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Proper Contact Lens Care Is All About the Proper Solution

Contact lens wearers practice proper eye care. A study conducted by Bausch & Lomb in August revealed that a large number of people were using dangerous chemicals in place of lens solution to soak their lenses. Substances such as baby oil, beer, coke, petroleum jelly, lemonade, fruit juice, butter as well as others were all listed as alternatives used, by twenty percent of the 2,000 adults polled in the survey conducted in the UK.

An even larger number of the respondants reported that they use spit when putting lenses in their eyes. Since research shows that the mouth of the average adult is known to contain hundreds of varieties of microorganisms, this is clearly not a good idea. Additionally, many people presume that water from a tap or bottle is a suitable alternative for contact solution, but even pure bottled water or distilled water can contain parasites that can damage the eye and have been associated with Acanthamoeba keratitis, an infection that threatens your eyesight. Even moreso, if you get water in your eyes from a pool, ocean or even a bath while your lenses are in, it's a good idea to take out your lenses as quickly as possible and thoroughly rinse them so no parasites can get stuck underneath.

Sterilizing your contacts is critical and only properly labeled contact lens disinfectants should be used. Never store your lenses in water! Keeping lenses in water does not thoroughly clean them and harmful microorganisms can grow on your contacts almost instantly and eventually enter your eyes. Additionally, contact lens solution is balanced to match the saltiness of your tears and conversely water can cause discomfort or blurred vision because your contacts may stick or lose their shape.

If adequate storage or cleansing is difficult for you, you should use one-use contacts rather than lenses that you reuse. It's important to take age, daily routine and level of maturity into consideration when determining which contact lens options are most suitable for the members of your family.

Before you begin to use contact lenses you should make sure to review with your eye care professional the proper way to care for and store them.

Keep in mind that failure to properly clean and disinfect your contacts with proper contact solution can lead to serious eye damage, loss of sight and even total blindness!