Cleanness is the first and most important aspect of proper contact lens care. Establish a routine of good hygiene for handling your lenses.
- Always wash your hands throughly with a mild soap, rinse carefully and dry before touching your lenses.
- Do not use oily cosmetics, soaps containing cold cream, lotions or creams before handling your lenses. It is best to insert your lenses before putting make-ups.
- Keep your eyes closed when using hairspray or other aerosols.
- seek professional advice about wearing lenses during sporting activities.
- Always follow the instructions in this guidelines and any advices given to you by your eye care partitioner for the correct handling, insertion, cleaning, disinfecting, storing and use of your lenses.
- Never wear lenses longer than the period prescribe.
- Do not use the lens if sterile package has been opened or the tamper evident seal is damaged.
Insertion of lens
To avoid mix ups, develop the habits of always inserting the first lens in your right eyes. Before inserting the lens, check to see of it is free of any nicks or tears. if it appears damage, throw it away. Check the lens has not turned inside out. Place the lens on the tip of your forefinger and hold the above eye level; you are looking at the bowl of the lens from the outside
- Place the middle finger of the same hand close to your lower eyelashes and pull down the lower eye lid.
- Use the fore finger or middle finger of the other hand to lift the upper lid and place the lens on the eye.
- Gently release both lids and blink.
- Repeat the steps for the left lens.
There are other methods of lens placement. If the above method is difficult for you, your eye care partitioner can provide an alternative method.
Usually the lens centers itself automatically on the middle of your eyes when you insert it and will be very rarely be displaced on the white of your eyes during wear. However, this can occur if insertion and removal are not performed properly. To center a lens, follow either of these methods.
- Close your eyelids and gently massage the lens into place through he closed lid.
- Or gently manipulate the off-centered lens onto the middle of your eye while the eye is opened, using finger pressure on the edge of the upper or lower lid.
If your vision is blurred after inserting the lens, check for the following;
- The lens may not be centered on the eyes. Check the instruction above.
- If the lens is in the correct position, remove it and look for the following; cosmetics oils on the lens, remove it and wear again, the lens may be at the wrong eye, the lens may be inside out, which would also make it less comfortable than normal.
Removal of lens
Always remove the same lens first. Wash, rinse and dry your hands throughly. Always ensure that the lens is on the middle of your eyes before attempting to remove it. To locate the lens, inspect the upper area of the eye by looking down into a mirror while pulling the upper lid up. Then inspect the lower area by pulling the lower lid down. Once you have found the lens, you can remove it by using the inch method introduced below or any other methods recommended by your Eye Care Partitioner.
- Look left, slide the lens down the white of your eye using your forefinger.
- Gently pinch the lens between your thumb and forefinger and remove the lens.