Contact lenses have drawn a lot of unnecessary attention ever since its inception. Despite the monumental achievement it represents when it comes to aiding the visual-impaired, it has always been a subject of scepticism.
This is primarily due to the various threats it poses to our eye in case of any unfortunate accidents. However, the identical courtesy can be extended to eyeglasses as well, if not handled the right way. It would, therefore, be unfair to simply categorize contact lens as being unsafe or harmful as a large percentage of the adverse effects depend on the nature of its usage.
You can buy contact lenses from almost anywhere, but keep in mind its precise maintenance requirements if you want to keep the Cons at bay.
Here are some few fundamental contact lens etiquettes to avoid –
- Handling your contact lens with dirty/un-sanitized hands
The worst enemy of your contact lens is your hand germs. After all, your hand is the only thing that comes in direct contact with the lens. Ironically enough, the vast proportion of contact lens users continue making the simple error of not sanitizing their hands before handling their contacts.
You should always make it a point to wash your hands with preferably a non-toxic and organic soap before touching your lens.
- Washing your contacts with plain water
You may think exposing your eye lens to plain water will wash away all the impurities, but in fact, the effect is quite the opposite. By washing your contacts with plain water, you’re practically aiding the transfer of countless germs to it, which can ultimately deteriorate your eye health. Contact lenses are designed to be cleaned only with a specific liquid solution. Make sure you use only the recommended solution, and not your bathroom sink water.
- Wearing contacts while sleeping
As per several studies, the leading cause of severe eye damage amongst the contact lens users is due to the carelessness of putting it on even while sleeping. There are serious negative consequences of sleeping with your contacts on, and can even lead to permanent eye damage.
Some specific contact lenses promise you better eyesight if you keep them on even while sleeping (corrective lens). You should take your ophthalmologist advice if you plan on wearing the lens overnight or just simply stay away from such a preposterous undertaking to avoid any major eye damage.
- Rubbing your eyes while wearing contacts
You need to be extra careful even with minute daily activities when you’re wearing contacts. Minor disturbances such as rubbing your eyes vigorously can displace your eye contacts and cause severe eye damage. In some cases, you may even force the lens to slide inside your eye, which will eventually damage your cornea.
If you have to rub your eyes, try to be as gentle as possible or even consider removing your lens prior to it (if it is practical).
- Continue wearing lens even after you feel irritation
Any form of eye irritation while wearing contacts should be your primary indication to stop and remove the lens. This may be the indication of incompatibility between your eye and the lens. Many people tend to avoid this irritation and continue wearing lens, only to encounter its pessimistic effects later on.
In such cases, approach your ophthalmologists and switch back to eyeglasses before you can be certain about lenses again.
- Leaving your make-up on the lens
This event may not be as recurrent as compared to other lens mishandling occurrences, but it does exist. Any type of exposure or direct contact with compounds that contain harmful chemicals cannot be good for your lens. If you mess up your eyeliner and accidentally touch your lens, you should immediately remove it, clean it with the required liquid solution, and then reinsert it.
Last Updated on by Himani Rawat
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