THEY open the world to around 3.6 million UK adults.
But contact lenses can cause irreversible harm to eyesight when not used properly.
Rare horror stories of pussy eyes, blindness and parasites show just how important it is to follow guidance.
Sharon Copeland, a contact lens optician, said: “There are some common mistakes that people make when it comes to caring for their contact lenses, so we’ve put together a few ‘don’ts’ when it comes to wearing lenses.”
Working with Feel Good Contacts, Sharon gave her four key warnings to contact lens wearers:
1. Avoid showering
It’s easy to forget your lenses are in when you jump in the shower.
But doing so puts you at risk of all sorts of infection.
Sharon said: “All types of water are bad for contact lenses, so showering whilst wearing them should be avoided.
“If you’ve stepped into the shower accidentally with your contacts in, close your eyes, step carefully out of the shower, dry your hands thoroughly and remove your contact lenses. Store them until you are done with your shower.”
Water contains millions of bacteria, and if it gets stuck around your lenses it could cause irritation and slowly damage eyesight.
One condition is called Acanthamoeba keratitis, which although rare can be very serious, potentially leading to vision loss.
It’s caused by a parasite called Acanthamoeba found in many types of water globally, including swimming pools and tap water.
It goes without saying that you should also never clean your lenses with water, using only a cleaning solution.
2. Don’t rub your eyes
Pollen, dust, makeup or just tiredness – there are many reasons we rub our eyes.
But for contact lens wearers, Sharon said: “Frequent rubbing of the eyes can dislodge your contact lens or push it to the upper eyelid of your eye.”
It could also lead to bacteria entering your eye from dirty hands.
There are various methods you can try to relieve itchy eyes depending on what it is caused by, including hayfever treatments.
“If your eyes are feeling irritated because of dry eyes, it may offer some relief to use some eye drops”, Sharon said.
Eye masks or a cool cloth may also calm the eyes down.
But “if your contact lenses are causing irritation, it may be best to remove them”.
3. Never sleep with your contacts in
If you’re a contact lens wearer, there is likely to a time you’ve got into bed exhausted and forgotten to take your lenses out.
The habit is dangerous, however, because the eyes get very dry during sleep.
On top of this, lenses can restrict oxygen supply to the eyes, slowly causing ulcers and inflammation.
Sharon even said naps must be avoided because “unfortunately this can still irritate and damage your eyes”.
“Even taking a nap in daily contact lenses is a bad idea, despite being able to throw them away at the end of the day”, she said.
“So, nap lovers are recommended to remove their contacts before taking a nap, even unplanned ones, and always remove them before settling down for a night’s rest.”
If you do accidentally nod off with your lenses in, don’t try and remove them too quickly.
Massage the eyes gently to create moisture or use eye drops so you are not ripping them from dry eyes, which is painful.
If you can, rest your eyes from contact lenses for a couple of days.
4. Don’t wear your contact lens inside out
Still blurry-eyed even with your lens in? You may have inserted it incorrectly.
Sharon said: “An easy mistake to make, but inserting your contact lens in inside out will cause your vision to blur and be uncomfortable.”
“Most of the time, your lens will already be settled in the shape it should enter your eye when you take it out of the pack."
“The number one rule to prevent putting your lens inside out is to make sure it is shaped more like a round bowl than a saucer.
There are various tests to make sure you have the contact lens facing the right way up before putting it in.
If you put your lens in the wrong way, just take it out, rinse it with solution and try again.
For more tips on contact lens care, read: The 7 things you should NEVER do with contact lenses – after Kate Garraway ended up in hospital with eye injury.
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