Eyeglasses are a long-term investment and crucial to your eyesight. Because they’re worn every day, they face a lot of threats, and a broken pair can leave you struggling to see until your optometrist can replace them. To ensure you get the most from yours, use this safety guide.

How to Protect Your Eyeglasses

1. Always Have a Case Handy

Any time you take your glasses off and set them down, you drastically increase the potential for an incident. Always have a case. It’s helpful to purchase one for home, your bag or backpack, car, and desk at work, so you’re always covered.

If you don’t have a case, keep your glasses on. Pushing them back on your head or clipping them to your shirt collar is still dangerous and should never be a substitute.

2. Keep Them Clean

Removing dirt and debris from the hinges on your glasses will help them perform better. Wiping oil from the nose bridge will help them hold better on your face, and wiping the lenses with a microfiber cloth will safely remove sharp debris that may leave scratches.

Invest in a repair kit as well. Tightening the screws as needed will keep your glasses secure. Glasses collect a lot of bacteria throughout the day that can also settle on your skin. Dirt and grime can clog pores, and other bacteria could lead to eye infections, so make general cleaning a daily habit.

3. Handle With Care

Yanking your glasses off by the earpieces can damage hinges. You also won’t have as secure of a hold. Always remove them by placing a hand on each side of the frame and gently drawing them from your face. Make sure your hands are clean and dry and that the eyeglasses go directly into your case.

Be mindful of where you’re storing them. Leaving them in a hot or cold car or in other extreme temperatures could break the lenses or stretch the frames. If you’re participating in contact sports or working out at the gym, place them in the case and use prescription goggles instead.

Ready to purchase a new pair of eyeglasses? Eric G. Stocker, OD, offers a wide selection of corrective options to Amherst, OH, residents. Dr. Stocker is backed by nearly 30 years of experience and can assist with eye disease screening, including diabetic eye exams, as well as detecting other medical conditions. You can explore his practice further by visiting the website and schedule an exam by calling (440) 988-4419 today.