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Essential Eye Care Habits Every Contact Lens Wearer Must Follow
- •Never use tap, bottled, boiled, or drinking water to clean or store contact lenses as it carries harmful microorganisms.
- •Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before inserting or removing your contact lenses.
- •Avoid sleeping while wearing contact lenses to prevent reduced oxygen flow and painful corneal infections.
- •Limit continuous lens wear to 10 to 12 hours a day to prevent dry eyes, irritation, and bacterial infections.
- •Remove lenses before showering, bathing, or swimming to avoid exposure to parasites like Acanthamoeba.
- •Consult an ophthalmologist immediately if your eyes become red, painful, or sensitive to light.
Key Questions Answered
No, ophthalmologists strongly advise against using tap, bottled, boiled, or drinking water to clean or store contact lenses. Water is never sterile and carries unseen microorganisms that can stick to lenses, leading to severe and vision-threatening eye infections.
Sleeping with contact lenses reduces the necessary oxygen flow to the cornea, significantly increasing the risk of painful corneal infections and permanent vision complications. You should never sleep wearing lenses unless specifically advised by an ophthalmologist.
You should avoid wearing contact lenses continuously for more than 10 to 12 hours a day. Extended wear cuts off adequate oxygen supply, leading to severe dry eyes, irritation, corneal strain, and an increased risk of bacterial infections.
