Contact lenses look like small discs that we place on the eyeball. This is an innovation created years ago for the benefit of correcting human vision. Contact lenses have brought relief to millions of people with nearsightedness, farsightedness, and other vision problems.
Easy to insert, saving some inconvenience of glasses, contact lenses have greatly eased our lifestyle. But do we know how to take care of them? See the most basic rules of use that are important for the he alth of our eyes.
1. Often in a hurry to put them on, we don't consider whether our hands are clean. This, in turn, poses a risk of infections because the eyes are extremely vulnerable. When inserting our contact lenses, we must wash our hands well beforehand.
We know that insertion is done by pulling the lower eyelid with one finger, then we insert the lens.
Long nails are also a risk because you can injure the lenses, scratch them. Never use tap water or saliva to clean them. Instead, ask your doctor which lens cleaning solution will be right for you.
2. Lenses have an expiration date that is most often determined by their class. Better quality contact lenses can be used for a year, others three months or six. The lenses should not be worn constantly, you should not sleep with them. Always follow your doctor's instructions.
If you wear them for too long and the eye does not rest, they stop the flow of oxygen to it. This, in turn, carries the risk of developing a corneal ulcer, which can even lead to blindness.
3. Some medications could affect wearing lenses. If you need to put eye drops or ointment in the eye, always remove the contact lenses. Taking some birth control pills containing estrogen can make the eye more sensitive to lenses and cause dry eyes.
Allergy relief medications containing antihistamines also make the eyes drier. Others that are for acne treatment could make the eyes itchy, using regular aspirin can also irritate them.
If you notice any of these symptoms, do not self-medicate, but consult your doctor. He must be informed if you are taking any medication.
4. Sometimes the contact lens care solution brings with it a number of problems. Usually, these solutions come in many varieties: for cleaning, for rinsing, for disinfecting, some increase tearing of the eyes, others have multi-functional formulas.
All of them contain preservatives and have an expiration date which, if expired, can irritate the eyes. Never use a solution that has expired. There is also a risk to the eye when changing the brand of the solution.
But it is possible that when you stick to the same brand, the manufacturer decides to change the composition. So always read the content label on the bottle.
Each new improved solution has its own specifics. When you are about to travel, always take the original container of the solution with you. Many people transfer some of the liquid to a smaller travel-friendly bottle, but they don't know that this increases the risk of contamination.
5. The use of antihistamines, air travel, dry climates can dry out the eye. As we said, wearing contact lenses limits the eye's contact with air, which also causes more dryness.
At such times always carry drops (artificial tears) with you.
6. When applying makeup, remember that all those beauties on your dressing table are potential eye irritants. When you have any eye discomfort such as swelling and redness, do not apply mascara, eye shadow and eyeliner.
It is good to choose a mascara that is waterproof instead of one that is for eyelash extensions. All hypoallergenic moisturizers, cream cleansers, lotions can stain the lenses.
Always remove the lenses first, then clean the makeup. If your lenses are softer, insert them into your eye first and then start applying your makeup. When they are gas-permeable lenses (with oxygen permeability) you should put them on after makeup. Keep an eye on the expiration date of your makeup and don't share it with anyone else.
7. When you visit a hair salon, you know that the air there is full of chemicals from hairspray and other products. If you can, don't wear contact lenses. A hair dryer can dry out your eyes, so blink more often.
8. When we are outside, dust particles, pollen, tiny pet hairs, other particles such as smoke can stick to the lenses and irritate the eyes. Pollens that cause allergies not only make us sneeze, but we can also get profuse watery eyes.
This in turn can make it difficult to wear lenses. For these moments, it is good to have prescription glasses to replace the lenses for a short time.
9. Since we are in a month where we want to have fun swimming in a pool, sea, lake and more, there is no way to do it with glasses. But we shouldn't go in with lenses. The chlorinated pool and natural water bodies pose a risk of contamination.
It is important to wait about an hour after swimming and then reinsert the lenses.
10. Tobacco and tobacco smoke that accompanies smokers definitely puts their he alth at risk. Smokers are eight times more likely to develop a corneal ulcer than non-smokers who wear lenses.
When you notice that you have itching, swelling, tearing, burning, blurred vision and eye pain, remove the lenses and be sure to consult a doctor.
