Correct maintenance of our contact lenses will help us ensure that this essential (and comfortable) tool for our myopia or hyperopia is in optimal condition, so that we can use them to complete their useful life. As a first tip: respect the manufacturer’s expiration datepresent on the packaging, is absolutely mandatory to avoid damaging our eyesight.
As he explains to us Dr. Gonzalo Muñoz, ophthalmologist medical director of Clínica Baviera, we must keep in mind how to maintain contact lenses, with scrupulous hygiene, and change the case when appropriate according to the type, to avoid side effects on our eyes.
How often should I change the contact lens case?
Firstly, among the necessary tips to take care of our eyes if we wear contact lenses, the doctor explains that “it is advisable change the case every 3 or 6 months unless it shows signs of wear or dirt, which would force us to do it sooner. It is also advisable to clean it daily with the appropriate solution and let it air dry.”
Furthermore, the expert says that we must keep hands clean before having contact with the contact lenses, “and use appropriate solutions recommended by professionals for cleaning them. It is important to comply with the recommended use time (daily, fortnightly, monthly) and remove them before sleeping. “You should not use contact lenses in the pool or on the beach, nor should you sleep with them.”
Seven tips for maintaining contact lenses
Dr. Gonzalo Muñoz shares the most important tips that we should follow to avoid problems with contact lenses, related to poor hygiene. It is advisable to take into account all these recommendations toprevent infections, irritation and even vision loss in the most severe cases.
In all cases, you must wash your hands with soap and water before handling the contact lenses or their case. When drying our hands, we should do so with a clean towel. As for cleaning the contact lens itself, this should be done with the specific contact lens liquid. rubbing for 15 seconds for each side. Each time we do this, we will change the liquid inside the case.
Once the contact lenses have completed their useful life, they must be discarded, or sooner if we detect that they are in poor condition (even if they are still within the period considered useful life).
Finally, we should never store contact lenses in water: we must always use contact lens liquid, which is the correct formula to guarantee good maintenance and protection. disinfection against possible germs.
How many types of contact lens liquids are there?
There are several families of contact lens liquids, designed for different needs and lens types. Among the most common, the ophthalmologist speaks of six. The first is the multifunctional solution, the most common type of liquid. “It is used to clean, disinfect, rinse and store contact lenses. It is easy to use because the entire lens care process can be done with a single product.”
The second is the saline solution, which is mainly used to rinse contact lenses before putting them in. “It does not have disinfectant properties, so it should not be used to clean or store lenses.” He hydrogen peroxide It is another deep cleaning system that disinfects effectively. It is important that after using this liquid, the lenses go through a neutralization process so that they do not cause eye irritation. “You should not put hydrogen peroxide directly into your eyes.”
The enzymatic cleaning It is used “to eliminate protein deposits that accumulate on lenses, especially those with prolonged use. They are usually used as a complement to other liquids, and not as the only care solution.” Rigid solutions (RGP) are for rigid contact lenses, and moisturizing drops They are used to moisturize the eyes while wearing contact lenses, relieving dryness.
Types of contact lenses according to their materials and useful life
Depending on the materials that make up the contact lenses, we can find them soft or rigid. The former are very comfortable and usually adapt to most patients. They are perfect if you need to wear contact lenses for many hours at a time. Depending on the case, we can find soft contact lenses with various useful life times.
The rigid ones, or those with permeable gas, are the ones that resist the longest. They have a useful life that goes from 6 to 12 months. They are the most common option for patients who do not adapt well to soft contact lenses.
As for how long they ‘hold’, we find them daily (soft, designed for single-day use and maintenance-free); biweekly (soft but stored after use, they need maintenance); monthly (soft and cheaper in the long term); and long-term use (lasts, for 6 months, and the most profitable of all).
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