Eyecare Tips

Contact Lens Care

2018/07/23

Have Your Eyes Examined Prior To Any Contact Lens Wear

Contact Lens are more than consumer products, improper contact lens wear might affect the health of your eyes.

Different Lens Material

Contact lenses come in different materials. Protein and lipid deposits accumulation on lens varies in different oxygen transmitted materials and lens wettability. Improper use would affect the health of your eyes.

Contact Lens Comes In Different Base Curves

Wearing lenses with an unsuitable base curve might result in foreign body sensation, discomfort, corneal injury and corneal hypoxia or in some cases, inflammation.

Spectacle Prescription≠Contact Lens Prescription

Contact lens prescription is not always equal to spectacle prescription. Wearing a wrong contact lens prescription might cause headaches, blurred vision and double vision.

Seek Professional Advice From Your Clinical Optometrist

Have your eyes examined prior to any contact lens wear. Your clinical optometrist will give advice to you. Stop contact lens wear if you experienced any discomfort in your eyes, contact your optometrist and have your eyes checked.

Follow The Appropriate Contact Lens Insertion And Removal Instructions If You Want To “Look Good, See Good And Feel Good”

Lens Insertion

1. Open the contact lens case and the bottle of saline solution. Check the expiry date of your disposable contact lenses.
2. Clean your hands thoroughly and dry them with lint free paper towels.
3. Rinse lenses thoroughly with saline solution before contact lenses insertion. Make sure your fingers are clean.
4. Get into the habit of “Insert the right lens, remove the right lens and clean the right lens first”; to avoid mixing up of lenses and lens contamination.
5. Make sure the lens is in the right orientation before insertion. Hold the lens on the leading tip of your dominant hand’s index finger. Direct your attention from the side, if the edges tend to fold outwards away from each other, the lens is inside out. Conversely, if the edges readily come together, the lens is correctly oriented.
6. Use the leading tip of your dominant hand’s index finger to hold the lens with the right orientation.
7. Pull the centre of the lower lid margin down with the middle finger of the hand holding the lens, making sure the eyelashes are included under the finger pad.
8. Look down and lift the centre of the upper lid with the index/ middle finger of the other hand.
9. Look into your own eye in the mirror.
10. Raise the lens-carrying index finger until it, and the plane of the lens edge, are almost vertical. The lens should now be almost directly in front of the eye.
11. Look straight through the lens as it is slowly and smoothly moved towards the cornea until contact is made.
12. Slowly withdrawn your finger once contact lens is adhered to the cornea.
13. Look towards your right, then left and then straight ahead. Slowly release your lower lid, followed by the upper lid.
14. Repeat the above steps with the fellow eye.
15. Discard all the solutions remained in the storage case. Clean the storage case and accessories thoroughly.

Lens Removal

1. Open the contact lens case and bottles of solutions.
2. Clean your hands thoroughly and dry them with lint free paper towels.
3. Ensure that the lens is centred on the cornea before attempting to remove it.
4. Remove the right lens first:

• Method A: Place the tip of the index finger on the centre of the lens.  Use middle finger to pull your bottom lid down. Gently slide the contact lens down to the inferior bulbar conjunctiva by index finger while looking up. Pinch the contact lens out with thumb and index finger straight away.
• Method B: Place the tip of the index finger on the centre of the lens. Use middle finger to pull your bottom lid down and away. Gently slide the lens temporally while simultaneously directing the gaze nasally. Pinch the contact lens out with first and index finger straight away.

1. Clean the right lens first.
2. Repeat either Method A or B with the other contact lenses. Clean the left lens.

Cleaning and Disinfecting

1. Shake the bottle of daily cleaner well before using it.
2. Place the contact lens on your palm. Put a few drops of lens cleaner / multipurpose solution on the lens surface. Rub each side of the lens thoroughly with forefinger for 20 seconds and rinse lens with enough saline solution to remove all debris.
3. Open the lens case. Carefully place the lenses in the appropriate side: right lens in the right side (R) and left lens in the left side (L).
4. Fill the lens case with fresh multipurpose solution so that the lens is fully covered.
5. Repeat the above steps with the other lens.
6. The lenses should be soaked for a minimum of 6 hours for complete disinfection. The lens should be stored at a cool dry place.
7. If needed, protein removal has to be performed once a week. (Depends on the instructions given by your optometrist)

Trim your fingernails regularly, make sure they are clean and short.

Cleaning Contact Lens Accessories

Daily Cleaning

1. With soapy water or contact lens cleaner, and a small brush (e.g. toothbrush); clean the contact lens storage case, forceps, and the suction holder.Make sure the case is cleaned thoroughly, including the edges and inner part.
2. Rinse everything with tap water; air-dry them or dry them with lint free paper towels.

Weekly Disinfection

1. Soak all contact lens accessories into a container filled with hot water. Cover and soak for 10 minutes.
2. Air-dry everything or dry them with lint free paper towels.

Change Every 3 Months

All contact lens accessories (including contact lens storage case, forceps and suction holder) should be changed at least once every 3 months. Rinse all the new accessories with saline or multi-purpose solution before use.

Hygiene And Cleaning

1. Insert contact lenses before applying makeup or face cream, remove lenses before removing makeup.
2. Before lens insertion, make sure there’s no lens tear or breakage. Never insert a damaged lens.
3. Before using any contact lens related products (including disposable lenses and solutions), check the expiry date. Never use any expired products.
4. Follow the instructions given by your clinical optometrists. Do not change the contact lens brand or solution without asking them.
5. Discard any unused solution 1 month after opening.
6. Saline is only for rinsing, not for disinfecting or storing.
7. All contact lenses, solutions and accessories should be kept in a cool dry place. Do not store them in fridge or in a humid environment (e.g. Washroom; bathroom).
8. Avoid contaminating the bottle tip with anything. Recap the bottle right after use. If the bottle tip is contaminated, discard the solution.

Rest Your Eyes

1. No contact lens wear if you experienced any discomfort in your eyes. Remove your contact lens as soon as you feel any discomfort or increase redness.Contact your clinical optometrist and have your eyes checked if symptoms persist.
2. If you experienced any inflammatory responses like increase redness, soreness, increase tearing, discharge or blurred vision, please see your optometrist or seek medical advice.
3. The majority of contact lenses are not recommended for sleeping or napping as it increases the risk of corneal hypoxia thus leading to corneal injury.
4. Occasional contact lens wearer (e.g. wearing contact lens for sports only) should follow the recommended wearing schedule and instructions given by your clinical optometrist to maintain eye health.

Contact Lens Q&A

• Can I wear contact lens if I have astigmatism? Toric contact lenses have been launched in the market for quite a long time. Toric contact lenses are available in conventional custom made lenses; weekly disposables and daily disposables.
• Will contact lens melt during Barbecuing? Increased temperature in the surrounding environment during Barbecuing might cause lens dehydration, resulting in grittiness and dryness. But your contact lenses would not melt.
• Can I wear contact lens for more than 10 years? The period of contact lens wear depends on the health condition of your eyes. Half yearly checkup is recommended for those who wear contact lenses on a regular basis. Checking should be performed by your clinical optometrist. Choosing suitable contact lens solutions, lens caring and hygiene will directly affect the health condition of your eyes. In most cases, contact lens can be worn more than 10 years.
• Can I wear contact lenses when I go swimming or when playing watersport? Contact lens is allowed during watersports or swimming provided that goggles are worn. Daily disposables contact lenses are recommended. Contact lenses have to be removed or changed right after swimming or any watersport as lenses might be contaminated by pool water or sea water.
• If I am using “no rub” multipurpose solution, do I just soak my contact lenses in the solution without rubbing them? Even if you are using “no rub” multipurpose solution, rubbing the edges of contact lenses on both sides and rinse them with saline solution or multipurpose solution are recommended as there might be lipid or mucous deposited on lenses. Please read all the information sheets which come with your solution pack carefully. If you are using conventional lenses, apart from rubbing lenses on both sides and rinse them with saline or multipurpose solution every time after use; weekly protein removal has to be done.