Contact lenses are safe and effective only if worn and cared for as advised. Recommended for treating eye problems, wearing and maintaining contact lenses is not a challenge. However, a lot depends on how you use them on an everyday basis and what steps you take to prolong their life. It is a common mistake that many people commit as they do not realise when not to wear contact lenses or if they must wear them at all.
Here's a quick insight into the common mistakes that most of us commit with our contact lenses:
Rubbing eyes wearing contact lenses
Many of us tend to rub our eyes more frequently than others. It may be due to dryness, irritation or when our eyes are tired looking at the computer screens for long hours. However, rubbing your eyes with your contact lenses can spell a massive blunder. The grazing of the lenses against the eye tends to harm your cornea resulting in damaged vision and a consequent need for eye surgery.
Touching contacts with dirty hands
We touch multiple items during the day accumulating dirt and bacteria on our hands and fingertips. Accidentally touching the eyes with dirty hands triggers eye problems. Eye infections are common among people who handle contact lenses with dirty hands as the germs transfer from the fingertips to the lens.
Leaving make-up on your eyes
Has it ever happened that you accidentally touched the eye while applying an eyeliner? It may not be as common as rubbing your eyes with dirty hands, but it sure does happen once in a while. If this has happened with your contact lenses still in your eyes, the best idea would be to take them out after washing your hands clean. Clean the contact lenses properly with the solution before reinserting them back into your eyes. It is always advisable to apply make-up before putting in your contacts to avoid eye infections. Also, know more about the benefits of contact lenses, its uses and types.
Washing your face with lenses on
Never wash your face with contact lenses still in your eyes. Never enter a swimming pool or an ocean with your lens inside, else bacteria particles will enter your eyes. As swimming pools contain chlorinated water, the chlorine in the water can get in your contacts and cause unwanted eye infections.
The best way is to leave the contact lens in the changing room or swim with tight-fitting goggles. Before taking a shower, remove your lens carefully and wear them again post-shower.
Keeping lenses on despite irritation
Common eye problems include allergies that can irritate you more due to dryness or allergens in the eyes. Take off your contact lenses even when you are feeling mild irritation in the eyes. Leaving contact lenses on irritated eyes can result in prolonged eye infections that can be challenging to treat. So, if you feel that your contacts are responsible for irritation, removing them for a while will relieve you of unwanted problems in the future.
Prolonged use of contact lenses
Do you tend to work for prolonged hours or stay up with your contacts in your eyes till late hours at night? Wearing contact lenses for long hours can cut off the air supply to your eyes, thus, damaging the cornea and causing eye infections. The best way is to switch between your contacts and glasses while working for long hours so that your eyes can breathe. If your eyes are dry, red or feel itchy, it is a sign that you must take your contacts out throughout the day to avoid allergic feelings.
Falling asleep with contacts on
Many people tend to fall asleep with their contact lenses in their eyes. Optometrists often warn against sleeping with your contacts on as it can cut off the air supply to your eyes leading to dryness and itching. The compromised quality of your lenses can also damage your vision besides causing you eye infections.
Exposing contact lenses to heat
The material used to make the lenses is sensitive to high temperatures, so ensure that you store your contacts in a cool place. Never leave your contact lenses inside a bag, as an abrupt temperature change can significantly damage the material. Continued exposure to heat can compromise the quality of your contacts, thus, causing you eye problems in the long run.
Wearing unclean lenses
Many people commit this basic hygiene mistake of wearing dirty contact lenses without proper cleaning. Avoid cleaning your lenses in a used solution and change it every time without fail. Regular cleaning will prolong the life of your lenses and will keep away unwanted eye infections.
You can log on to our site to learn about some of the best types of contact lenses we have in store for you. Buying them online will lend you the benefit of paying for them through the web. However, you can also visit our stores at your nearby locality to check out the various kinds of eyegears including contact lenses that we sell. For more information, you can call on our toll free number 0709-709-000 or click on https://ug.optica.africa/collections/womens-frames.
