from permanent dryness in his eyes, he may not be able to wear them for more than 3-4 hours a day, since they tend to absorb moisture from the eye.
In general, wearing contact lenses for long periods may increase the chances of developing corneal diseases, such as: widening of the blood vessels in the cornea, where the cornea needs more oxygen as a result of being deprived of it during the day, so blood vessels begin to appear and grow in the eye, which is something that if left unchecked Treating it may increase the chances of blindness.
Finally, do not forget to remove the lenses before going to sleep. Because it will often harden as a result of the low level of moisture in the eye , which the eye usually gets as a result of eyelash operations or closing and opening the eyelid constantly during the day, which may make removing contact lenses in the morning impossible.