If you don’t wear contact lens, chances are, you know someone who does. You probably also know that healthy eye habits are very important to prevent eye infections, especially among people who wear contact lenses. August 24-28 2015 marks the second annual Contact Lens Health Week, dedicated to raising awareness about proper lens care and wear.
This week tends to target teens, but the message is the same for all age groups. Your habits, supplies, and eye doctor all play a crucial role in healthy eyes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, as far as habits, make sure you:
- Wash your hands with soap and dry them before you touch your lenses. This reduces germs being transferred to the lens and lens case.
- Don’t sleep wearing contact lenses. Sleeping in your lenses (regardless of if they are extended wear) increases your risk of a corneal infection by 4-5 times.
- Keep water away from lenses. You can get a severe eye infection through an ameba commonly found in water.
With supplies, the CDC recommends you:
- Rub and rinse your lenses in disinfecting solution every time you take them out. This is the best way to remove deposits and microbes, which could cause complications.
- Never store them in water. This may increase the risk of developing different types of eye infections.
- Replace them as recommended by your eye doctor. Contact lens wearers who do this decrease their chances of complications and discomfort.
- Clean your case with solution, never water, and store upside down with caps off. Dirty cases can become a breeding ground for germs that can cause infections.
- Use only fresh solution every time. Mixing fresh and used solution can increase the chance of contamination.
Apart from these recommendations, you should visit your eye doctor every year, or as often as is recommended.
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