Eight Things To Consider When Handling Your Contacts

Contacts are a great thing to have especially when eye glasses irritate you. They are stylish and discreet. The only way people know you are wearing contacts is when you choose to tell them. The first contacts manufactured were uncomfortable and difficult to handle. Today's lenses are easier to deal with and when handled properly, they are as comfortable as wearing nothing at all. If you are a new contact wearer remember these eight things to consider when handling your contacts in order to get the most out of your new eye wear.

Clean Hands Make Clean Lenses

The number one rule in contact handling is you should always wash your hands well before touching your eye area or contacts. This will help you avoid getting anything in your eye. Sometimes, even when you think your hands are clean, there will be traces of moisturizers or food on them. If you touch your eye or your contacts, you will be putting yourself at risk for infection. So, be sure to always make it a habit to wash your hands before putting your contacts in and before taking them out.

Reuse Is Too Risky

Another thing you must always remember is that you should never reuse your contact solution. What this means is that you should always empty the solution from your contact case after you put your contacts in your eyes. This will keep the case cleaner and allow it to dry throughout the day while you are wearing your lenses. If you do reuse the solution for a few days, bacteria can grow in it. This can possibly damage your contacts and your eyes.

Replacing Your Case

Some contact wearers have no clue that you should replace your contact storage case every three months or sooner. This is an important rule when handling contacts. It is great to keep a few extra storage cases around your home, in case you forget to get one at your local store every three months. They are inexpensive and will not cost a lot to replace. If you keep your case too long, you are risking harvesting bacteria.

Keep Them Clean

Before you place your contacts in your eyes and after you take them out of your eyes, you should always clean them. This is extremely imperative for good contact hygiene. When you take the extra time to clean your lenses, they will last longer and feel more comfortable during normal wear. Even if you have a "no rub"� saline solution, you should still make it a habit to rub each lens with saline solution in order to remove any possible build up.

Swimming with Contacts

Swimming with your contacts in is a huge mistake. Not only can the chemicals in the water ruin your contacts, but it can also cause you to have eye damage. You can experience serious eye diseases from swimming in your contacts that can even lead to blindness when not treated right away. So, be sure to always take your contacts out before hitting the beach, pool, or hot tub.

Makeup Rules

Just because you wear contacts it does not mean you can't wear makeup as well. You should however follow a few basic rules. Remember to always put your contacts in before applying anything to your face, including moisturizer. Try to stick with eye shadows in cream form, as they won't flake off into your eye. Even though you can't always see the tiny particles, powder forms will flake. Also remember to be gentle with your eye area. Always remove your contacts before removing eye makeup to avoid any injury to your eye or the lenses.

Sleeping With Caution

Many people with soft lenses feel that it is safe to sleep in them. While some types of lenses are completely safe to sleep in, others are not. Some lenses will damage your eye when you sleep with them in. Be sure to ask your doctor about your lenses and the specific sleep rules. No matter if your lenses are fine for sleeping or not, when you sleep in your lenses, they will not last as long. So, be sure to remove your contacts before shutting your eyes for the night.

Eye Drop Specifics

Occasionally there are times when contact wearers will need a little extra moisture in their eyes. Instead of reaching for normal eye drops however, contact users must only use contact-friendly solutions. There are specific eye drops made for contact users, so be sure to look for them at your local general merchandise store.