Follow these healthy habits to wear your contact lens safely and help protect your eyes:

 

Don’t Sleep in Your Contact Lenses

• Don’t sleep in your contact lenses unless prescribed by your eye care provider. Sleeping while wearing contact lenses has been shown to increase the chance of an eye infection by 6 to 8 times.

• Replace your contact lenses as often as recommended by your eye care provider.

 

Wash Your Hands

• Always wash your hands with soap and water before handling your lenses.

• Dry your hands well with a clean cloth before touching your contact lenses every time.

 

Keep contact lenses away from all water

• Water can introduce germs to the eyes through contact lenses. Remove contact lenses before swimming and avoid showering in them.

 

Properly Clean Your Lenses

• Rub and rinse your contact lenses with contact lens disinfecting solution—never water or saliva—to clean them each time you remove them.

• Don’t “top off” solution. Use only fresh contact lens disinfecting solution in your case—never mix fresh solution with old or used solution.

• Use only the contact lens solution recommended by your eye care provider.

 

Take Care of Your Contact Lens Case

• Clean your contact lens case by rubbing and rinsing it with contact lens solution—never water—and then empty and dry with a clean tissue. Store upside down with the caps off after each use.

• Replace your contact lens case at least once every three months.

Why? Read the science behind the recommendations.

 

Talk with Your Eye Care Provider

• Have a conversation with your eye care provider during your next appointment to discuss your contact lens wear and care habits and to help prevent eye infections.

• Visit your eye care provider yearly or as often as he or she recommends.

• Remove your contact lenses immediately and call your eye care provider if you have eye pain, discomfort, redness, or blurred vision.

 

Be Prepared

• Carry a backup pair of glasses with a current prescription—just in case you have to take out your contact lenses.