Category: Contact lens

For new prescription contact lens wearers, or people who want a refresher, here are our simple, easy to follow steps for applying contact lenses.

1. Most important, wash your hands with soap and water, and dry them thoroughly before touching or removing your contact lenses.

2. Prepare a clean surface or, if you are standing over the sink, make sure you put a plug in the drain.

3. When wearing monthly replaced lenses place your storage case in front of you, left and right, to avoid mixing up your left and right contact lens prescription. They usually are different powers. Start with the same lens each time to avoid switching the lenses by mistake.

4. For both daily disposable and monthly replaced lenses, remove one of the lenses from its container by pouring it into the palm of your hand.

5. Using your dominant hand place your contact lens on the tip of your middle or index finger.

6. Look for any damage to the lens and check it is the right-side up like a cup with the edges turned up. Flip the lens over if the lens looks like a cap.

7. As you look in the mirror, hold your upper eyelid open with your other hand. At the same time, hold down your lower eyelid with your middle or ring finger of your dominant hand.

8. Now, as you look in the mirror, place the contact lens on your eye.

9. Shut your eyes slowly and roll them around to position the lens. Then, once your lens is settled in place, open your eyes, and blink a couple of times. Do a final check in the mirror to see that your contact lens is in the middle of your eye.

10. When your contact lens is in place, your eye will feel comfortable, and your vision will be clear. Repeat the process for the other eye.

11. If your eye feels uncomfortable or vision is not clear, take the contact lens out and start the process again. If your eye continues to feel uncomfortable, poor vision or looks red, contact your local Eyecare Plus optometrist.

Contact lenses are a great alternative to spectacles, and for many people, they are the preferred vision option.

As a result of improvements in technology almost any vision problem can be corrected with contact lenses.

There have been enormous advances made in contact lens material and design, including the use of improved silicone hydrogel lens materials, advances in daily disposables for presbyopia and soft lenses that correct both astigmatism and presbyopia.

The latest contact lenses are comfortable and convenient to use. They are easy to adapt to, can correct most vision problems and are able to be worn from a young age. Many reasons why more than 680,000 Australians aged between 15 and 64 years wear contact lenses.

There are many other benefits to wearing contact lenses, including:

Full Range of Vision: Contact lenses provide you with a full range of vision, with no frames to obstruct your vision, particularly important when driving a car.

No Fog: Contact lenses, unlike spectacles, contact lenses do not fog up.

Wear Them Playing Sport: Contact lenses are perfect for sports and exercise.

More Natural Vision: Contact lenses move with your eye, which provides wearers with a more natural vision.

Daily to Extended Wear: Contact lenses can be worn daily or, in the case of extended wear every day, up to 30 days for some lenses.

Fashionable: Contact lenses are a good fashion choice. They will never clash with the clothing you wear, and many people feel that wearing contact lenses make them look better.

Surgery Alternative: Contact lenses offer a safe, effective, stable, and changeable alternative to refractive surgery.

 

During this time of COVID there has been some uncertainty based on confusion and misinformation as to whether it is still safe to wear contact lenses. So, how can you be sure contact lenses are safe to wear? The simple answer is to be vigilant about your hand hygiene. We are all aware that practicing good hand hygiene helps protect us from the COVID-19. This same hygiene practice should also be applied to the wearing of contact lenses. Advice from Optometry Australia recommends to “always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after inserting and removing your contact lenses.”

As to some of the myths, a joint statement from contact lens experts puts paid to these:

Contact Lens Wear is Safe
Despite myths and misinformation contact lens wear remains a safe and highly effective form of vision correction for millions of people worldwide.

Proper Hand Washing is Essential
When using contact lenses, careful and thorough hand washing with soap and water followed by hand drying with unused paper towels is paramount. This should occur before every insertion and removal of contact lenses.

Disinfect Contact Lenses
Contact lens wearers should either dispose of their daily disposable lenses each evening, or regularly disinfect their monthly lenses and two-week lenses according to manufacturer and eye care professional instructions.

Discontinue Lens Wear Only if Sick
Ceasing contact lens wear when sick is advised. This advice is consistent with guidance for other types of illness.

If you have further questions about contact lenses, contact your local Eyecare Plus optometrist.