More than 30 million Americans wear contact lenses, making them a popular option for correcting vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Contacts are safe for your eyes, but it’s important to properly care for them in order to prevent irritation and infections. Your eye doctor can help you determine the best way to care for your eyes and contacts, but here are a few general tips to get you started.

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Cleaning Your Contacts

Before handling your contacts, you should always wash your hands with a mild soap free of perfumes, oils, or lotions. These can leave residue on your hands that will transfer to your contacts. Never use tap water or saliva to rinse or clean your contacts. You should only use the solution you and your doctor have decided is best for you.

To remove surface buildup, add multipurpose solution to your palm and gently rub the lens back and forth in the solution. In addition to cleaning your contacts, you should also clean your contact lens case every time you use it. Let the case air dry after cleaning, and replace it at least every three months.

Caring for Your Eyes

One of the easiest ways you can care for your eyes is to see your eye doctor annually, or more often if needed. Ask your doctor how long you should be wearing your lenses each day and follow his or her recommendation. Also, make sure you know how often you should change your contact lenses: some lenses can be worn for only one day, while others can be worn for up to one month.

Unless your doctor says otherwise, never sleep with your lenses in your eyes. You should never wear someone else’s contact lenses, especially if the person has already worn the lenses. This could lead to infection.

If you experience pain, redness, or discharge while wearing your contacts, consult your eye doctor immediately.

Contact Eyesight Associates for additional information about how to care for your contacts and your eyes.