Contact Lens Health Week: Best Practices for Healthy Eyes

How to improve eye health and maintain contact lenses

There are many things that contact lens wearers can do to maintain healthy eyes.

Reusable contact lenses must be cleaned and stored

Two weekly, monthly and yearly contact lenses must be removed, cleaned and stored in a contact lens solution before going to sleep. Failing to keep contact lenses clean and adequately stored can lead to eye conditions.

Contact lenses must be kept away from water

When a free-living amoeba in water gets trapped between the lens and the eye, acanthamoeba keratitis can develop. This sight-threatening infection causes pain, sensitivity to light, excessive tearing and the feeling that there is something in the eyes. This is why contact lenses should never be worn in the shower, sauna or the swimming pool.

When inserting contact lenses, it’s important to ensure hands are thoroughly dried after washing them, or there is the risk of transferring water droplets onto the lens which can then cause acanthamoeba keratitis.

Despite what some may think, water cannot be used to clean contact lenses because water doesn’t have any cleaning properties, and the single-cell living organisms within water can cause infection. Water should never be used in place of contact lens solution as this increases the risk of infection.

Daily disposables should never be reused

The incredible convenience of daily disposables makes them popular among contact lens wearers because they can be discarded after a full day of wear. As these lenses don’t require a cleaning routine, they are ideal for those who have busy lifestyles.

Some contact lens users try to wear dailies for longer than a day to get more use out of them, this isn’t recommended. Daily disposables are thinner lenses than two weeklies or monthlies; they aren’t designed to be used for longer than a day and doing so can cause dryness and irritation.

Don’t sleep in your lenses

Extended wear contact lenses are the only lenses that are suitable for sleeping in, due to the more permeable surface which allows more oxygen to the eyes. Unless you have been approved by an optician to wear extended wear contact lenses, you should never sleep in your lenses.

Sleeping in contact lenses limits the amount of oxygen that can reach the eyes, causing dryness, irritation and infection. There is also a risk that the lenses will scratch the cornea as you sleep.

Consume a balanced diet

Certain foods can help you to maintain good eye health. These foods include oranges, dark leafy greens and oily fish. For those who struggle to include a variety of foods in their diet, vitamins for eye health can be taken as a suitable alternative.

For more ways to optimise your diet for eye health, read our blog on the best foods for eye health.

Have regular eyes tests

Adults should have their eyes tested at least every two years. Some people may need to see an optician more frequently than this if advised to by a healthcare professional. Having an eye health check regularly will help opticians to find eye conditions before they can start to progress which can potentially save your sight.

See your optician if you’re concerned

If your vision changes or if you start to experience symptoms such as pain, redness, itchiness or general discomfort, see your optician and they will help you to diagnose the issue. Adhering to the tips mentioned previously will ensure your eyes are healthy and you are always wearing the correct prescription lenses.