Sadaf VidhaA lot of people with glasses are opting for contact lenses for ease and comfort. As much as these help to make life easier, there is also some level of maintenance required for contact lenses, to make sure that they last longer and also that the eyes are safe.
Type of Contact Lenses
There are many types of contact lenses and caring for them may depend on the type. Soft contact lenses are made of water and plastic, therefore making them comfortable to wear. In soft contacts, you have the coloured option, the daily and quarterly disposable ones and the toric ones for correcting astigmatism. They would cost anywhere between Rs. 500 to 1000 for a pair of 6, depending on brand and number. Usually, Baush and Lomb is the preferred brand in India.
Rigid Gas permeable lenses or RGPs are somewhat harder but they tend to give clearer vision. Wearing them daily can help you get used to them. RGPs are also more resistant to absorbing pollutants, smoke etc and also are sturdier so won’t tear as easily. If you have allergies, this is a preferable, though costlier option costing upwards of Rs. 2,000 for a pair.
The most convenient and trustworthy cleaning and storing solutions are from Baush and Lomb and Renu, costing between Rs. 400 – 500 for a 500 ml bottle. This is a good one to use for general care unless some special liquid is recommended. Some more tips for taking care of contacts are given below.
Cleaning behaviour
Make sure to not use tap water or distilled water to clean the lenses because they can contain certain elements that can harm the lenses. Use only appropriate cleansing and storing liquids to do so. In your lens box, put some of the liquid and then immerse the lens in it. However, make sure to clean your hands properly and to use lint-free towel to wipe them.
Every 1 in 50,000 people run the risk of going blind if they are using tap water to clean their lens. This bacteria named Acanthamoeba keratitis invades the cornea flesh and it may result in total blindness. Therefore please ensure that you use only the prescribed cleaning solutions for the lenses.
Wearing behaviour
Make sure that you do not have long nails or dirty nails that may tear and soil the lens. Place the lens gently on your forefinger tip, help keep the eye open with the other hand, and place the lens. Check for fit by blinking and seeing if you can see properly. Do not expose your contacts to harsh sunlight, wear UV protection sunglasses to safeguard them.
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Also, do not sleep with your contact on unless explicitly guided so by your eye doctor. Further, make sure that you do not wear them when doing any-water related activity like shower, bath or swimming. If you forget to take off the contacts at the scheduled time or before entering water, then set alarms for the same.
If your lenses look like the one on the right hand side, it’s inside out!
Maintaining behaviour
Overtime, there are many elements within the eye that may deposit on the contacts which may need to be cleaned. The most frequent is perhaps protein deposits. Use the protein cleaners prescribed by your doctor. Also make sure that if you use any products to moisturize your eyes, they are compatible with your lenses.
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