Contact lenses are safe, comfortable and can improve one’s lifestyle. While everyone can wear contact lenses, it is always a personal choice. Most people will opt for contact lenses when they are tired of wearing eyeglasses and are not so keen on getting eye surgery.
The ideal candidate for lenses has naturally well-lubricated eyes. However, if your eyes are not well lubricated, a visit to the optometrist is advised. The optometrist will recommend lenses depending on the curvature of the patient’s eyes.
Types of contact lenses
There are two main types of contact lenses; soft lenses and hard lenses. Soft lenses are more popular than hard lenses because soft lenses can be disposed of after use, unlike hard lenses. Disposable lenses can either be worn daily or be used for extended wear. Daily wear lenses come in different options, namely: daily, fortnight or monthly. Extended wear lenses are worn for up to 30 days without being removed. They are great for people who do not like the maintenance of daily wear contacts. They, however, have a higher risk of infection because they are inserted for more extended periods.
Here are some do’s and don’ts that you ought to know about when using contact lenses:
Sharing is not caring
Contact lenses should not be worn by anyone other than their owner. By sharing contact lenses, you risk spreading infections and other harmful particles.
You snooze, you lose
You should never sleep in your contact lenses unless they are extended wear contacts. Wearing contacts as you sleep deprives your eyes of oxygen which can lead to serious infections.
Say no to water
You should never swim, shower, or go into a bathtub wearing lenses. While tap water may be clean to drink and bathe in, it can contain parasites that are known to cause severe eye infections. It is for the same reason that you should never rinse or soak contact lenses in tap water.
As long as contact lenses are well taken care of, they can be a great alternative to wearing glasses. To find out more about contact lenses and how to care for them, visit our optometrist in Ottawa, IL today.
