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If you lead a fairly active lifestyle—or just don't want to worry about donning glasses every day—contact lenses could be the answer. Since they are placed directly over the eye, though, they pose a few risks that glasses don't and therefore require a little more maintenance. Fortunately, wearing and caring for contacts is easy once you get into a good routine. Here are a few tips for getting started.

3 Tips for Safe Contact Lens Wear

1. Handle With Care

contact lensesAlways wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling contact lenses. This will reduce the risk of transferring bacteria from your fingers to your eyes. Likewise, if you drop a lens when trying to put it in, throw it away and start again with a new one. Even if you dropped it in a clean sink, there is no way to know if it picked up harmful bacteria in the basin. 

2. Follow All Instructions 

Contact lenses are medical devices and therefore come with a long list of instructions. Follow all these instructions closely, as well as any additional guidelines your eye doctor provides. This includes disposing of them as recommended, rinsing and disinfecting them daily, and storing them in approved solutions. 

3. Take Them Out Before Bed

Unless your doctor prescribed extended wear lenses and explicitly said it was okay to sleep in them, you should never go to bed while wearing contacts because they inhibit oxygen flow. Although you can wear them comfortably for 12, 14, or even 16 hours straight, wearing them for much longer than that can cause serious complications, including corneal neovascularization, corneal microscysts, and corneal ulcers.

 

If you’re thinking about making the switch from glasses to contact lenses, head to Wise Vision Care. Located in Elizabethtown, KY, this practice has been meeting the eye care needs of patients throughout Hardin County for more than two decades. Their services include contact lens fittings, diabetic eye care, and LASIK. You can request an appointment by visiting their website or by calling (270) 769-3708. 

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