Keeping your contact lenses clean is an important way to maintain eye safety. The Contact Lens Society of America says that practicing good lens hygiene can help preserve your vision. Knowing why you must practice contact lens hygiene can help keep your eyes in good health. Here are the details. 

Keeping Contact Lenses Clean

Since you wear contact lenses on your eyes, you are at risk for infections. These infections can cause blurred vision, pain, and even blindness. Contact lenses correct your vision. You must store, clean, and handle them so that your eyes stay healthy. 

Contact Lenses Are Safe

Prescription contact lenses are healthy and safe as long as you care for them the right way. Cleaning your hands before handling your contacts is a priority. You can choose disposable daily contacts that you can throw away after each use. This removes the need for cleaning and storing your contacts. This reduces your risk for infections. 

Even if you are using reusable contacts, they are still safe, provided you practice good contact lens hygiene. Reusable contact lens users are more susceptible to serious eye infections. They can also develop a severe infection called acanthamoeba keratitis. This infection can develop if you do not disinfect the lenses or if you sleep in them. 

Pointers for Maintaining Good Contact Lens Hygiene

Studies show that many people find contact lenses more comfortable to wear than eyeglasses. But wearing contacts comes with more responsibility and risks. You must see to it that you practice good lens care to keep your eyes healthy and safe. Here are some pointers for maintaining good eye and vision:

• Use artificial tears. Contact lenses can become dry after hours of wearing them. Get some artificial tears to hydrate them. You can also use them while you take your contact lenses out. Before you put them back in, place a few drops of artificial tears in your eyes for good hydration. 

• Rinse and wash the contacts well. Repeat to ensure that you remove the particles, such as dust and dirt. The remaining debris will cause eye injuries or infections. 

• Keep your eyeglasses handy. This is your backup plan in case your contacts fail you. If you ran out of disposable lenses or misplaced them somehow, you can use your eyeglasses. You can also wear your eyeglasses to give your eyes a rest from your contacts. 

• Have your eye doctor on speed dial. You should be able to contact your eye doctor during emergencies regarding your eye health or contact lenses. Your eye doctor can examine your eyes for irritation, cataracts, or glaucoma. 

• Protect your eyes. You should always wear UV-protective sunglasses when stepping out in the sun. You must wear goggles and safety glasses if you will perform tasks that could harm your eyes. Wraparound sunglasses can protect you from strong winds that can dry your contacts. 

Practicing contact lens hygiene can prevent eye injury and infections. At General Vision Express Lens Lab, we see to it that our patients achieve better vision and eye health with our quality products and services. You can visit our facility in Brooklyn, New York, for an in-person consultation. Please call us at 718-486-6055 to set an appointment or inquire about our contact lens care packages.