Are Contact Lenses Safe?

6 mins read

Prescription contact lenses are safe

Yes! Prescription contact lenses are safe. So here’s some more information which you should find reassuring. Every form of modern, prescription contact lens lets oxygen pass through. This means the old days of eyes swelling and suffocating behind hard lenses are largely that: a thing of the past.

That’s good to know, right? Well yes, but what works in principle doesn’t always work in reality. So, what do you need to be aware of?

The risks you want to avoid

The vast majority of people use contact lenses without experiencing any serious problems; however, a small percentage may encounter temporary redness or irritation. Only a few individuals will develop serious complications.

If you notice redness or irritation in your eyes, remove your lenses immediately and consult your eyecare provider. The risk of such issues can be significantly reduced by following the manufacturer's instructions and your eyecare provider's prescribed guidelines. Ensure that you clean and disinfect your lenses properly, and always wash and rinse your hands with mild soap and dry them with a clean, lint-free towel before handling your contact lenses.

Let’s talk contact lens care. It’s the key to healthy lens wear. Every time you handle your contact lenses, your hands need to be squeaky clean. This means washed in a fragrance-free soap, rinsed, then dried on a (preferably lint-free) towel.

Check your fingertips for dust, debris, hairs and fibers before handling your contact lenses. Make sure the lens is a perfect bowl shape, not inside out with pointed edges. If the contact lens looks damaged in any way, it’s no longer a friend of yours. Keep it away from your precious eyes.

When to ask your eye doctor

It is important to ask your eye doctor to examine your eyes whenever your eyes remain uncomfortable for more than a day or so. Remove your contacts immediately per directions for use and don't delay your visit. Don’t delay your visit. A rapid response can stop the condition worsening, ensuring your eyes return to full health quickly and safely. 

Whether you wear glasses or contact lenses, seek advice immediately if your vision becomes blurred; your eyes become red, painful or swollen; or if you get visible spots over your iris (the colored part of your eye).

Even if your eyes feel dry or just mildly irritated during contact lens use, go back to glasses until you have had your eyes rechecked.

You may need a few days off from your contact lenses before restarting, a change to a different type of contact lens, or to try an alternative form of vision correction. Only your eye doctor can determine the right fit for you. When checking your eyes and fitting your contact lenses, your doctor can ensure you get a safe, accurate and personalized prescription.

It’s also important to attend regular eye exams (at least once a year), even when everything seems to be progressing smoothly. You do it for your car, so surely your eyes deserve equal (or greater) care.

Tips for contact lens safety

Never exceed the recommended period for which your specific contact lenses can be worn. Yes, it’s tempting to do so. We get it. It’s really easy to think you can get away with overdoing things, but remember, this is your eyesight at stake. Don’t gamble! Ignoring the rules may seem like a good idea at the time, but it’s one of the best ways of turning a safe contact lens into a damaging one. 

Please don’t sleep in your contact lenses. Most contact lenses are not designed for overnight wear and you could damage your eyes by doing so.

Don’t wear contact lenses in a swimming pool or shower. Why? Well, it’s not so much that there’s a small chance they could be dislodged, but more to do with nasty, invisible bacteria and bugs. Hidden in water, these bacteria and bugs could transfer to your contact lens and into your eyes. That’s also why you should never use tap water to lubricate or clean a lens. It’s loaded with germs and microbes you really don’t want anywhere near your eyes.

As for saliva, well, that’s a definite no. The microbe-filled contents of our mouths do not make for a good cleaning solution. Avoid letting your lenses come into contact with saliva at all costs.

Ah, but what happens when you drop a lens? If it’s a daily disposable contact lens, throw it away and use another one. If it’s a monthly replacement contact lens, clean and disinfect the contact lens in a multi-purpose contact lens solution or hydrogen peroxide contact lens prior to reapplying the contact lens. Do not reuse or top off cleaning solution and keep your contact lens case clean, using fresh supplies of solution, not tap water. It’s smart to replace the case every couple of months (many care products provide a new case with every bottle, it makes sense to use it!). No matter what lens cleaning solution you use, ALWAYS follow the instructions on the box or bottle for proper cleaning, disinfecting and storing of your contact lenses.

Finally, only wear contact lenses prescribed for you, and overseen by your eye doctor.

Enjoying the benefits of crisp, comfortable vision with contact lenses

The vast majority of lens problems and infections arise from not following basic, simple rules – not from the products themselves.

So do the right things and you can be (almost!) certain to enjoy worry-free, safe vision.

REFERENCES

Dart JK, Radford CF, Minassian D, Verma S, Stapleton F. Risk factors for microbial keratitis with contemporary contact lenses: a case-control study. Ophthalmology. 2008;115(10):1647-1654.e16543.

For contact lenses: Consult your eye care professional for wear, care, precautions, warnings, contraindications and adverse effects.

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