How To Prevent Contact Lens Contamination

What’s the best way to prevent contact lens contamination? The answer: proper cleaning.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests the following tips for proper care of contact lenses:

• Before handling contact lenses, wash your hands with soap and water, then rinse and dry them with a lint-free towel.
• Contact lenses should not be rinsed with or stored in water (tap or sterile water).
• Do not put your lenses in your mouth to wet them. Saliva is not a sterile solution!
• Do not use saline solution and rewetting drops to disinfect lenses. Neither is an effective or approved disinfectant.
• Wear and replace contact lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your Indiana eye care professional.
• During cleaning, rub your contact lenses with your fingers, then rinse the lenses with solution before soaking them.
• Rinse the contact lens case with fresh solution — not water. Then leave the empty case open to air dry.
• Keep the contact lens case clean and replace it regularly, at least every three months.

Keeping your contacts clean is essential to good eye health! And don’t forget about your eye exam. You should see Dr. Tavel every year to ensure you have the most accurate prescription.