Considering Contact Lenses?

By Lamont Bunyon, OD

Special Eye Care

More Vision & Eye Care Articles

Considering Contact Lenses?

For success with contact lenses, see a doctor who provides full-service care. Before getting a prescription for contact lenses, you will undergo a thorough eye examination and evaluation of your suitability for contact lens wear.

Today, there are many contact lens choices available to correct vision conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Among the more popular options:

Daily Disposable Contact Lenses. The healthiest way to use contact lenses is to wear for one day then remove and throw away prior to sleeping. Convenient, because there is no need to clean or store the lenses.

Frequent Replacement. Most commonly prescribed to be disposed of on a regular recommended schedule. These lenses are taken out every night, properly cleaned and stored for re-use as directed by your eye care provider.

Lenses for Overnight Use. While some lenses are approved for continuous overnight use, sleeping in lenses does increase the risk of suffering eye infections. It is also important to note that not all patients can achieve the maximum wear time.

If contact lenses are right for you, your optometrist will provide you with the lenses, lens care kits, individual instructions for wear and care, and unlimited follow-up visits over a specified time. Hygiene is the most critical aspect of successful long-term contact lens wear.

The American Optometric Association offers the following recommendations for contact lens wearers:

• Always wash and thoroughly dry your hands before handling contact lenses.

• Carefully and regularly clean contact lenses as directed by your optometrist. Rub the contact lenses with your fingers and rinse them thoroughly before soaking the lenses overnight in multipurpose solution that completely covers each lens.

• Store lenses in the proper lens storage case, and replace the case at least every three months. Clean the case after each use, and keep it open and dry between cleanings.

• Use only products recommended by your optometrist to clean and disinfect your lenses. Saline solution and rewetting drops do not disinfect lenses.

• Use only fresh solution to clean and store contact lenses. Never reuse old solution. Change the contact lens solution according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, even if you don’t use the lenses daily.

• Always follow the recommended contact lens replacement schedule your optometrist prescribes.

• Remove contact lenses before swimming or entering a hot tub.

See your optometrist for your regularly scheduled contact lens and eye examination.

Information obtained from the American Optometric Association