Do’s and Don’ts of CL Care and Wear

When handling your contact lenses: Use common sense…if in doubt, “DO NOT…”

• DO wash and rinse your hands thoroughly with a mild soap, rinse completely, and dry with a lint-free towel before handling your lenses.
• DO avoid soaps containing cold cream, lotion, or oily cosmetics before handling your lenses.
• DO inspect your lens before putting it in your eye.
• DO examine it to be sure that it is moist, clean, clear and free of any nicks or tears.
• DO NOT use a lens if it is damaged or if the sterile blister package it comes in is opened or damaged.
• DO NOT touch the lens with your fingernails and never use tweezers or other tools to remove lenses from the lens container, unless specifically indicated for that use.
• DO NOT put your lenses in your mouth.

When wearing your contact lenses: Use common sense…if in doubt, “DO NOT…”

• DO remove your lenses immediately if you experience eye discomfort, tearing, vision changes, and/or redness of the eye, and promptly contact QT Optometry for advice.
• DO discard your lenses and replace them with a fresh, sterile pair, in the time frame prescribed by Dr. Q, to lessen the risk of eye infections or other potential problems.
• DO NOT wear your lenses beyond the amount of time recommended by Dr. Q.
• DO NOT expose contact lenses to any water (i.e., tap, bottled, distilled, lake or ocean water) while wearing them. Remove contact lenses before any activity involving contact with water, including showering, using a hot tub, swimming or other water sports.
• DO NOT expose contact lenses to water in these situations, as it may increase the risk of severe eye infection that could lead to vision loss or blindness. If your contacts unexpectedly come into contact with water, such as an unplanned swimming experience, discard them afterwards and replace them with a fresh pair, as soon as possible.
• DO NOT wear someone else’s contact lenses.
• DO NOT put your lenses in your mouth.

For continued safe and comfortable contact lens wear, reusable lenses must be cleaned and disinfected before you put them back on your eyes, or you should throw them away and replace them with a fresh pair of lenses. Infections in contact lens wearers are often found among individuals who improperly store, handle, or disinfect their lenses, swim while wearing lenses, or come in contact with contaminated water. That is why proper use and care of your contact lenses and lens care products, including lens cases, are essential for the safe use of these products. Please reference below:

• DO always use fresh lens care products and lenses before the expiration dates. Never re-use old solution.
• DO change the contact lens solutions according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, even if the lenses are not used daily.
• DO always remove, clean, and disinfect your lenses according to the schedule prescribed by Dr. Q.
• DO use only solutions recommended by Dr. Q and always follow the directions in the package inserts.
• DO replace your cases regularly, at 2-3 months intervals.
• DO replace your cases regularly because Bacteria can grow in contact lens cases, so it is important to properly use, clean and replace your case, as well as your lenses.
• DO follow the routine: remove your lenses from the contact lens storage case, empty it of all solution, and clean the case by rinsing with solution(s) recommended by Dr. Q.
• DO wipe the case with a clean, lint-free tissue to remove any excess solution and allow the lens case to air dry with both the case and cap(s) face down.
• DO NOT use saline solution and re-wetting drops to disinfect lenses. Neither solution is an effective or approved disinfectant.
• DO NOT transfer contact lens solution from its original container to anything other than storage cases.
• DO NOT use saliva or anything other than the recommended solutions for lubricating or wetting lenses.
• DO NOT rinse your lenses in water from the tap. Tap water contains many impurities that can contaminate or damage your lenses and may lead to serious eye infections and loss of vision.
• DO NOT put your lenses in your mouth