Short-sightedness or long-sightedness, known by the medical community as refractive errors, ruffle many people’s feathers in today’s society. Uncorrected refractive error is still the second commonest cause worldwide of visual impairment (after cataracts), with over half of Europeans aged between 25 and 90 inflicted by it.
In fact, refractive error can be broadly thought of as a ‘pandemic’ in itself – common, worldwide, and on the rise. Luckily, the antidote for this particular ‘pandemic’ is something that we have all grown accustomed to nowadays.
The next time you are at work, at the supermarket, or anywhere else, observe how many people have glasses. Chances are that you or a person in your family also uses glasses. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg, as a significant proportion of people prefer to use contact lenses rather than spectacles.
And why wouldn’t they? They are convenient, easy-to-use, effective and provide many with a cosmetic alternative. Contact lens use has become commonplace in today’s society.
However, proper contact lens use is a technique that eludes many. Improper contact lens use has been associated with a number of sight-threatening complications, such as ocular infections and corneal ulcers. It is, therefore, essential to be equipped with the proper knowledge before using contact lenses.
Various contact lens solutions exist, all of which have different recommendations. These should ideally be checked before use, to ensure that it is the correct one for your contact lens. Contact lens solutions should never be used beyond the listed expiry date. Apart from that, each product has its own date when it should be thrown away after opening. This is usually around 90 days after opening, but you should consult your product’s package insert as this varies for different solutions.
How you care for your contact lens will make or break your experience
How you care for your contact lens will make or break your experience. It is of utmost importance that lenses are never rinsed with tap water, as this can lead to severe eye infections. Your contact lens case, which should be changed every three months, should be cleaned daily with lens solution and left to air dry before reuse. When filling your case, you should never top-up your old solution with new solution – you should always put new solution in a well-cleaned case.
Something which is virtually unknown to many contact lens wearers is the process of lens ‘rubbing and rinsing’, which has been proven to be the best method to prevent contact lens-associated infections. After use, the lens would have accumulated micro-organisms (such as bacteria), and other debris that could potentially lead to infections and other complications.
It is thus essential that after washing and drying your hands (ideally avoid moisturising soaps as these can harm your lens), you remove one lens and clean it with the recommended solution in your palm. You should then proceed to gently massage each side of the contact lens for the recommended time, followed by rinsing the lens once again with the solution for as long as is recommended to remove the loosened debris. The lens should then be placed in a clean lens case filled with fresh solution, and the process repeated for the other lens.
It is important to remove the lenses before swimming or going into the hot tub, as contact with any impure water can lead to eye infections. If you need to use your lenses while swimming, it is recommended to use tight-fitting swim goggles to limit exposure.
It is also not recommended to sleep with your contact lenses on as this increases the risk of complications.
When putting on your lenses in the morning, ideally you should do this after showering, washing your face and blow-drying or styling your hair, to decrease exposure to water and hairsprays.
If you wear lenses only occasionally, daily disposable contact lenses might be worth considering. With proper use, they cause less complications in comparison to other lenses. While they are cheaper, you do not need to worry about rubbing and rinsing the lenses, and on how to store them.
Before deciding on using contact lenses, you should see an ophthalmologist or optometrist to discuss what contact lens is best for you and how to ensure good care.
Used properly, contact lenses can be an indispensable tool in your daily life.
Matthew Azzopardi, medical doctor