Wearing Disposable Daily Contact Lenses the Safe Way

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There are many people all over the world who wear disposable daily contact lenses or simply called dailies.

Single-use lenses are popular because you can remove and discard them when the day ends so you can wear a fresh and new pair the following morning. When used correctly, dailies can promote improved eye health, not to mention that these are also convenient and comfortable.

But, despite the different benefits associated with daily disposables, there are several things you should remember to maintain proper vision and overall eye health.

Keep Your Contacts Off Your Mouth

This may sound funny but whether you believe it or not, there are actually a lot of people who do this. They put it in the mouth for the purpose of lubricating it.

Daily contact lenses - Inserting — Do not put disposable daily contact lenses in your mouth before inserting them

There are numerous bacteria in the mouth that may end up infecting your eyes when you put your contacts on again. To play things safe, be sure to carry around an extra pair of dailies or an emergency pair of glasses.

Avoid Water Exposure

All sources of water, whether it is lake, pool, or tap water, can easily change the shape of your daily contact lenses that can lead to micro-abrasions on the cornea of your eyes. The water may also contain bacteria that could compromise the health of your eyes and make you suffer from temporary loss of vision or worse, even permanent blindness.

Wear goggles when wearing daily contact lenses — You must swim with goggles when wearing daily contact lenses

Don’t forget to wear waterproof goggles if ever you need to get into the water while your contacts are on. Should water get on your contact lenses, throw away the lenses and get a new pair. Chemicals such as chlorine will bind to the lens when your contacts are exposed to them and you won’t be able to clean them off. These chemicals can leech on your cornea and lead to irritation.

Don’t Insert Contacts in Your Eyes After Dropping

One of the advantages of daily disposable lenses is the fact that these are cheaper per lenses compared to other kinds of contacts. This means that you ever dropped a lens on the floor or on the sink, don’t bother putting it back on your eye if you don’t want to compromise your eye health.

How to put a contact into your eye | Troubleshooting | Sensitive eyes

Say No Makeup on Contacts

Be sure to wear your contacts before you apply your makeup. Having residues of makeup on your hands like mascara may end up transferring to your lenses.

However, it is actually common for some people to get mascara, eyeliner or concealer on their daily contact lenses. When this happens, remove your lenses right away and use a solution to clean them. If not, you can replace them with a new pair. You might also want to avoid using waterproof makeup products because most of the time, these are not removable from your contacts even if you rinse them with a solution.

To ensure that makeup doesn’t get on your lenses, never apply mascara starting from the base of your eyelashes up. Apply this from midway point instead. You should also avoid applying eyeliner on your eye’s inner lid and instead, put it on the skin on top of your eyelashes.

Don’t Wear Your Contacts Before Your Morning Routine

Never wear your contacts if you haven’t washed your face or took a shower first. This will have your lenses exposed to tap water as well as the bacteria in it. It is also recommended that you wear your lenses after you have blow-dried and styled your hair.

This is especially so if you use hairspray and other aerosols that can dry out your dailies. The spray may also end up coating the lenses and leaving a film that will not just irritate your eyes but will also make it hard for you to see. If removing your lenses is out of the question because you are at a salon, be sure to close your eyes while the spray is being used.

Never Overwear Your Daily Disposable Contact Lenses

Your eyes can get damaged if you wear your lenses for a long time, even if you are using daily contacts. The suggested daily use for contact lenses is 14 to 16 hours although your eye doctor can determine the right number of hours for you to wear your contacts.

Just like other parts of your body, your eyes also need to take a break. Your corneas get oxygen not from the blood vessels but from the air. Although wearing contacts throughout the day is healthy, wearing them for long periods of time may significantly lower the amounts of oxygen that your eyes get that might result to complications. Failure to let your eyes get their much needed rest might swell up your corneas, leading to corneal abrasion and bacterial infection.

Stay Away from Reusing Your Contacts

Disposable daily contact lenses are meant to be disposed of after each use and those who opt to reuse them may risk dangerous and painful outcomes. Dailies are thinner are more fragile and they also don’t hold up moisture that well compared to other types of contacts.

There are people who try increasing their lenses’ lifespan through using a disinfecting solution when cleaning them then using them for a few days or weeks. It is actually problematic since the material of the lens doesn’t allow constant disinfecting.

Cleaning these lenses is not only ineffective as it can also break down the lenses themselves that may increase the risk of them falling apart while worn. All the risks of infections and complications will never be worth the few dollars you can save from reusing dailies.

Rubbing Your Eyes is a No-No

When a lens seems out of place or your eyes feel dry or itchy, it can be very tempting to rub your eyes. The act of rubbing your eyes, whether or not you are wearing contacts, may cause long term ocular problems. This can make you suffer from blurred vision and cause corneal damage. Instead, ask your eye doctor for eye drops that can help you relieve discomfort that you can apply only when you are not wearing your daily contact lenses.