CONTACT LENSES,Handling Soft Contact Lenses

8/6/2019 CONTACT LENSES,Handling Soft Contact Lenses

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Instructions for Handling Soft Contact Lenses• Wash your hands before handling your lenses. Do Not use any soap containing cream, lotion, oil

or perfume.

• Keep nails short, filed and clean.

• Develop the habit of working with the same lens first and keep one cap on your lens case toavoid mix-ups.

• The risk of complications increases when you don’t adhere to solutions prescribed for you.

Switching or mixing products could cause irritation.

We have prescribed the following types of solutions for best success with your contact lenses:

Cleaning: ___________________________________________________________________

Rinsing: ___________________________________________________________________

Disinfection and Storage: ______________________________________________________

Conditioning Solution: _______________________________________________________

Lubricating Drops: ___________________________________________________________

RED TIP IS WRONG! Contact lens cleaners have a red tip/cap. This solution is toxic to the eye and

should not be applied directly to the eye.

To insert: To remove:

1. Wash Hands 1. Wash Hands

2. Inspect Lens 2. Remove Lens

3. Insert Lens 3. Clean Lens

4. Rinse with Recommended Solution

5. Soak Lens in Disinfecting Solution

Never let a soft contact lens become dry. Never soak them in tap water or distilled water. If

lenses dry out, they will become brittle. Should this occur, however, soak the lens in your

solution or saline for a few minutes. Then, if the lens does not appear damaged, continue with

your disinfection regimen. If the lens is uncomfortable after you insert it, throw it away and use

a new lens.

You should work into your wearing schedule to prevent adaptation problems:

Wearing Time Schedule

Day 1 4-6 hours

2 6-8 hours

3 8-10 hours4 10-12 hours

5 12-14 hours

Maximum wearing time will be determined at your follow-up appointment.

When you haven’t worn your lenses for a few days, cut your wearing time in half for the first day

and increase wearing time two hours per day after that. When you haven’t worn your lenses



one week or longer, you will need to start your wearing time over. DO NOT RUSH YOUR

WEARING TIME!

Rewetting Drops

A dry eye becomes uncomfortable. The lens may feel gummy or sticky and your vision will

become blurry or hazy. Ideally, with contact lens wear, you should blink approximately every 6

to 8 seconds. This, however, is difficult to do when you are concentrating on your computer, a

book or a video game. You may use your drops as often as you need to. You will not become

addicted to your rewetting drops.

The trick to using your rewetting drops is to use them before your eyes become too dry. Once

your lens is dry, it attracts deposits and gets dirty. Then most drops won’t help. You will need to

remove the lens and rub it with your solution to clean and re-insert it.

If your lens moves onto the white of your eye.

1. Don’t panic

2. It’s okay to keep the lens in your eye. It may be uncomfortable, but it will

not damage your eye.

3. The lens cannot go behind the eye.

4. Use rewetting drops frequently.

5. Always use your lids to push the lens back onto your cornea so that you

don’t scratch your cornea.

WHAT IS YOUR RISK?

Contact lens related corneal infections are rare, and affect approximately 5-7 in 10,000 contact

lens wearers annually.

This risk increases to approximately 20 in 10,000 in you sleep in your contact lenses

HOW CAN YOU REDUCE YOUR RISK?You can significantly reduce your risk of infection by following good lens care and hygiene

practices. Wear your Contact lenses the number of hours recommended by your doctor and

replace as prescribed. Remember that a contact lens is a foreign body placed in your eye, and

you need to take care to make sure it stays uncontaminated.

HYGIENE

Hygiene is vitally important to preventing infection.

• Always wash and rinse your hands thoroughly before handling your lenses. In the study,

simple measures such as hand-washing prior to touching contact lenses were found to

significantly reduce the likelihood of getting an infection. Alarmingly, the study shows

that 25% of patients didn’t always wash their hands, and 12% never washed their handsbefore handling lenses.

• Don’t soak or rinse your lenses in tap water or saline, use fresh lens disinfectingsolution.

• Don’t place a lens in your mouth for cleaning or wetting.

• Clean your lenses on a regular basis as indicated by your eye care practitioner.

• Discard all solutions one month after opening, even if there is still solution remaining.



• Clean your lens storage case in warm soapy water at least once a week, and leave to air-

dry with the lid off every day.

Replace your lens case every month (new lens cases are often sold as a package with bottles of

solution).

SWIMMING

Wear good fitting goggles if you go swimming with your contact lenses. If you have gone swimming without goggles, make sure you remove and thoroughly clean and disinfect your lenses at the first opportunity before re-inserting them.Do not sleep in lenses if you have been swimming. SLEEPING IN LENSES

An important finding of the study is that sleeping in contact lenses continues to be a major risk factor for corneal infection, even for high oxygen permeable materials. Patients considering the convenience of extended wear lenses should realize that they increase their chances of getting a corneal infection by 4-7 times if they sleep in their contact lenses. If you have extended wear lenses, lower your risk by maintaining good hygiene, and follow your eye care practitioner’s advice as to lens wear and replacement schedules. In particular, don’t sleep in your lenses if there is any discomfort. Possible Contact Lens Complications

Wearing contact lenses is a reasonable method of attaining good vision as an alternative to

glasses. However, wearing contact lenses is not without risk. The following conditions are

possible complications of contact lens wear. You must be aware of the potential hazards and

accept these relative risks in addition to the benefits of contact lens wear.

1. Corneal Abrasion. This is a “scratch” on the surface of your cornea resulting from a poorly-

fitting contact lens, foreign material under the contact lens, or overwear. The treatments

include antibiotics and possible patching of your eye. Infection may result from thiscondition.

2. Allergic Reaction. In this condition, your eye becomes red and irritated in response to the

cleaning and/or storage solution. It is most often seen with soft contact lenses and is usually

a reaction to the preservatives in your solution. Treatment includes changing to a different

solution and storage method as directed by your eye care professional.

3. Neovascularization. When the eye has a lack of oxygen to the surface, blood vessels may

grow into you cornea. This is rare with new highly oxygenated materials. Your doctor will

look for this at every visit.

4. Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC). In this condition, there is itching, lens intolerance and

redness while wearing your contact lens. Treatments include discontinuing lens wear for a

period of time, switching lens types, switching solutions and application of lid hygiene.

5. Corneal Ulcer . This is the most severe complication of contact lens wear. In this condition

trauma or contamination to your cornea from the contact lens, results in an infection. This

may require hospitalization for treatment and can lead to extensive corneal scarring.

Corneal transplant surgery may be required to regain good vision. Although very rare, it is

possible that you could lose an eye from a severe corneal ulcer.



It is not possible to determine in advance whether you will become a successful contact lens

wearer. Personal, physiological and environmental factors may require changes in your wearing

schedule or termination of your lens wear. Please keep your glasses prescription up to date in

case you are unable to wear your lenses.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO EVERY DAY

When you are wearing your contact lenses, check every day and ask:

1) Do my eyes LOOK good?

2) Do my eyes FEEL good?

3) Do my eyes SEE well?

If you experience redness, secretion, visual blurring or pain (RSVP), remove your contact lens at

once. If the symptom subsides, the lens can be cleaned and reinserted. If the lens is removed

and the symptom does not subside or reappears upon reinsertion, remove the lens immediately

and call us!

TAKE CARE WHEN TRAVELLING

Many people relax their usual hygiene routines when they travel. Make sure that you haveenough solution, a clean case and spare pair of glasses whenever you travel.

If there is a problem, don’t wait until you get home - see an eye care practitioner as soon as

possible.

FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS

• Contact lens fitting requires a number of follow-up visits (two to three visits in the first three

months). These visits are very important to ensure the proper fit of your lens and the health

of your eye. Please keep all appointments made for you.

• Contact lens appointments are recommended every 6-12 months and are mandatory for

prescription refill.

• A contact lens prescription does not exist until the doctor deems your lens fit acceptable

after several checks during follow-up care. After you have been released from initial follow-

up care, you will be given a copy of your contact lens prescription.

• Your cooperation is vital to your success in wearing contact lenses.

• Contact lenses should always be worn to your appointment . What your eye care provider

wants to see, is how your lens fits after you have been wearing it for an hour or more, to

make sure the fit doesn’t change after you have worn it for a while. However, if you are

experiencing major discomfort, don’t wear your contact, but bring it with you.

• Contact lenses require proper care and handling. You must follow all instructions in caring

for and handling your lenses. Failure to do so could damage your lenses. Lost, damaged or

contaminated lenses will not be replaced free of charge. How frequently your contacts arereplaced will be determined by your eye care provider.



DOs AND DON’Ts OF CONTACT LENS WEAR

Do

• Always wash and rinse your hands thoroughly before handling your lenses or touching

your eye. Use a mild non-cosmetic (oil and fragrance free) soap, and dry your hands

with a lint-free cloth or tissues.

• Clean your lenses after removal as indicated by your eye care practitioner. Use only the

recommended solutions.

• Clean your lens storage case in warm soapy water at least once a week. Rinsethoroughly and wipe dry using a clean tissue.

• When handling your lenses, work over a clean flat surface. Put the plug in the sink if

working over a sink.

• If you drop a lens, clean and rinse before reapplying.

• Remember the importance of good blinking. Regular and complete blinking will help

you to keep the lens moist and clean.

• Consult your eye care practitioner if you experience any unexplained redness, persistentpain, discomfort, change in vision, excessive tearing, light sensitivity or unusual eye

secretions.

• Discard all solutions one month after opening, even if there is still solution remaining.

• Carry your storage case and solution with you at all times if possible.

• Always keep your spectacles up to date so that you can use them if you lose or break a

lens, or if you are advised not to wear lenses for any period of time.

• Take care or close your eyes when using cosmetics or aerosol sprays, such as hairsprays,

while wearing your lenses. Such products may leave a residual film on the lens.

• Use swimming goggles when swimming with contact lenses.

• Wear protective glasses or goggles if you are in any situation where dust, sand grit orother foreign matter could enter your eye, such as bike riding, gardening, sanding or

grinding, or working in a dusty environment.

• If you have been in a situation where there was an opportunity for foreign matter to

enter your eye, clean and replace your lenses. If you are not sure that you have

completely removed any foreign matter contact your eye care practitioner.

Don’t

• Don’t Continue wearing your lenses if you are unwell.

• Don’t Continue wearing your lenses if your eyes are uncomfortable or unusually red.

• Don’t Place a lens in your mouth for cleaning or wetting.

• Don’t Use tap water to soak or rinse your lenses.• Don’t Rub your eyes vigorously while wearing lenses.

• Don’t Mix up your lenses. The best way to avoid this is to always deal with the right lens

first, whether inserting or removing, and ensure that it is safely on your eye or in the

storage case, before attempting the left.

• Don’t Expose your lenses or storage case to undue heat.



DOs AND DON’Ts OF MAKE-UP USE WITH CONTACT LENSES

Do

• Apply cosmetics after you insert your lenses.

• Apply eye make-up sparingly and take care so as not to risk spoilage or damage to a

lens.

• Apply eye make-up on the outer lid margin only, not the inside.

• Remove lenses before removing make-up.

• Remove all make-up daily with an oil-free hypo-allergenic remover.

• If you should get any make-up on your lenses, clean immediately.

• Use eye make-up that has been specially formulated to be oil and fragrance free.

• Use a non-oily mascara which is waterproof, to prevent flaking and excessive smudging.

Mascara with lash-building fibers should be avoided.

• Replace mascara and eyeliner products every three to six months to avoid contamination.

• Consult your eye care practitioner if any redness, swelling pain or irritation occurs.

Don’t

• Don’t Apply cosmetics if you have red or swollen eyes or an eye infection.

• Don’t Allow make-up to come in contact with your lens.

• Don’t Use water or saliva to lubricate the make-up applicator. This could causeinfection.

• Don’t Apply eyeliner to the inner margin of your eyelid.

• Don’t Use an oil-based remover.

• Don’t Use make-up with preservatives if you have any allergies.

• Don’t Share cosmetics.• Don’t Expose cosmetics to heat.

• Don’t Use aerosols with eyes open after lens insertion

Contact Information: Mailing Address:

Contact Lens Clinic

Department of Ophthalmology

University of Iowa Health Care

200 Hawkins Drive

Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1019

Telephone: (319) 356-2916

Fax: (319) 353-7699

e-mail: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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CONTACT LENSES,Handling Soft Contact Lenses