Contact lenses are medical devices that can cause eye infections if not properly worn, cleaned, and stored. To minimize the risk of infection, it is important to follow your doctor’s instructions for wearing and caring for your contact lenses.

Many people wear contacts for cosmetic reasons as well. These contacts can be very delicate, so it is important to be gentle with them.

What is a contact lens?

Contact lenses are worn on the surface of your eye to correct vision problems. They work by directly bending light to reach your retina, which then produces sharp, clear images. Contact lenses are available in many types to address different eye conditions.

To make sure you get the best fit, your eye doctor will take detailed measurements of the shape and size of your eyes. They will also record the corneal curvature, which can indicate astigmatism.

Rigid lenses are usually removed by holding one finger on the outer corner of the eyelid, known as the lateral canthus, while blinking to break the adhesion between the lens and the eye. To avoid contaminating your lens, never place them in water, which may contain micro-organisms that can cause serious eye infections.

Types of contact lenses

There are different types of contact lenses available, and all require a prescription from an eye care provider. These may be ophthalmologists, optometrists or opticians.

Rigid (hard) lenses rest on the cornea, while soft contacts extend to cover most of the sclera (the white part of the eye). There are also hybrid contact lenses that have rigid zones surrounded by soft material to combine the best of both worlds.

There are also special effect contact lenses that enhance or change the color of the eye, as well as specialty lenses designed for other conditions such as keratoconus. Some are even UV-inhibiting to help protect the eyes from harmful UV rays. The majority of contact lenses are now made from soft plastics, with the latest being silicone hydrogels that allow more oxygen to pass through to the cornea.

Inserting a contact lens

If you're a beginner to contact lenses, you may find it difficult to put them in. You will learn as you go and develop your own methods, but here are some general tips to help you.

Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before handling the lens. You can get eye infections if you don't clean your hands well enough.

Choose which eye you will begin with (typically the right one if you are right handed and the left if you are left handed). Start with that eye every time to avoid mixing your contacts up.

Place the lens on your index finger and look at it to make sure that it is the correct shape. The right lens should look bowl-shaped, and the edges should not flare out.

Cleaning a contact lens

Cleansing a contact lens is an important part of your daily routine. Always follow the cleaning instructions provided by your eye care professional. Switching cleaners may lead to irritation, lens intolerance or serious eye infections.

Start by washing your hands thoroughly with a mild soap without perfume or lotion and pat them dry. Make sure to choose a towel that is lint-free.

Using multipurpose contact lens solution, gently rub each lens for about 20 seconds on both sides (actual time depends on the system). Rinse and dry your hands. Never use tap water to clean or rinse your lenses. This could introduce dangerous microorganisms such as the single-celled amoeba, Acanthamoeba, which can cause severe eye infections and even vision loss.

Disposing of a contact lens

While contact lens solutions can be thrown in the trash, disposable lenses should never be thrown in the toilet or sink. This is because they can cause eye infections if they come into direct contact with the water supply.

Contact lens wearers can recycle their disposable contacts and blister packs through a company called TerraCycle. The program is sponsored by Bausch + Lomb, but it accepts all brands of lenses and their packaging.

Patients can bring their used contacts and packaging to an eye doctor's office or print a free shipping label and mail their contact lenses. This is a great way to protect the environment and keep plastics out of our water supply. This also helps reduce the trillions of microplastics that are ingested by aquatic life and in humans.