You went to an ophthalmologist, did all the necessary tests, and received your prescription for contact lenses. You chose the best brand contact lens for your type of vision problem, and now it’s time to get started.
Wait! Before using contact lenses for the first time, it is essential to know how to put, remove, and care for them. And that is precisely what you will learn in today’s post. Check out our recommendations to avoid complications and ensure your lenses last longer.
1. How to put on Contact Lenses
To put on contact lenses properly, just follow four simple steps.
1. First, Wash Your Hands Thoroughly
Preferably use unscented and antibacterial soap. Dry your hands thoroughly, too, with a lint-free towel. This step is essential because, if you have any impurity in your hands, it will be transferred to the lens and then to the eyes. This is how irritations and even eye infections happen.
2. Then, Make Sure The Lenses Are On The Right Side
Soft lenses are flexible, which means they can turn inside out. When this happens, the edges point out, resembling a deep dish. To find out if the lenses are on the right side, note that the edges are straight.
3. Take The Lens With Your Index Finger
Then, using the hand with the best coordination, take the lens with your index finger. Use the other fingers of that hand to pull the lower eyelid down. With your other hand, pull the upper eyelid upwards.
4. Look Up And Place The Lens
Finally, look up and place the lens, resting it on the white part of the eye, which will be exposed. Close the eye for a few moments and then blink a few times; this is how the lens will center on the iris.
You must repeat steps three and four for each eye. See how easy it is to put on contact lenses?
2. How To Remove Contact Lenses
It should come as no surprise that removing contact lenses is very similar to the one you just learned. Again, there are four steps.
- Step-1. The first step is to wash your hands thoroughly. Make sure they are clean and dry.
- Step-2. The second step is to leave the lens more exposed. Use your non-dominant hand to lift your upper eyelid and look up.
- Step-3. The third step is to touch the lens and slide it down until it loses contact with the iris. Then use your thumb, along with your index finger, to remove the lens from your eye. You should gently “pinch” it.
- Step-4. The final step is to throw the used lens away if it is a daily disposable lens, or clean and store if it is a long-term lens. In the next item, you will see how to take care of your lenses.
3. How To Care For Contact Lenses
Many of the problems caused by contact lenses happen because people do not take proper care of them. Fortunately, this is a comfortable situation to resolve.
The most basic recommendations are to respect the time of use indicated by the manufacturer and not to sleep with the lenses. Besides, it is also not advisable to use the lenses in water activities or sports with high impact.
After removing the lenses for prolonged use, you need to sanitize them with a specific solution. Do not use tap water to wash the lenses nor saline! You must put the lenses in the case and cover with the solution so that they are disinfected. This care is critical, as the lenses accumulate dirt and bacteria can proliferate.
The case in which you store your contact lenses must also always be clean. In that case, you can use soap and water. Allow drying well before using it again. Do this at least once a week.
It is worth mentioning that, if you choose 1-day lenses, that is, daily disposal, everything is much more practical. Each time you remove a pair of lenses, just throw it away and use a new one next time.
Wrapping Up:
These are the necessary precautions you should take with your contact lenses. You can obtain more specific instructions from your ophthalmologist, or from the lens packaging itself.
Now you know how to put, remove, and care for your contact lenses. It remains only to discover how to choose the ideal brand. So, take the time to check out.
