Contact Lens Training Professionals in Eye Care  Contact lenses are great! They are comfortable, they don’t slide down your nose like glasses, and they don’t fog up. They are ideal for sports, and you can even wear your favorite sunglasses!  Contact lenses are also very safe if you care for them properly. However, without proper care and cleaning, contact lenses can harm your eyes and even cause permanent vision loss.

Take care of your contact lenses!  Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap, rinse them, and dry them with a lint-free towel before handling your contact lenses.

Wash your hands  Always insert the right lens first.  Pour the lens and storage solution from the case into your palm.  Examine the lens to see if it is inverted. There are several ways to determine this. Choose the one that seems to work best for you:

Before you insert your lenses  If the lens is turned the right way, it will be curved like a bowl. If the lens is inverted, the edges will flare out.

 Look straight down at the lens. If it is positioned correctly, the rim will appear blue. If the lens is inverted, the edge of the lens will be clear.

Checking for inversion  Many brands of lenses have an “inversion marker.” This is a marking on the lens that allows you to tell at a glance when the lens is inside-out.

 Try to bend the lens so that the two edges touch each other. If the lens is turned the right way, the edges will curve toward one another. If the lens is inverted, the edges will lay on your finger. This is often referred to as the “taco test.”

Checking for inversion  If you have a lens for astigmatism, the lens will have markings on it to let you know which way it should be turned. Every brand of lens has a slightly different marking.

 Ideally you should turn the lens the right way before inserting it. If you insert it incorrectly, don’t worry… it will turn itself the right way in a few minutes.

Toric markings  Make sure your fingers are clean and dry. Contact lenses tend to stick to wet fingers, making handling more difficult.  Place the lens on the tip of the index finger of your dominant hand.  Using your other hand, hold your upper eyelid and lashes firmly against your brow bone. LID CONTROL IS THE KEY TO PUTTING YOUR CONTACT LENSES IN!!  Hold your lower eyelid and eyelashes firmly against your cheek bone, using the middle finger of your inserting hand.

Lens insertion  Look up and place the lens gently on the lower white part of your eye, pressing slightly to remove the air from under the lens.  Look down to position the lens correctly.  Slowly release your eyelid and close your eye for a moment.  Blink several times to center the lens on your eye.

Lens insertion  Always remove the right lens first.  Looking up, pull down your lower eyelid with the middle finger of your dominant hand.  Use your index finger to slide the lens down onto the white of your eye.  Without moving your index finger off the lens, bring in your thumb and index finger to break the suction.  If you take your finger of the lens before the suction is broken, the lens will most likely slide back up onto your cornea and you will have to start all over.

Lens removal  Before you can leave the office with your lenses, you must first successfully insert your lenses, remove them, then re-insert them.

Time to practice!!  Sometimes when you insert a lens it will feel uncomfortable. If this occurs, remove the lens immediately, rinse it, and inspect it for defects. If the lens appears normal and your eye feels fine, re-insert the lens, making sure it is not inverted. If it still feel uncomfortable, remove the lens and leave it out.  If your eye remains irritated for more than an hour after removing your lenses, call our office for assistance. If you call after hours, our answering system will provide you with emergency contact information.

If you feel discomfort  Contact lenses should only be worn if your eyes are white, quiet, and happy. If your eyes are irritated or infected, you need to wear your glasses and give your eyes a break from contact lenses.

 Do not wear your lenses if you have a cold, flu, or any other type of infection. Use extreme caution with your lenses if you have a cold sore or fever blister.  If there is any chance your contact lenses may be contaminated, throw them away and start over with a new pair. Backup glasses are important!  Discontinue contact lens wear immediately and call our office if you experience any of the following: ◦ Eye pain ◦ Sensitivity to light ◦ Redness of your eyes ◦ Excessive tearing or discharge ◦ Cloudy, foggy, or reduced vision

Warning signs  Only use the solution that has been recommended by Dr. Ball. Not all brands of solution are compatible with your lenses. Store brands are often older formulations and are not recommended.  Never “top off” old contact lens solution with new solution.

Contact lens solutions  In 2005 more than 250 people developed a terrible infection called Fusarium keratitis from contaminated contact lens solution. Most of the patients who developed these infections did not care for their lenses properly, which put them at risk.

Contact lens solutions  Each evening when you remove your contact lenses, place of few drops of the prescribed solution on each side of the lens and rub the lens gently to remove protein, oil, and makeup.  After rubbing for about 20 seconds, rinse the lenses thoroughly and soak them in the prescribed solution overnight.

Cleaning your contact lenses  Remove your contact lenses before any activity involving contact with water, including showering, using a hot tub, or swimming.  Do not use tap water to clean your lenses or your case.  Acanthamoeba is a parasite that lives in water than can cause very serious eye infections.

 Although swim goggles reduce the number of bacterial colonies on the lens, they do not entirely keep out water- borne bacteria. Avoid water  Every morning you should rinse your case with contact lens solution and let it air dry completely, uncapped and upside down on a paper towel.  Replace your contact lens case every three months.

Caring for your case  Your lenses should be replaced on a regular basis. Some brands are designed for monthly wear, some are to be replaced bi-weekly, and some are made to be worn only once.  Lenses should be discarded at the designated time, regardless of how many times the lenses have been worn. Once the seal has been broken on the foil packet, the lenses are no longer sterile and bacteria begins building up.

Lens replacement  If you are wearing bi-weekly or monthly contact lenses, try to change them on the same day each month (1st and 15th) or to associate it with some other event that happens with the same frequency (payday).

 Most cell phones can be programmed to remind you when it is time to change your lenses.

Lens replacement  Please be aware that we do take note of how often you replace your lenses and how well you adhere to the recommended care regimen. We reserve the right to refuse to give you a contact lens prescription in cases of extreme abuse or neglect. We do not do this to punish you; we do it because we care about your eyesight and we do not want to provide you with the tools to permanently damage your eyes!

Lens replacement  You CANNOT tell when it is time to change your contact lenses by how they feel! If you wait until your lenses feel scratchy or until your vision seems foggy to change your lenses, you have waited TOO LONG!

 Even though this lens is clearly dirty, the patient is most likely unaware of any changes. Lens replacement  Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC) is one problem that occurs with contact lens overwear. In GPC, the patient becomes allergic to the proteins and deposits on their contact lenses. GPC patients often have to cut their wearing time drastically or even stop wearing contact lenses altogether. GPC used to be very common before disposable contact lenses became popular, but now it is rarely seen except in people who abuse their contact lenses.

Lens replacement  Although some lenses are approved for overnight wear, your chances of having complications from your contact lenses are MUCH higher if you sleep in your lenses.

 A corneal ulcer is an open sore on the front of your eye. Corneal ulcers are often caused by overnight wear of contact lenses. Although the ulcer can be treated with antibiotics, it is very painful and can leave permanent scars on your cornea. Overnight wear  If you intend to sleep in your contact lenses despite the risk, it is very important to let us know so that we can fit you in a lens that is approved for overnight wear.

 Corneal neovascularization is an abnormal growth of blood vessels on the front of the eye. This occurs when the cornea becomes starved for oxygen, which is usually caused by overnight wear of contact lenses that are not “breathable.” Overnight wear  If your eyes feel dry or gritty when you wear your lenses, you may us contact lens rewetting drops as needed.

 Do not use any other type of eye drop while wearing your lenses unless the eye doctor instructs you to do so. Eye drops  You should NEVER share your lenses with anyone.  Remember that contact lenses are prescription devices and purchasing them without a prescription or with an expired prescription is ILLEGAL! This is for your protection… contact lenses must fit your eye properly or they may cause damage to your eye.

Sharing lenses  If you are a new wearer, you need to build up your wearing time gradually. We recommend the following schedule for the first week: ◦ Today – 4 hours Tomorrow – 6 hours Day 3 – 8 hours Day 4 – 10 hours Days 5-7 – 12 hours

Wearing Schedule  As your lenses get older, the fit of them will change. Typically old lenses fit your cornea more tightly than new lenses. Since tight lenses move less, they are very comfortable. However, tight lenses are also dangerous for your eyes, because they don’t let as much oxygen reach your eyes. For this reason, we typically re-evaluate the lenses after a week or so to make sure the fit is acceptable before finalizing the prescription.  This is another reason it is so important to replace your lenses at the scheduled time!

Follow-up  In order to maximize your success with contact lenses, we recommend the following: ◦ Yearly eye exams to check for prescription changes, eye disease, and changes in the fit of your lenses. ◦ UV absorptive sun wear for all outdoor activities. ◦ Up-to-date eyeglasses. You need to give your eyes a break from contact lenses occasionally!

Ongoing success  Most electronic devices emit a certain wavelength of blue light that can be harmful to your eyes. For this reason, you should limit your use of tablet devices and smart phones as much as possible. You may also want to consider removing your contact lenses and wearing eyeglasses with a protective coating if you are going to be using an electronic device for a prolonged period of time.

Protection from blue light  We believe so strongly that every contact lens wearer should have a good pair of eyeglasses that we will give you a FREE pair of basic eyeglass lenses to new contact lens wearers with the purchase of a year’s supply of daily or bi-weekly contact lenses. Unfortunately, this offer does not apply to patients with monthly lenses or patients with an insurance discount.

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