Contact lenses: A detailed guide for first-time wearers

It usually takes time and practice to master the technique of wearing and caring for contacts. It can be frustrating to follow contact lens recommendations. But once you master the rules, it can be quite easy to understand why many people usually switch using their eyeglasses in favor of contact lenses. Keep in mind that there are various ways you can use soft, hard, and extended-wear contact lenses. This article is a detailed guide for first-time wearers.

Putting in contact lenses

Before you decide to put in your contact lenses, you need to wash your hands properly with water and soap. This can reduce the chance of you having an eye infection. But you should avoid soaps that have fragrances or extra oils because they tend to stick to the lens’ surface. After washing your hands, you should dry them with a lint-free cloth or tissues so that you can prevent particles from floating around in your eye or even both of your eyes.

Then you can remove a contact lens from the storage case. You should carefully slide the lens onto the tip of your middle or index finger on your dominant hand. Utilize your fingertips instead of your nails to handle the lens. Rinse the lens using contact lens solution. But if you accidentally drop the lens, you can rinse it with contact lens solution again before you attempt to place it in your eye.

It’s a good idea to check for damaged or torn spots on the contact lens, and ensure that it’s right-side out. And, if the lens has a bowl form and the edges are turned up, then you can place it on your eye. But if the edges are turned out and the lens is looking like a lid, then reverse the lens.

You can open your upper eyelid with your non-dominant hand but you should be looking in the mirror. Then pull down the lower eyelid using your ring or middle finger of the dominant hand. Place the lens on your eye and look up at the ceiling or in front of you while doing this.

You then slowly shut your eye and roll it in a full circle to assist the lens to settle correctly. Open your eyes and gently blink a couple of times. You should look in your mirror to check whether or not the lens appears in the center of your eye. If you insert the lens and centered properly, your eye can feel comfortable and the vision should be clear. On the other hand, if your vision is blurry or you feel discomfort, you must take out the lens and reinsert it. Once you have properly inserted the contact lens, you can repeat the same process with the other lens. You can check the source to find the right contacts for first-time users.

Taking out contact lenses

If you want to take out your contact lenses after use, you should also handle them only after washing and drying your hands so that you can prevent an eye infection. You can then flip over the storage case to shake out any contact lens solution that was leftover. You can air dry or even dry the storage cases using a fresh and clean cloth. You can stand in front of your mirror and look up. Now, you should lower the lower eyelid using your middle finger of the dominant hand. You should always remove the same contact lens first like the left eye or right eye to avoid confusion.

You can then slide the lens down to the eye’s white using your index finger of the hand you utilize for writing. Gently pinch the contact lens with your index finger’s pads and thumb to remove the lens from the eye. You can repeat the same process to remove the contact lens from the other eye.

If you are not using daily disposables, then you should clean them properly after removal. You can follow the cleaning guidelines offered by your eye doctor or the lens manufacturer. Remember to use only recommended cleaning solutions, so avoid using homemade solutions. You can place the contact lenses in your storage case and cover them using a fresh contact solution. With daily-wear contact lenses, you can throw them away.

The best way to take care of your eyes and contact lenses

Proper care of your contact lenses can assist to maintain healthy eyes and may prolong the lifespan of your contacts. Most eye experts agree that you need to clean the storage cases for your contacts using warm soapy water once a week. Therefore, you should rinse the storage case properly and wipe it dry utilizing a clean tissue. 

Also, you need to replace the storage case every three months or you can use the recommendations of your eye care professional on how often you need to replace the storage case. If you are experiencing any unusual eye irritation, you should remove the contact lenses. This can include pain, redness, vision changes, discomfort, excessive tearing, strange eye discharge, or light sensitivity. You should leave the contact lenses out until you consult your eye care professional to get the problem resolved. 

You should also not wear contact lenses when you are ill regardless of the seriousness of your health condition. When you are sick, some germs may spread from your hands to the eyes while you are putting the lens in or removing them.

You should remember to blink because regular blinking can help to keep the lenses moist and clean. You can use rewetting drops that your eye care doctor recommended to prevent your contact and eyes from drying out.

You need to throw away the contact lens solution thirty days after you opened it regardless whether or not there is still some solution left. There are good chances that the solution may not be in great condition for use.

And, don’t wear your contact lenses while showering or swimming unless you are wearing goggles. Exposing your contact lenses to water can cause eye infections like Acanthamoeba keratitis. Also, don’t moisten or clean your lens with your saliva because you can introduce germs to the contact lenses.