Contact Lens Safety Tips

Tips from Dr. Dora Adamopoulos, Medical Advisor to The Vision Council

  1. Always wash your hands before opening a fresh lens pack or opening your current contact lens case.
  2. Use a lint free towel to dry your hands so lint doesn’t stay on your hands and get transferred into your lens.
  3. Don’t sleep in your contact lenses! Your eyes need to breathe and get the proper amount of oxygen.
  4. If you are struggling and can’t remove your contact lens, do not rub around your eye, which could cause possible worse damage. Instead, leave it in and see your eyecare provider as soon as possible.
  5. If you are sick, your eyes are sick. Give your lenses a break and wear your glasses until you feel better.
  6. Always have back-up glasses in your current prescription. If you can’t see properly, you can’t function!
  7. If you are about to have any kind of surgery, you typically are not allowed to wear your contact lenses during sedation/anesthesia. Make sure you have the most up-to-date prescription in your glasses.
  8. If your eyes start to get red, irritated, itchy, or have discharge, remove your lenses and schedule a visit with your doctor to rule out an infection. Yes, it can be contagious to others, including pets.
  9. Don’t extend the wear cycle of your prescribed lenses.
  10. Wash your contact lens case! At least once a week, use warm soap and water and let the case air dry.