Posts Tagged ‘Adapt’

How to Adapt to Wearing Contact Lenses

How to Adapt to Wearing Contact Lenses

Although glasses and spectacles are exceptionally useful, living with them can be a chore. Glasses are cumbersome and often get in the way, glasses can be easily knocked off and damaged, glasses can be removed and ‘left’ in the strangest of places meaning you waste time whilst trying to locate them again, glasses make choosing a motorcycle helmet more awkward and glasses hinder the use of a viewfinder on a camera amongst many other small annoyances. Fortunately, there is an alternative for us spectacle wearers and that it is the contact lens, which is a great invention.

With long term lenses, monthly lenses, daily disposable lenses, overnight lenses and colored lenses of all different strengths the range of contact lenses available is vast and there should be something suitable for all those wanting to wear lenses.

Inserting lenses involves putting the lens on the tip of a clean finger, opening the eyelids as wide as they can go with the spare hand and then gently placing the lens in the centre of the eyeball. A few blinks later, allowing the lens to settle in to place, and you’re done. Inserting lenses for the first time is awkward and will take a bit of getting used to. Early attempts often result in many fumbles and accidental (and painful) pokes to the eye however it is worth persevering with as you will get there in the end. The thought of touching an eyeball appears to make some people cringe, and if you are one of these contact lenses are unsuitable for you.

Putting lenses in should always be done with clean hands to reduce the chances of infection. The lenses should always be put in wet to ensure they stick to the eyeball quickly. Wetting the lenses involves giving them a quick squirt of the cleaning solution. Tap water should never be used as there are micro bacteria in tap water that may cause infection. The most effective way of inserting lenses is to have dry hands and wet lenses. If your hands are moist, even just a little bit, putting lenses in can be more tricky as they tend to slide about on the finger and prefer to remain on your finger rather than transferring on to the eyeball. A mirror is a must have accessory when inserting lenses, although one is not needed for removal.

Unless the lenses are specifically designed for 24 hour use or night lenses you should not sleep in them for any reason. The lenses will dry out and stick to your eyeballs, which is likely to cause irritation. In addition, they are a right pain to remove the next morning. The worst case scenario is the lens may travel around the back of the eyeball which will result in a trip to the hospital to remove it. So, before you go to bed always remove the lenses regardless of what state you are in. If you’re planning a night on the town and are the sort of person who is likely to get home and simply crash out on the sofa it may be advisable to remove your lenses before you leave just to make sure you don’t fall asleep in them.

Unless the contact lenses are of the daily disposable type, the lenses need to be cleaned every time they are removed to ensure they remain as sterile as possible. Cleaning the lenses is a simple task and simply involves placing the lenses in the palm of pre-washed and clean hands, squirting some solution on the lens and rubbing it around with a finger tip. To ensure both sides of the lens are properly cleaned the lens is then turned over and the process is repeated. Contact lenses should never be cleaned with tap water since this contains bacteria that is likely to remain on the lens and breed, which is likely to cause irritation and soreness or even infection.

When wearing lenses you may find that they will dry your eyes out in particularly windy or sunny conditions. In addition, any activities that involve getting out in the elements such as being in the back of an open top vehicle, riding a motorcycle in an open faced helmet, riding a bicycle without some safety glasses, a speed boat trip etc. may also dry the lenses out. Dry lenses often lead to irritation and soreness, therefore it is important to keep the lenses as moist as possible. In these situations you should always try and prevent the lenses from drying out by wearing sun glasses or some protective eye wear. Fortunately, there are products available such as eye drops and wipes that can be used to stop the lenses drying out and these are highly recommended. The wipes are especially useful since they are small enough to be stored in a wallet.

Contact lenses should always be removed when swimming as they easily fall out whilst you are in the water. Even if the lenses remain in situ the chemicals used in a swimming pool often gets on the lenses and causes irritation and soreness, so it is best to simply remove them prior to diving in. The lenses should also be removed prior to swimming in the sea, not only because they are likely to fall out, but also because the salt tends to stick to the lenses which causes irritation and soreness.

Wearing contacts is not as much of a hassle as some people may think, however it is important to remember you are wearing them and adapt your behavior accordingly. For example, if swimming in a river or lake don’t simply jump in. Instead, remove the lenses put them in a case and then jump in. If you are going on a boat ride then take a small bottle of eye drops or some wipes with you. Always carrying a couple of wipes in your wallet is good practice as it allows you to participate in unexpected and off the cuff activities that may dry your eyes out, which you may not have been able to do if you had no wipes.

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