Our eyes are one of the important most and sensitive organs of the body. A minor injury to the eye can lead to heavy repercussions. Therefore, we must take care of our eyes. Especially, people who suffer from Myopia, Astigmatism, Presbyopia, and Hyperopia should always take good care of their eyes. If wearing glasses as per the prescribed duration (except for bathing time and while sleeping) and rinsing the eyes with water, counts as one of the necessities, maintaining a clean pair of glasses and/or lens, counts as the other. With changing times people are preferring contact lens over glasses since they are easier to carry and feel light on the eyes without exerting pressure on the nose.
It takes time to get used to applying it to the eyes and during the first few days of application one may feel uneasy and may also experience watery eyes while putting them on, which is normal. But once, someone gets accustomed to putting them on contact lenses feel less of a burden than regular spectacles. Although contact lenses are becoming more popular, not everyone is properly aware of the way contact lenses should be maintained. Therefore, mentioned below are a few guidelines for contact lens users.
Basic Maintenance of Contact Lens After Every Use
- Step 1: Wash hands – One should always wash their hands before touching the contact lens with their fingers to make sure no external germs enter the surface of the contact lens.
- Step 1 surplus tip: Use non-moisturizing soaps – One should prevent using moisturizing soap to clean the hands before touching them since moisturizing soaps are not suitable for contact lenses.
- Step 2: Use dry hands – One shouldn’t go on to touch the lens with wet hands. Instead, one is required to wipe their hands on a lint-free towel.
- Step 3: Clean with a recommended solution – The lens should be cleaned with the recommended solution, one by one. Using ‘cleaning solutions’ helps remove the eye-produced buildup or debris or cosmetics that might have entered the lens during its use. The method of application involves – applying the cleaning solution to the lens then gently placing it on the palm and then rubbing them using the fingers. It should be noted that even if the solution says it is a “no-rub” solution, one should still rub it gently to make sure the solution is applied evenly throughout the lens. Bausch and Lomb lens cleaner is the perfect cleaner for cleaning purposes.
- Step 4: Rinse – After the solution has been applied evenly, one should rinse the lens with water. This is to make sure that the debris that has accumulated on the lens is completely washed away. One should rinse till the duration recommended in the packet of the solution has been achieved.
- Step 5: Place it on the lens holder – Once all the cleaning procedure has been completed one should put it back on the lens holder. However, this should be kept in mind that the lens holder is refilled with a clean solution. The lens shouldn’t be dipped in the pre-used solution.
However, one may make a huge blunder while following the basic guidelines if one fails to understand which product is to be used in which step. Therefore, mentioned below are the name of the products and the purpose they serve –
- Saline solution – This solution is a ‘rinsing agent’. It is also utilized for storing lenses, especially when heat or a ‘UV Disinfection system’ is being used. However, this must be kept in mind that the Saline solution can use to rinse the contact lens only and not for disinfection purposes.
- Hydrogen Peroxide – It is a solution that is used for disinfecting as well as cleaning purposes. The method of application includes – placing the lens on the basket that has been already provided, then rinsing the lens, then keeping the basket on its cup, and then pouring the solution on the cup for disinfecting and cleaning. There are a few lens holders that come with a built-in neutralizer that converts hydrogen peroxide into water. However, with other lens holders, one has to purchase an additional neutralizing tablet. It is to be noted that the contact lens should be used only after the entire procedure that includes the neutralizing part is fully completed, or else one may suffer from severe infection due to the chemical reaction. Therefore, right away using the lens after rinsing them only, with the solution should be prevented at every cost.
- Daily cleaner – This solution is solely used for cleaning purposes. One can depend on other products to rinse and disinfect the lens. The method of application involves – applying a few drops of the solution on the palm and rubbing one’s lens till the duration mentioned in the instruction. One should make sure that both ends of the lens are carefully cleaned. Bausch and Lomb contact lens cleaner is one such reliable lens cleaner that can be used for daily purposes.
