5 Mistakes To Avoid With Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are a great alternative to glasses because they can make you look more attractive and can be worn during sports. However, if you do not take care of your contacts the right way, you could damage your eyes. Here are five common mistakes to avoid with contact lenses:

Showering With Contacts

Hopping in the shower while you still have your contacts in may seem harmless, but it can actually do more damage than you think. The microorganisms in water can attach to your contact lenses and get into your eyes, resulting in an infection. It is very important to take your contacts out before your eyes have any contact with water.

Not Changing the Contact Lens Case

The case that holds your contacts can accumulate dirt and bacteria over time, so it is important to replace is every three months. If you keep the same case for too long, you increase the risk of eye infections. To keep the case clean, rinse it with hot water every day and thoroughly dry it with a towel.

Putting Contact Lens in Your Mouth

If you have ever quickly put your contact lens in your mouth after it has fallen out, you are not alone. You may think that sticking the lens in your mouth will lubricate them, but it is a bad idea. All the bacteria in your mouth can transfer onto your contact lens and cause an eye infection.

Handling Contacts With Unwashed Hands

Even if your hands do not look dirty, they can still have a lot of bacteria on them. That is why you need to thoroughly wash your hands with lukewarm water and soap. Doing so will prevent bacteria from getting into your eyes and infecting them.

Wearing Your Contacts When Your Eyes Are Irritated

If your eyes are red and itchy, it's time to remove your contact lenses because you may have an infection. Your eyes are rejecting the contact lenses, and keeping them in will just make things worse. To avoid any serious issues, keep the contacts out of your eyes until you get checked out by an optometrist.

It is easy to make any one of these mistakes, so you have to be more careful. If you handle your contact lenses with care and look out for signs of infection, your eyes should stay in good shape. However, if your contacts still irritate your eyes, you should make an appointment with an optometrist, such as The Eye Center.

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