Contact Lens Safety Tips

Prevent Blindness has declared October as Contact Lens Safety Month to help educate members of the public on the best ways to protect their eyes through proper care.

In addition to a dedicated webpage - https://preventblindness.org/wearing-contact-lenses/ - plus fact sheets and shareable social media graphics, Prevent Blindness offers the "Contact Lens Safety" episode as part of the Focus on Eye Health Expert Series. During "Contact Lens Safety," Dr. Thomas L. Steinemann, professor of ophthalmology at Case Western Reserve University, discusses a variety of topics, including advocating for contact lens safety, patient care, and the dangers of improper use of contact lenses.

Anyone interested in purchasing contact lenses must first receive an eye exam from a licensed eye care professional. All contact lenses are classified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as prescription medical devices. This applies to prescription and non-prescription (cosmetic or decorative) contact lenses.

The FDA also states that contact lenses are not over-the-counter devices. Companies that sell them as such are misbranding the device and violating Federal Trade Commission regulations by selling contact lenses without a prescription. Contact lenses sold without a prescription from unlicensed vendors may be contaminated or counterfeit and are therefore not safe to use.

Different types of contact lenses include soft contact lenses, including daily wear and extended wear, and hard contact lenses. Daily wear and extended wear soft lenses are made from thin, flexible material and water. Daily-wear lenses must be removed, cleaned, and stored every day. Extended-wear lenses are designed for overnight wear. However, there is an increased risk of infection associated with extended-wear lenses. They should be worn for the period of time prescribed by an eye doctor.

Hard contact lenses offer clearer vision for people who have certain eye conditions, and specific types may last longer. Many types of hard contact lenses are available in bifocals. It may take longer to adapt to wearing hard contact lenses than soft contact lenses.

Daily-wear soft lenses are generally the most comfortable, and the eyes will adjust to wearing them in less time than with hard contact lenses. Soft lenses may be worn during vigorous physical activities and playing sports with less likelihood that the lenses will slip out of place. Soft contact lenses need special cleaning and disinfection and may tear easily, so they may not last as long as hard contact lenses.

Extended-wear soft lenses offer the same advantages as daily-wear lenses. These lenses may be worn for an extended period, up to a week. However, due to the risk of infection associated with extended use, daily removal and cleaning is recommended.

Contact lens wear, especially of reusable lenses rather than disposable daily lenses, can put people at risk of developing acanthamoeba keratitis, a severe, painful infection of the cornea, the transparent outer covering of the eye. This infection usually causes scarring, and if undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to blindness. In the most severe cases, a corneal transplant may be necessary. The infection is believed to be caused through exposure of the eye to water contaminated with acanthamoeba, a free-living microscopic organism.

Prevent Blindness offered several recommendations to keep eyes healthy while wearing contact lenses. Before handling contact lenses, hands should be washed with soap and water, then rinsed and dried with a lint-free towel. Contact with water should be minimized, including removing lenses before going swimming or using a hot tub. Contact lenses should be worn and replaced according to the schedule prescribed by an eye care professional. During lens cleaning, a person should use fresh solution, rub the contact lenses between his or her fingers, and then rinse the lenses with solution before soaking them, even if the solution being used is a "no-rub" variety. Contact lens cases should always be cleaned with fresh solution, not water. The empty case should then be left open to air dry. Old solution should not be re-used, and solution in the lens case should not just be topped off. Cracked or damaged lens cases should not be used. Lens cases can be a source of contamination and infection.

Whether contact lenses are being worn to improve vision or as part of a costume, it is important to make sure they are worn under the guidance of an eye care professional. In addition, following safety routines every day can help prevent painful and potentially sight-threatening infections.

For more details and tips on contact lens safety, visit the aforementioned website.

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