5 Contact Lens Hygiene Sins to Never Commit!

Contact lenses, don’t we all just love them! Imagine showing off that cool graphic liner through the thick lenses of your spectacles. Horrifying! Contact lenses come as a blessing from the Beauty Gods for those of us who love to play with the color of our eyes or those who are done with the hassles of traditional spectacles.

Even though there’s been a steep rise in the number of contact lens wearers over the years, unfortunately, the incidents of misuse and poor hygiene habits are ballooning at the same pace (if not faster). These days more and more people are frequenting doctors with eye infections stemming from poor contact lens hygiene.

The most common of those infections include -

· Keratitis - an inflammation of the thin, clear avascular film of tissues that cover your eyes called the cornea.

· Pink eye/ conjunctivitis - a highly contagious bacterial or viral infection of the clear membrane that lines your eyelids and the whites of your eyes.

This begs the question of what are we doing wrong with our contact lenses. Honestly, quite a lot. But, let’s take a look that the most heinous hygiene sins contact lens wearers are still making.

1. Handling Lenses with Hands Dirtier Than The Devil’s Conscience

The COVID era has already given us a thorough lesson on hand hygiene and its supreme significance to maintain good health. So, let’s take that lesson forward in life and swear to never handle our lenses without washing our hands for at least 2 minutes with soap and water.

Our hands are a warm haven for Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and likes that are notorious for causing painful infections of the eye. Thankfully, we have the nifty weapon of anti-microbial soaps that can wipe out the colony within minutes. Resultantly, reducing the risk of contamination remarkably.

2. Hitting The Sack with Your Eye Lenses On!

Believe it or not, your tears are powerful. No, we don’t mean it in a philosophical, motivational way. It’s ACTUALLY powerful enough to kill off infections. Tear has special enzymes which act as an antimicrobial shield for your peepers. When you hit the snooze button without taking your lenses out, it disrupts the tear film primarily due to longer wear time. Thus, making you more susceptible to infections.

Although state-of-the-art lenses sold on eyemyeye.com have high oxygen permeability, it is still recommended by experts to take off lenses before you sleep. So, you don’t risk depriving your eyes of the oxygen it needs. Oxygen deprivation not only impacts the healthy functioning of the corneal cells but also reduces the ability of the cornea to fight off bacterial invasions.

3. Store-Bought Solution Is The ONLY Effective Solution

Water and contacts don’t make a pretty pair! Whether it’s the leftover water on your hands or from the pool when you take a careless dip, it is bad news for your lenses. Water, much like your hands, is a cozy breeding ground for microbes. And, you don’t want that anywhere near your lenses.

Moreover, soft lenses show significant distortion in their shape when it comes in contact with water. This can cause microscopic scratches in your cornea. Thus, opening the doors wide open for bacteria to moonwalk into. So, NO wet hands while handling lenses, and ALWAYS use disinfecting lens care solution while handling/cleaning lenses.

4. Rub, Rub, Rub!

The American Optometric Association recommends rubbing your lenses with multipurpose care solution for 2 to 20 seconds. Time yourself according to the instructions given by the lens solution manufacturers.

Rubbing the lenses not only helps dislodge a lot of the microbial load but also removes deposits ensuring more comfortable and healthy wear time the next day. Don’t forget to rinse the lens after rubbing it clean.

5. Case Study!

A 2010 study published by The National Institute of Health revealed contamination in lens cases in up to 92% of the 232 participants. Multiple studies have shown that the lens case is usually the most heavily contaminated lens accessory due to neglect in hygiene practices.

Clean your lens case every day with your lens care solution. Wipe off the solution with fresh tissue. Then, air-dry the case before storing your lenses. Replace your lens case every third month at the least. Refrain from using a damaged or contaminated lens case even after disinfecting it. 

Don’t let the myths around contact lenses scare you. Just stay compliant with these hygiene practices to ensure utmost comfort and optimum eye health with high-quality lenses from eyemyeye.com.