Practically Free Contact Lens Tips

Contact lenses wear can bring us both utter joy and misery.  Many of us feel uncomfortable in glasses, whether it is the way you look in them, or how you see out of them.  In some of us, our vision is distorted with glasses, because of higher prescriptions usually.  So, we want to wear our lenses the majority of the time. 

Unfortunately, contact lenses are not always comfortable, especially when you already suffer from dry eyes.  The lenses will sting and burn by the end of the day.  You may have to take them out before you are ready for bed.  Or, you feel like you are dumping tears over them all day to keep them comfortable. 

Follow these simple and (mostly) FREE steps to keep your contacts more comfortable:   

Always wash your hands before touching your contact lenses. 

The dirt, dust, and bacteria on your hands do not need to get trapped underneath your contact lens.  It will irritate the eye and possibly cause redness and watering.  In the worst cases, bacteria can create sight-threatening infections, so let’s be cautious. 

Insert your contact lenses before applying any moisturizers, creams or makeup to your eyes. 

You don’t want to get any creams or makeup on the lenses and trap them on your eyes.  You ladies know how it feels when you have mascara under your lens.  Ugh, painful.  If this does happen, remove your lens and rinse it.  Don’t just let your eye tear out the offending particle.  You are less likely to get an infection if the lens is rinsed again.  

Remove your contact lenses every night. 

If you know anything about me by now, you knew I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away to remind you to TAKE YOUR LENSES OUT.  Even if the contact lens is FDA approved for overnight wear, there is always a greater risk of infection when sleeping in contact lenses.  If you already have dry eye symptoms these contact lenses which will be coated the proteins, dirt, dust, pollen, and debris from the day, will then act to irritate the eyes all night long.

Make your contact lens case travel ready.  

You don’t want your spare contact lens case, that you bring with you “in case of an emergency”, to get contaminated.  If you place it in your makeup bag, fine powders and glitters could make it into your case and then onto your lenses.  The same thing goes with putting the case in your purse or backpack.  To be on the safe side, place the case in a clean plastic ziplock sandwich bag first. 

Replace your contact lens storage case every 3 months. 

The case that houses your contact lenses is prone to becoming contaminated with dirt and bacteria.  Dispose of the case and replace with a new one.  You can purchase a color-coded 12 pack here on Amazon and always have a spare clean case lying around.  https://amzn.to/2TZUsWA  These are going to cost you about 75 cents each, so very affordable for the peace of mind of having a clean case.  

Following these simple steps will make your contact lens wear much safer.  You won’t be at risk of infection from extra bacteria entering your eyes.  And, you will be able to see, look, and feel better right away. 

If you like these tips, there are many more in Chapter 5 of “Alleviate Dry Eye”.  You can pick up a copy on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/2QVBzmJ 

Leave a comment below with your favorite way to keep your contact lenses comfortable all day.