Tag: contact lens care

Minimize Risk of Contact Lens Related Problems

Karen Griffith

Contact lens safety depends on the wearer following the prescribed lens wear schedule and cleaning regime.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes three key areas to healthy contact lens wear:
1. Healthy contact lens hygiene habits

Always wash your hands with soap and water before inserting and removing the contact lenses

Replace your contact case at least every 3 months.

2. Proper use, care and storage of contact lenses and supplies

Don’t sleep in your contact lenses. Sleeping in contact lenses increases the chance of an eye infection 6 to 8 times.

Replace your contact lenses as prescribed

Rinse out your contact lens case every morning, turn upside down and allow to air dry.

Soft Contact Lens Solutions

3. Regular visits to the optometrist

Contact lens materials and solutions change as do our eyes. To maintain good vision and healthy eyes have an eye examination every year.

Established contact lens wearers tend to have higher levels of case contamination compared to new contact lens wearers. Poor contact lens habits develop over time, don’t become compliant, remember the details of good contact lens care to ensure your continued successful contact lens use.

Contact Lens Bad Habits

Karen Griffith

 

 

 

 

 

[heading centered=”yes” margin_bottom=”no”]Contact Lens Misbehaviors[/heading]hand-washing

 

  1. Overstayed Welcome. Studies indicate around half of soft contact lens users wear lenses longer than prescribed. If you wait until the lenses start to bother you, you waited to long.
  2. Caught Dirty Handed. The cleanest, daily disposable lenses are all for naught if wearers do not wash their hands before inserting the lenses. The last thing touching the lens before it goes into the eye is your finger.
  3. Damp Digits. The flip side of dirty hands are wet hands. Sometimes people forget to dry their hands before handling contact lenses. Water can harbor harmful microorganisms that can be transferred onto the lens and subsequently into the eye. Make sure the towel you use is clean.
  4. No Respect for the System. Not all contact lens care systems are created equal, in terms of disinfection and chemical sensitivities. Some solutions are not compatible with all  lens materials. Before grabbing a cheaper, generic solution consider your eye comfort and health.
  5. A Case of Grimy Cases. Proper contact lens care extends to storage cases, as well. Contact lens cases should be replaced at least every three months and cases should be cleaned and disinfected daily.
  6. Dozing Dangers. And finally, people snoozing in contact lenses that are not designed to be slept in are at a five times higher risk of developing corneal infections, ulcers and inflammations. Even extended wear lenses carry risk of infections. If you are in a situation without a case and solution, just throw your lenses away instead of sleeping in them.

Contact lenses are an amazing medical device. When treated well and respectively you can count on years of successful wear.

Are Contact Lenses Dangerous?

Karen Griffith 1 Comment

Contact lenses are safe when you follow replacement schedules, maximum wearing time and other recommendations from Westside Optometry.
Dirty Contact LensA new report from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that millions of Americans who wear contact lenses do things that can significantly increase their risk of eye infections. The findings come from an online survey of contact lens wearers designed to assess the prevalence of contact lens wear and hygeine-related risk behaviors.
According to the study 99% of contact lens wearers reported at least one habit or behavior that increases their risk of eye infection. I know that none of my patients would act in a way to compromise their eye health, but just in case some of you have lapsed, here are some reminders:

Contact lens “wear” risks

  • Sleeping in contact lenses
  • using contact lenses for longer than the recommended replacement schedule

Contact lens “care” risks

  • “Topping off” disinfecting solution in the lens case and using it again
  • Using the same storage case for more than 3 months
  • Not using the prescribed disinfection solutions

Not surprisingly nearly one third of the respondents reported having experienced a red and painful eye that required a visit to the doctor.

Contact lens wear is safe when you follow recommendations and use common-sense.

What do you need to know about Contact Lenses?

Karen Griffith 4 Comments

Dirty Contact Lens

The tiny disc of plastic on your eye is one of the most amazing and complex scientific advances in vision correction. Whether you’re nearsighted or farsighted, if you have astigmatism or presbyopia, contact lenses can bring everything into focus for you.

Drs. Griffith and Staton will select the best lens material and design for your prescription and the best care products for your lenses.

LENS CARE DO’S & DON’TS

contact lensesDO… wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water and dry them with a lint free towel before handling your lenses.

DON’T… use hand soaps that contain lotions or oils. Those ingredients can transfer to your lenses and leave a filmy residue.

DO… replace your lenses as prescribed. Lenses that are past their prime won’t give you the best vision and can compromise the health of your eyes.

DON’T… add new solution to used solution in your lens case.

 

What’s in those Bottles?

If you scan the eye care aisle at your local retail pharmacy or big box store, you’ll see a row filled with contact lens products. This can be confusing, so here’s a quick look at the main categories and what these products do:

MULTI-PURPOSE SOLUTIONS…These solutions contain everything you need for daily lens care – cleaning, rinsing, disinfection and storage – but each brand has a unique formulation. They’re not all the same. Some multi-purpose solutions include extra ingredients, such as wetting and condition agents, which are designed specifically to help keep lenses comfortable, so you can wear them all day.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE SYSTEMS… Not only is hydrogen peroxide a great disinfectant, but contact lens care systems that use it have no added preservatives, which is ideal for people who have sensitive eyes and allergies.

SALINE SOLUTIONS… The most important fact you need to know about saline solution is that it will not clean or disinfect your contact lenses. Saline solution is basically sterilized salt water, and it’s mainly used for rinsing contact lenses. Never store your lenses in saline.

GENERICS… Even though store-brand contact lens solutions look almost the same as the name-brand product, some ingredients may differ just enough to cause a sensitivity reaction. And the ingredients in a store-brand product can differ from retailer to retailer – even though the packaging is similar – depending on which manufacturer is supplying the product.

 

Today’s contact lenses are designed to give you comfortable, sharp vision all day. You should forget you’re even wearing them. If your eyes look red or feel dry or irritated, or if your lenses are so uncomfortable that you need to remove them before the end of the day, it’s time to call us. Your lenses may not be the problem. The culprit could be your solution. Changing solutions is a remedy, but switching to a daily use lens will eliminate contact lens solution altogether.