Essential Contact Lens Care

Essential Contact Lens Care

Contact lenses are an excellent option for correcting vision problems, but they require hygienic and responsible handling to avoid infections or eye damage. Follow these recommendations to keep your eyes healthy:

1. Basic Hygiene

Wash your hands with mild soap and water before handling the lenses.

Dry them with a lint-free towel to prevent residue from adhering to the lenses.

Never use saliva or tap water to clean them (they contain dangerous bacteria).

2. Cleaning and Storage

Use a special disinfecting solution for contact lenses (not homemade serums or water).

Gently rub the lenses with your fingers (if they are reusable) to remove protein deposits.

Store them in their clean case and change the solution daily.

3. Wearing Time

Respect the daily wearing time limit (generally 8–12 hours, depending on the type of lens).

Don't sleep in them (unless they're for extended wear and your optometrist approves).

Alternate with glasses to give your eyes a rest.

4. Risky Activities

Avoid swimming or showering with contact lenses (water can contaminate them with microorganisms).

In dusty or chemical environments, wear protective eyewear or avoid contact lenses.

5. Case Maintenance

Wash the case with sterile solution (never under running water).

Change it every 2–3 months to prevent contamination.

6. Warning Signs

If you experience eye redness, pain, blurred vision, or light sensitivity, remove the lenses and consult your optometrist.

Do not use expired or damaged lenses.

Serious Consequences of Contact Lens Misuse

Improper use of contact lenses can cause severe infections, irreversible damage to the cornea, and even vision loss. Below, we explain the real risks of not following hygiene and care measures:

1. Serious Eye Infections

Infectious Keratitis

Caused by bacteria (Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus), fungi (Fusarium), or parasites (Acanthamoeba).

Symptoms: Severe pain, red eyes, purulent discharge, sensitivity to light, and blurred vision.

If not treated promptly, it can ulcerate the cornea and leave permanent scarring.

Corneal Ulcers

Open lesions on the cornea due to infection or lack of oxygen (hypoxia).

May require treatment with intensive topical antibiotics or even hospitalization.

2. Permanent Corneal Damage

Corneal Scarring

Poorly healed infections can leave scars that distort vision and require laser surgery (PTK) or a transplant.

In extreme cases, corneal opacity causes partial or total blindness.

Corneal Neovascularization

Excessive use of lenses (or sleeping in them) reduces oxygen to the cornea, causing abnormal blood vessel growth (irreversible blurred vision).

3. Complications That Can Lead to a Corneal Transplant

In severe cases, when the cornea is severely damaged, the only solution is a corneal transplant (keratoplasty).

Acanthamoeba (a parasite found in contaminated water) is especially dangerous and can require years of treatment.

Superior Limbic Keratoconjunctivitis (CLPC): Chronic inflammation due to lens allergy, which can make it impossible to wear lenses in the future.

4. Permanent Vision Loss

Infections such as Pseudomonas keratitis can progress in just 24–48 hours, rapidly destroying corneal tissue.

Twenty percent of severe cases result in significant vision loss (according to ophthalmologic studies).

How to Prevent These Complications?

✅ Never sleep in your lenses (unless they are approved for extended wear).

✅ Avoid swimming or washing your face with them in.

✅ Replace them as directed (daily, monthly, etc.).

✅ Attend annual checkups with your optometrist.