Wearing contact lenses (ACLs) can be a stressful endeavor, especially if touching your eyes is uncomfortable for you. However, with a little knowledge and a lot of practice you can use them like a pro in no time. Listen to your ophthalmologist's advice, but don't be afraid to experiment until you find a method that works for you!
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Choosing Contact Lenses
Step 1. Choose the right LACs for you
The ophthalmologist can offer different possibilities according to the particularities of the eyes and needs. Understand what you expect from contact lenses.
- Duration of use: some types are worn for only one day and then thrown away. Others are designed to be used multiple times for up to a year. Between the two extremes you will find the biweekly and the monthly ones.
- The soft type, worn for shorter periods, is typically the most comfortable and healthy for the eyes, but also the most expensive. The rigid type may be more practical because it does not have to be removed as often, but it requires a more complex adaptation path than the previous one due to its characteristics.
- The daily type must be removed every night before going to bed. This type also includes models for prolonged use that can be worn during sleep. Several LACs are certified by the US FDA for continuous use for up to a week, and some silicone hydrogel brands are certified for 30 days.
Step 2. Don't be afraid to experiment
Most eye doctors will suggest a few options and allow you to try a particular brand or prescription before you incur a major expense.
- Try different brands. Some LACs are thinner and more porous, have smoother edges and provide greater comfort. However, they are typically more expensive. A good eye doctor will let you try on a brand for a week to make sure it's comfortable.
- If you're not sure, ask your eye doctor for a trial pack that includes just one or two pairs of lenses. Your eye doctor may also have you try out different models in their office if it is obvious that you are trying to choose one.
Step 3. Ask about the practice of the clinic regarding contact lenses for minors
Some ophthalmologists do not prescribe them if the patient has not reached a certain age - for example 13 years - and some recommend wearing them for only a few hours until they reach the age of majority.
- As a general rule, children under 18 should not wear LACs for more than eight hours uninterrupted and for more than four or five days a week.
- If the ophthalmologist, or whoever has parental authority, decides that you are not yet old enough to wear them, consider a good pair of glasses. You may find that it was worth it if they allow you to see better. You can always start wearing contact lenses a few years before the age of majority, but in the meantime you may be convinced that glasses really suit you.
Step 4. Consider purchasing tinted LACs to change your eye color
You can buy them with or without a prescription.
- You can choose a normal color other than natural - for example blue, brown, hazel, green, or go for a more extravagant one: red, purple, white, color gradient, spiral and reflector.
- Before applying for a prescription for lenses like these, make sure you want to wear them every day. Trendy LACs are particularly expensive.
Part 2 of 4: Storing and Caring for Your Lenses
Step 1. take care of the LACs when you are not using them.
This essentially requires two things:
- Always keep them in "suitable solutions", unless they are the disposable type. The suitable solutions are those specific to clean, wash and disinfect contact lenses.
- Discard them within the recommended expiration date. Most lenses fall into one of the following categories: daily, weekly or fortnightly and monthly. Check when they need to be discarded and don't take them longer than the suggested period.
Step 2. Make sure you are using the right solutions
Some are specially made for storage and others for cleaning and disinfecting lenses. The ideal is to use a combination of these two.
- Those for preservation are saline solutions. They are gentle on the eyes, although they may not clean lenses as effectively as chemical disinfectants.
- Cleaning and disinfecting solutions are not suitable for storing LACs unless labeled "for cleaning and storage". If the saline solution frequently irritates your eyes, consider choosing a less aggressive one.
- Always use the disinfectant solution, eye drops, and enzymatic cleaners suggested by your eye doctor. Each type of lens requires its own cleaning and storage solutions. Some eye care products are not safe for contact lens wearers - especially chemical, non-saline eye drops.
Step 3. Clean them frequently
The ideal is to clean them every day, before and after use.
- Clean each lens by gently rubbing it with your index finger while holding it in the palm of your other hand. Most multipurpose solutions no longer recommend "Do Not Scrub", so you can use this treatment to remove surface grime.
- Change the solution in the lens case frequently to prevent the development of bacteria. It is best to replace the solution every time you store them, but you can also do it every two or three days depending on the type.
- Clean the ACLs each time you use them using a sterile solution or warm water. Let them air dry. Replace the lens case at least every three months.
Step 4. Make sure your hands are clean before handling them
Wash your hands with soap and warm water and dry them thoroughly with a clean towel.
Remember that residues from soap, lotions, or chemicals can stick to the lenses and cause irritation, pain, or blurred vision
Step 5. Avoid wearing someone else's lenses, especially if they have already been used
- If you put something in the eye from another's eye, you risk spreading infections and harmful substances.
- All prescriptions are different. Your friend may be far-sighted, and you may be short-sighted; or he is significantly more nearsighted than you, and his prescription lenses blur your vision even more. In addition, some corrective lenses can have a particular shape as in the case of those for astigmatic people.
Step 6. Visit your ophthalmologist annually to check that your prescription is still OK
It may be necessary to change the LACs due to changes in the view.
- Eyes change with age. Vision may deteriorate, and disorders may develop, including astigmatism which makes the eye irregular in shape and causes refractive problems at all distances.
- Your eye doctor can test your eyes for glaucoma, a serious disease that can blur vision, and for other potentially harmful eye conditions. It is really worth not neglecting to pay him a visit!
Part 3 of 4: Put on Contact Lenses
Step 1. Wash your hands with soap
Rinse thoroughly to remove any residue. Dry your hands with a cloth towel (paper towels can leave residues) or, if possible, with an air dryer.
- Traces of soap, lotions or chemicals can stick to the lenses and cause irritation, pain or blurring of vision.
- LACs love wet surfaces. If you leave your hands slightly wet after cleaning them, the lenses should stick more easily to your finger.
Step 2. Take a lens out of the case
Remember to check if it is for the right or left eye, unless the prescription is the same for both.
- Leave the other side of the pouch closed for now so that dust and dirt don't contaminate the solution.
- With a lens in the wrong eye, you may not be able to see well and feel pain. If the prescriptions of the two eyes differ significantly, you will quickly realize that you have put a lens in the wrong one.
Step 3. Put the lens on the index finger you feel most comfortable with - handle it carefully to avoid damaging or reversing it
Make sure it is resting on the tip of your finger with the hollow side facing up, and that there are no parts sticking to the skin.
- Handle the lens on the skin, not the nail. You may be able to do this more easily if you put some solution on the finger where you intend to keep it.
- If it's a soft LAC, check that it's not upside down. It seems obvious, but not so much. It must be like a perfectly concave cup, with the slopes from the edge evenly arranged on all sides. If not, the lens may be upside down.
- While it is still on your finger, inspect it for any tears, breaks, or dirt. If dust or dirt is visible, rinse with a suitable solution before putting it in the eye.
Step 4. Gently pull the skin away from the eye
Use the index finger of the other hand to lift the upper eyelid; use the middle finger of the dominant hand (i.e. the one holding the lens) to lower the lower lid. As you become more experienced, you will be able to fit the lens by moving only the lower one.
Step 5. Direct the lens towards the eye calmly and firmly
Try not to blink or jerk. It can help to look up. Also, it is better not to focus the view; this will facilitate the positioning of the lens.
Step 6. Put it gently on the eye
Make sure it is centered over the iris (i.e., the circular, colored part of the eye) and gently slide it over the eyeball if necessary.
Step 7. Let go of the skin around the eye
Let go of the lower lid first; starting with the top one could create tiny and painful air bubbles between the eye and the lens.
Step 8. Blink your lashes slowly so you don't move the lens
Take note of any pain or discomfort. If you think something is wrong, remove and clean it completely, then try again.
- It may be necessary to keep the eye closed for a few seconds to allow the necessary adjustments. If possible, get a little busy with your tear glands, as natural lubrication makes the process easier. If the lens falls off, pick it up with your cupped hand under your eye.
- If it comes off, don't worry - it happens often in the beginning. Clean it with the solution and keep trying as long as you can. With practice you will be able to put it with greater ease.
Step 9. Repeat the process with the other lens
When finished, pour all of the solution into the sink and close the case.
At first he wears the LACs for a few hours. The eyes may dry out quickly until they get used to the foreign body. If they start to hurt, remove them and let them rest for a few hours
Part 4 of 4: Remove the Contact Lenses
Step 1. Know when to remove lenses
- Do not leave them for longer than recommended by your eye doctor. You should remove soft ACLs for daily use every night before bedtime. You can keep those for extended use for longer: some are certified by the US FDA Department for continuous use for up to a week, and at least two silicone hydrogel brands are certified for 30 days.
- Try removing them before swimming or using a hot tub. Chlorine can damage them and tends not to make them last long.
- Your eyes may still not be used to them if you have recently started using them; they dry faster at first and you may feel discomfort. Get them to rest for the first few days by removing the lenses after work or school - whenever you don't need perfect vision.
- Take them off before you remove your make-up in the evening to prevent anything from getting on your lenses.
Step 2. Make sure your hands are clean before removing them
- Wash your hands with warm soapy water and dry them thoroughly with a clean towel. As already mentioned, slightly wet hands make the lenses stick better to the fingers; this can be particularly useful for removing them, especially if they have "stuck" to the eyes when they dry.
- Keeping your hands clean will drastically reduce the risk of infection. If you don't, everything you touched throughout the day - whether consciously or unknowingly - will transfer to your eyes.
- It is very important to avoid touching them after coming into contact with fecal matter - yours, your pet's or anyone else's. It is a type of exposure that can cause conjunctivitis and seriously affect eye health.
Step 3. Fill the case about halfway with the solution before taking out the lenses
- It is advisable to use saline solutions to store them and disinfectant solutions to clean them. The latter can irritate the eyes.
- Prevents particulates - dust, hair, dirt and other contaminants - from falling into the solution. Cleaning is essential.
Step 4. Remove the first lens
- Use the middle finger of your dominant hand to pull the lower lid down. At the same time, use the index or middle finger of the non-dominant hand to hold the upper eyelid up.
- Look up and carefully slide down, moving the lens away from the pupil, then pull it out. Use a gentle touch and be careful not to tear it.
- With practice, you will be able to remove it without sliding it down. But don't try this before you feel safe, as a sharp movement can tear or tear it.
Step 5. Clean the lens
Put it in the palm of your hand. Wet it completely in the solution and, with your finger, gently rub it in a spiral motion from the center to the outer edge.
- Turn over and do the same things on the other side.
- Rinse with the solution again and put it in the pouch in the right place (right or left). Always make sure you keep each lens in a separate case. This is especially important if you have different prescriptions for each eye. Either way, keeping them in separate cases will reduce the risk of transferring infections from one eye to the other.
Step 6. Repeat the previous steps to remove and clean the other lens
- As noted, be sure to place each lens in its case. Leave them there for at least a couple of hours and let your eyes rest.
- If you have trouble removing them at first: practice, practice, practice! The process will be simpler the more you repeat it.
Advice
- It is important to gradually develop the habit of wearing lenses. Take them for an hour a day for a couple of days, two hours a day for a few days, etc. You will pay the price if you don't.
- If it falls on something, soak the lens in a saline solution (the one you use to store it may be fine) before trying again. If it dries, do the same thing.
- LACs take some getting used to. For a week or two, the eyes may perceive the edges of the lenses. This is normal, and it will soon not happen again.
Warnings
- Wash your hands. This step is essential and you must not forget or neglect it.
- Stop if your eye becomes sore or inflamed.
- If at any time the eye becomes irritated in any way during use, remove the lens. Consult your optician if in doubt.
- Make sure there is no soap left in your hands.
- Make sure there are no tears or blemishes in the lens.
