Lifestyle

10 Things You Actually Cannot Do to Your Contact Lenses

2017-02-21 , 1:50 pm

Last Updated on 2022-06-18 , 2:35 pm

Once you get over the terrifying idea of putting a piece of plastic onto the surface of your eyeball, it can be easy to feel invincible. You can now see without glasses on. How cool is that! Here comes the tricky part; taking care of your contact lenses.

Here’s what you should never do if you wear contact lenses.

1. Handling Contacts Without Washing Hands

If you touch your contacts without washing your hands, you’re basically transferring bacteria to your lens. Are you sure you would like to expose your contacts to these bacterias? Remember to wash your hands before putting your contacts on and again before removing them.

2. Not Drying Out Contact Case

Not drying out your contact casing is practically a breeding ground for bacteria. Bacterias love moisture, so make sure to air dry your contact lens case daily.

3. Not Cleaning Contact Lenses Daily

Not cleaning your contact lenses daily can cause bacteria, debris, and protein accumulate on contact lenses. Those deposits can cause immune reactions such as giant papillary conjunctivitis, where your eyelids get a million little bumps on them. (yucks) After that, you could eventually become intolerant to contact lenses altogether. Don’t let this happen! Clean your contacts every day with cleaning solution, gently rubbing the lens with your finger to remove debris.

After that, you could eventually become intolerant to contact lenses altogether. Don’t let this happen! Clean your contacts every day with cleaning solution, gently rubbing the lens with your finger to remove debris.

4. Overwearing Lenses

Overwearing your lenses is a big no-no. Your eyeballs will ended up not receiving enough oxygen, causing the cornea to swell. This can lead to a corneal abrasion and eventually an infection if bacteria gets in there. Remember to give your eyes periods of quiet and rest!

5. Rubbing your eyes

It is not advisable to rub your eyes while wearing contact lenses. Rubbing your eyes will tend to push the dirt or dust into the lens, which might cause infection. If you rub your eyes too much, it may cause scratches to the lenses and it might even break the contact lenses. It’s risky, so try not to rub too vigorously.

If you rub your eyes too much, it may cause scratches to the lenses and it might even break the contact lenses. It’s risky, so try not to rub too vigorously.

6. Sleeping With Contact Lenses On

When you sleep with your contact lenses on, you’re depriving your corneas of oxygen. The contact lens is unable to move as your eyes aren’t blinking. As the contact lens acts as a barrier between the closed eyelid and the cornea, it is fairly tight over the surface of the cornea. This might eventually lead to an infection, you might want to avoid that.

As the contact lens acts as a barrier between the closed eyelid and the cornea, it is fairly tight over the surface of the cornea. This might eventually lead to an infection, you might want to avoid that.

7. Leaving Makeup On Contacts

We’ve been there before, ladies. Putting on eyeliner, only to get smudged onto your contacts. If that happens, don’t leave it there. Take it out, clean it and disinfect it. Alternatively, always remember to put in your contact lens before putting on your make up, and taking it off before removing it. It helps preventing makeup from getting onto your lenses!

8. Going into the Water With Contacts On

Tap water contains bacteria and other micro-organisms that causes serious eye infections. And no, water doesn’t disinfect your contact lenses, despite being purified. It is highly recommended to remove contact lenses when you go for a swim, whether in a pool, or the sea. If you do end up getting water on your contacts, do remember to clean them afterwards.

9. Keep Lenses on when your eyes are irritated

Whenever your eyes turn red, remove your contacts. Your eyes are irritated for a reason, they could be infected or there might be a tear in your lenses. If you don’t have a contact lens case handy, put them into a glass with water instead. Do not put the contacts into your eyes again without disinfecting them thoroughly.

10. Putting Contact Lenses in Your Mouth

So the situtation goes like this: Your contact lenses need help, but you don’t have a solution with you. Instead, you decided to use your own saliva as an “emergency” solution to wash them before popping them back into your eye. Hold up! Just in case no one told you that, it’s a bad idea. Your saliva is ridden with bacteria that belongs in your mouth, not for your eyes. Bad idea.

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