Here’s How You Can Properly Store Your Contact Lenses

Every day more and more people are switching from glasses to clear contact lenses prescription. For some, it is more practical as they want to reduce the burden of glasses while for some it is aesthetic. Some wear contact lenses as they feel safer and more comfortable while others wear them for a makeover.

Well, whatever the reason you wear clear contact lenses prescription, they must be stored correctly. Storing the lens properly will help in avoiding and protecting your eyes from eye infections.

If you wear daily disposable contact lenses then you have the convenience of disposing of them after every use and not worrying about their storage. For all other types of lenses, you have to store the lenses in a sterile contact lens case which is filled with contact lens solution. The lenses should either be replaced every three months or cleaned with the lens solution. Make sure that you discard those lenses that have expired.

How to store your contact lens prescription online?

• Start by washing your hands with soap and water to remove any kind of dirt and bacteria. Dry your hands.
• Carefully remove the lenses and rub them individually with the contact lens solution.
• Place both the lenses in the correct compartment, that is the right one in the ‘R’ compartment and the left one in the ‘L’ compartment.
• Ensure that the lens case holds enough solution so that the contact lenses are fully dipped. If the compartment was half full, then don’t top it off with an additional solution. Empty this solution, clean the case with more solution and add the fresh solution.

Some people use tap water as a way to wash and store contact lenses but this act should be avoided as tap water hosts a microbe called Acanthamoeba, which can cause eye infections. Soft lenses absorb water and in turn, they absorb bacteria. Some of the most common reasons why people have eye infections are that they do not remove their lenses when they go swimming or take a shower.

Even without the risk of getting an infection, wearing contact lenses stored in tap water is painful. Protect your eyes by removing your contact lenses before you come in contact with water. Instead of using tap water, homemade solution, or any other liquid suggested on the internet, use a fresh contact lens solution.

There are some times when you are away from home and need to take your lenses out but you don’t have the case with you. The internet is flooded with ideas but these ideas are not enough to keep your lenses clean and safe for eyes. 

Always try carrying your solution and lens case with you but if you ever forget then there are some temporary alternative care tips that you must keep in your mind.

1. If you don’t have the case for your contact lens or worse have neither case nor the solution and have to take out your lenses, then the best thing to do is to throw the lenses away. Some temporary solutions will help you in storing your contact lenses but they will not keep them clean and can even lead to an eye infection.

Try keeping a pair of glasses with you in case you need to take out your lenses and don’t have the solution or case with you at the moment. Glasses also come in handy when the contact lenses are irritating your eyes and you have to take them out but can’t see without them.

1. Before you put your contact lens into anything, even the case, make sure that the surface is clean. This doesn’t require any special cleaners or chemicals; you can just wash them thoroughly with warm soapy water.

• Wash and dry two drinking glasses. Try getting small glasses rather than large glasses as it is easier to reach their end and get your lenses back out. Shot glasses are the best for this purpose. Do not use paper cups as they might soak water.
• Pat the surface with a paper towel and ensure that it has dried. Do not allow any contact between your lenses and water.
• Label the glasses with ‘L’ and ‘R’ so you know which one contains which.

1. A solution recommended by your eye doctor is the best to soak your lens in but if you do not have those, then a saline solution will do the work.

• Never soak your contact lens in water, as mentioned above. In addition to the bacteria, some lenses are made from hydrophilic material and absorb water and it will become impossible for you to put them back in your eyes.

1. Wash your hands, before taking off the lenses, with warm soapy water and then dry them. Ensure that your hands are completely dry before you touch the lenses.

1. As soon as you take out your lenses, drop them into the glasses in the solution. Make sure that you put the right lens in the right glass. If you are using taller glass, make sure that the lens does not get stuck to the side of the glass. Also, ensure that the lenses are completely submerged in the solution.

1. Cover and seal the glass you are storing your lens in. Place some cover on the top of the glass so that the contact lens solution does not evaporate.

1. The temporary solution does not keep the lens as clean as they should be and they are still prone to bacteria. Use a hydrogen-peroxide-based contact lens cleaner to disinfect them and then rinse them off with a saline solution.

1. Don’t use this method for more than one night. If you are traveling and forget the essentials, then try to arrange a proper case and solution for your contact lenses. These can be found in pharmacies, discount stores, etc.

Wrapping Up

If you keep your lenses stored for a long time, then check with your optometrist to see if the lenses need deeper disinfecting. Go for an eye examination every 6-12 months to keep your prescription up-to-date.