Our eyes are the most delicate sense organs in our body and are intended for perfect vision. The power of eyes may not be the same for all and certain eye disorders require glasses or contact lenses to be worn depending on the condition. While contact lenses are a good alternative to glasses and come with their benefits, they can lead to great damage to your eyes if not properly taken care.

     If you are not following the correct instructions or taking proper care of your contact lenses it might affect your eyes in a bad way leading to an eye infection. Hence, extra care must be taken when wearing contact lenses as well as caring for them. Practicing unhealthy and unhygienic habits while wearing contact lenses can lead to blurry vision and infection, which is why in this blog we detail some of the bad contact lens habits to leave behind.

1. Not changing the contact lens solution every day 

      Your contact lens solution comes with an expiry date, be sure to discard the solution after its expiry date. The contact solution if turned old will not provide adequate disinfection hence always make sure to use a new and fresh contact lens solution. Not changing the contact lens solution every day will result in an eye infection. 

2. Wearing contact lenses for far too long 

     Contact lenses must be worn for a maximum of 10 to 12 hours only, your eyes breathe by absorbing oxygen through the air, and the contact lenses limit the oxygen intake for they cover the cornea. If worn for a longer time the contact lenses can be exposed to a lot of dirt. Disposable contact lenses are also available in the market, hence make sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines regarding the recommended time it should be used.

3. Wearing contact lenses to bed 

      Contact lenses are not designed to be worn throughout the day unless they are long-term contacts. Disposable contact lenses should ideally be removed before going to bed. There is a tendency for bacteria to grow if you sleep with your contact lenses on. Also, your eyes need more oxygen to breathe, and wearing contact lenses might act as a barrier while wearing them and sleeping.

 4. Wearing contact lenses in a pool, hot tub, or shower

     Water present in a pool, hot tub, or shower may contain chlorine, microorganisms, bacteria, and impurities which can cause the contact lens to change shape or be deformed.  

5. Not washing your hands when handling contact lenses 

    If you are going to handle contact lenses, make sure your hands are clean and washed because if your hand contains oil or dirt then it could transfer to your eyes and lead to infection. Not washing your hands before handling contact lenses can contaminate your eyes. Use a handwash and dry your hands before touching the contact lenses. Do not touch the contact lens after applying scented lotions or creams as they can easily pass onto your eyes and cause infection.

6. Rubbing your eyes often

     Rubbing your eyes sparingly is ok, but excessive rubbing while wearing contact lenses can lead to irritation and eye infection. It is best to avoid rubbing your eyes, as it can damage your eyes.

7. Wearing contact lenses without consulting a doctor 

     Contact lenses should only be worn after consulting with an eye doctor, it is not a cosmetic accessory hence wearing them needs proper guidance from a professional doctor. Each person’s eye is unique hence only an experienced doctor can help overcome vision problems with the help of the right contact lens.

8. Cleaning contact lenses with water 

     Even if you do not have the contact lens solution at your disposal, you must not resort to using tap water to clean your lenses as they are not the most unhygienic way to clean your lenses. Tap water may also contain a lot of bacteria which can damage your eyes and cause infection.

     Avoiding these bad habits or keeping them at bay can prolong the life of your contact lens and keep your eyes in good health without causing any damage or eye infection.