Contact lenses should only ever be worn with a prescription. If you are wearing lenses just for fashion, it can be harmful to your eyes to do so for extended periods of time. Even if you have a prescription pair of contact lenses, they can do harm to your eyes and your vision if you over-wear them. Your contact lenses need to be worn and cared for properly. Read on for everything you need to know about caring for your prescription lenses.
Wear Them As Instructed
Wear your contact lenses as instructed by the manufacturer of the lenses and by your optometrist as well. Wearing your lenses too often can result in eye infections or damage to the eye itself. You may notice that it's more difficult to remove your lenses after they have been worn for too long. They may stick to your eyes, or feel painful when removing them. This is because they are stuck to the eye and you should add re-wetting drops to your contacts in order to remove them safely.
Clean Them Twice Daily
Clean your lenses twice daily, before putting them in and after taking them out. This will help remove the daily buildup of debris in your lenses that can lead to eye infections as well. Also, be sure you are cleaning your contact lens case often and replacing it often as well. Replace the solution in your contact lens case each time you put your contacts into your case. Clean your lenses with contact lens solution and rub them gently in the palm of your hand to clean them. Do this gently, as you can easily tear your lenses. If you spot damage to your lenses, you should replace them with new contact lenses. Wearing old, damaged lenses can damage your vision and harm your eyes.
Update Your Prescription Yearly
You should make an eye appointment each year to have your vision checked and your eyes inspected as well. Your prescription can change often, so be sure you are making it to these appointments in order to update your prescription. Updating your prescription is important in helping you to see properly. Once you have an updated prescription, you need to invest in new contact lenses as well and wear the new prescription contact lenses.
If you have contact lenses, you need to be sure you are taking care of them properly and are cleaning them as you should. Talk to your optometrist about other contact lens care and other information about wearing contact lenses.
There are a number of medical professionals who you should be seeing on a regular basis, but one that tends to be forgotten about is the optometrist. Even if you do not have trouble seeing clearly, it's a good idea to get an eye exam every year or two, just to ensure nothing is amiss. After all, optometrists do more than prescribe glasses. They can also diagnose conditions like glaucoma and cataracts, which are easier to manage when detected early.
If you would like to learn a little more about what happens when you see the optometrist and why this is so important, read the articles on this website. They're all dedicated to optometry and eye health.