Contact Lens Care: Back to the Basics
Ever since the Bausch & Lomb Moistureloc scare several months ago, the Optometric and Contact Lens journals have published articles about the importance of proper care to avoid infections. I feel the solution industry itself is somewhat to blame, as I think they are going too far in simplifying the care.
For many years, the solution makers have instructed professional contact lens fitters to stress the importance of using a separate cleaner to disinfect and throroughly remove deposits and buildup.
Since the arrival of disposable lenses, the industry has downplayed the cleaning step, assuming that the contact lens would be discarded before a problem could develop. They now include a very mild cleaner in the multi-purpose solution and promote it as a NO RUB solution. The FDA, when granting approval for these solutions, requires a thorough rinsing of both surfaces with the solution, as a substitute for rubbing, but the multi-purpose solutions do not emphasize this in their packaging.
THE BASICS - to reduce chances of getting an eye infection:
1. Wash your hands before handling your contact lenses.
2. Replace your contact lens case on a regular basis - Over time, cases can develop a "biofilm" that may harbor micro-organisms. Even if you wash your hands, you can pick up a micro-organism at the last minute while handling the case. Think of the case as disposable.
3. Remove your lenses at night before going to sleep. Despite the availability of "super oxygen" transmitting lenses that are much safer than previous lenses, overnight wear significantly increases the chance of an infection.
4. Make sure you are disinfecting your lenses before they are re-inserted the next day. I find there are some patients who do not understand the disinfecting procedure, and are storing their lenses overnight in saline solution, which has no disinfecting power. If you are not using a daily cleaner to clean your lenses, the chances increase even more. (I am convinced the daily cleaner not only cleaned the lenses, but also was responsible for removing micro-organisms that may have been hanging out in the secretions on the lens)
5. Add a daily contact lens cleaner to whatever system you are currently using (Multi-purpose or Hydrogen Peroxide). Reminder - the cleaner must be thoroughly rinsed off the lens, or it will burn and sting when inserted.
6. Replace your contact lenses as directed - The older the lens gets, the more chance it will irritate your eye and cause an infection. Whatever type of lens you are wearing or whatever schedule you are on - replace your lenses before they become uncomfortable.
7. Don't wear your contact lenses if you don't feel well, or if your eyes are red and/o the lenses are uncomfortable.