The contact lenses correct refractive errors and maintain ocular health. They float on the tear film layer on the surface of the cornea.
Modern contacts are much more than small eye glass lenses that fit onto your eyes. They do, however, function much like regular eye glasses—refracting and focusing light so that objects appear clearly. Since the lenses stick to the tear fluid on your eye surface, they move naturally with you. This is but one advantage contacts have over glasses.
The best way to protect your eyes and preserve your vision is to be more conscientious about your contact lens care routine. Even careful contact lens wearers may not realize how much their habits are actually increasing their risk of eye infection.
Tips:
- Remove your contacts at the first sign of irritation. If your eyes are red, painful, or irritated, stop wearing your contacts immediately and see whether the problem clears up within a day or so. If it doesn’t, see your eye doctor to make sure you get treated for any potential infection as quickly as possible.
- Don’t sleep in your contacts. This is the leading risk factor for infection. In fact, according to the CDC, sleeping and even napping with your contact lenses in can increase your chance of infection by six to eight times.
- Don’t rinse contacts with tap water. Tap water can contain parasites capable of causing a serious, vision-threatening eye infection called acanthamoeba keratitis. To be safe, it’s also best to avoid showering or washing your face while wearing your lenses.
- Don’t swim while wearing them. Pool water can harbor the same infection-causing organism found in tap water.
- Use fresh solution daily. Never just top off your contacts case. To prevent bacteria from growing, completely empty the case every time you remove your contacts and refill it with fresh solution when you put them back in the case.
- Swap out your contacts case frequently. Every time you finish a bottle of disinfecting solution, toss your old case and start using a new one.
