WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SAFE CONTACT LENS WEAR
The information included in this brochure is intended to be a helpful guide to wearers of all types of contact lenses. Whether you wear soft or RGP (Rigid Gas Permeable) contact lenses on a daily wear or extended wear basis, most of this information will apply to you.
Know Your Routine!
Care Regimen Awareness:
- Different solutions cannot always be used together and not all solutions are safe for use with all lenses.
- Use ONLY the lens care solutions recommended by your eyecare practitioner, and Do NOT change brands without his /her approval.
- Follow directions in the package inserts for the use of contact lens solutions.
- There are three (3) essential steps in contact lens care, cleaning, rinsing and disinfecting.
- Every time contact lenses are removed, they must be cleaned, rinsed, and disinfected before wearing again. Some solutions are designed to perform more than one of these functions.
- Always remove, clean, rinse, enzyme, and disinfect your lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your eyecare practitioner.
- The use of any cleaning solution does not substitute for disinfection.
- Lenses stored longer than 12 hours may require cleaning, rinsing and disinfection again before use. Consult the package literature or your eyecare practitioner for specific instructions.
Knowledge is Safety!
Recommendations for Safe Contact Lens Wear:
- Never wear lenses longer than prescribed. Do not use/wear daily wear lenses while sleeping.
- Do not wear your lenses overnight unless recommended by your eyecare practitioner. Overnight wear of contact lenses increases the risk of complications.
- Always wash, rinse and dry your hands before handling lenses.
- Do not use saliva to wet your lenses.
- Do not put lenses in your mouth.
- Use only approved contact lens solutions for lubricating or wetting your lenses.
- Always use fresh solutions in your lens case when disinfecting your lenses.
- Ask your eyecare practitioner about wearing lenses during water activities and other sports.
- Schedule and keep follow-up appointments with your eyecare practitioner.
- Do not use non-sterile home-prepared saline. The use of home-prepared saline with contact lenses has been associated with serious infections.
- Contact lens cases can be a source of bacteria growth. Lens cases should be cleaned, rinsed, and allowed to air dry each time the lenses are removed. Replace the lens case frequently.
- If your eyes become red, irritated, painful or if your vision worsens while wearing lenses, immediately remove the lenses and consult an eyecare practitioner.
- Do not get lotions, creams, or sprays in your eyes or on your lenses. It is best to put on lenses before putting on makeup and remove them before removing makeup. Water-base cosmetics are less likely to damage lenses than oil-base products.
- You should have regular contact lens follow-up examinations as recommended by your eyecare practitioner.
- Contact lenses wear out with time and should be replaced regularly.
- Disposable and frequent or planned replacement lenses should be thrown away after the recommended wearing period prescribed by your eyecare practitioner .
Know Your Products!
Lens Care Product Awareness:
- Cleaning solutions remove dirt, mucus, and debris that get on the lens during wear.
- Disinfecting solutions reduce or eliminate certain microorganisms (germs) on the lenses. Disinfection is necessary to help prevent serious eye infections.
- Rinsing solutions are used to remove other solutions from the lenses. They also prepare the lenses for wear.
- Enzyme solutions remove protein and other deposits that build up on the lenses over time.
- Rewetting solutions can be used to wet (lubricate) the lenses while you are wearing them to make them more comfortable.
- Some solutions may have more than one function, which will be indicated on the label. Read the label on the solution bottle.
- Keep solution containers tightly closed and upright in a clean, dry, cool place when not in use.
- Solutions may become contaminated after opening. Do not touch open bottle tips to any surface. Throw away opened solutions as recommended. Do not use any solutions after their expiration date.
This information was adapted with permission from an information pamphlet developed in cooperation with the following organizations: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Optometry, American Optometric Association, Bureau of Radiation and Medical Devices-Canada, Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists, Inc., Contact Lens Institute, Contact Lens Manufacturers Association, Contact Lens Society of America, Food and Drug Administration, National Association of Optometrists and Opticians, National Society to Prevent Blindness, Opticians Association of America. Revised October 1997