Contact Lens Hygiene
Contact lens hygiene is fundamentally important to your ocular safety, comfort and vision. Contact lenses are corrective medical devices that have to be prescribed by a registered Australian Optometrist. Our principal optometrist recommends all contact lens wearers follow the contact lens care guidelines below as well as the advice given by your optometrist that had prescribed your contact lenses.
1. Hand washing discipline before handling lenses
Germs are easily transferred to our hands and fingers with your daily activity. This is why having a strict hand washing discipline, using anti bacterial hand wash and drying your hands, will help prevent the bacteria transferring from your fingers to the contact lenses which can in turn cause an infection in your eyes.
2. Every day lens care
You will either be a wearer of daily, two weekly or monthly lenses.
Daily lenses are simply for one time use and are to be taken out and thrown away before sleeping.
Two weekly lenses are to be changed for a fresh pair every two weeks.
Monthly lenses are to be changed for a fresh pair every month.
Prolonging the usage of the lens design is neither recommended by the manufacturer nor your optometrist.
Unless your optometrist has prescribed contact lenses that allow you to sleep with them in your eyes for a period of up to a month, we highly recommend that you do not sleep with your contact lenses as this increases the risks of serious eye infection.
For the two weekly and monthly users that clean and store your lenses with a multi-purpose type of contact lens solution, we suggest you gently rub lenses on both sides whilst in a pool of fresh multi-purpose solution in the palm of your hand. This removes bio-films of bacteria, protein, and lipid deposits. A good habit we recommend, is to clean your two weekly or monthly lenses every day upon removal of your lenses then storing them in fresh multi-purpose solution that was prescribed by your Optometrist.
3. Replace your Contact Lens case at least every month
Throw away the solution from the previous night/ storage day and clean your contact lens case for every use. Then allow to completely air dry prior to adding your contact lenses and solution. Having a clean case will dramatically reduce the chance of bacteria transferring from the case to your lenses.
4. Follow your optometrist wearing regime advice
Your Optometrist will give you advice on how long you can wear your lenses, which is affected by such factors as dry eyes to preference of brand. It is of paramount importance you comply with the wearing schedule provided by your Optometrist. Make sure you throw away your contact lenses according to lens type of daily, two weekly and monthly.
5. Avoid over wearing lenses
To ensure good eye health, it is very important that you do not over wear your lens wearing time that was advised by your Optometrist. Normally, Optometrists recommended to wear contacts lenses less than 12 hours per day, ideally 8-10 hours, 5-7 days a week, in order to maintain healthy corneas.
6. Avoid water contact with your lenses
Wearing contact lenses for water activities is contra-indicated due to the risk of infection caused by bacteria from the water.
7. Regular check up and valid prescription
As an existing contact-lens wearer it is important that you have regular contact lens after-care on a yearly basis with an Australian Optometrist to provide an up-to-date contact lens prescription prior to purchasing contact lenses.
If you experience any discomfort with your contact lenses, remove them immediately. If upon inspection there is a flaw or tear on the lens then replace them with a new lens. If the discomfort still persists upon insertion, then take the contact lenses out and seek optometrist advice the same day.