6 Bad Contact Lens Habits That Can Lead to Eye Infections

Contact lenses require proper wear and care. Otherwise, you could scratch your cornea or develop a bacterial infection, which may result in scars, blurry vision, or even blindness.

To prevent this from happening to you, the experts at InVision Eye Care in Lakewood, NJ, unpack six common bad habits every contact wearer should avoid.

1. Wearing contacts for too long

Daily-wear lenses

Soft or hard daily-wear lenses are only designed to be worn for a maximum of 16 hours, depending on your comfort level. After that time, take out your lenses, clean them, store them, and switch to eyeglasses to correct your vision if needed. 

Don’t wear your contacts to sleep, not even if they feel soft and comfortable. These lenses prevent your cornea from getting enough oxygen. The lenses also tend to dry out when not constantly washed with tears from blinking, making them more likely to scratch your cornea.

Extended-wear lenses

Extended-wear lenses are specially designed to allow more oxygen to pass to your cornea. They can be worn 24 hours a day, including during sleep. However, be sure to take a break of at least one full day before switching to a new pair of lenses to give your eyes a rest. 

2. Wearing lenses past their expiration

True daily-wear soft lenses should be thrown out each day. Change your extended-wear lenses according to the schedule. Wearing lenses for longer than the recommended time wears out the materials, so they don’t correct your vision as well and may scratch your cornea.

3. Not cleaning contacts or cases properly

Be sure to wash and rinse your hands and fingers thoroughly before applying, removing, or cleaning contact lenses. Even if your lens cleanser is advertised as a “no-rub” solution, you should still gently rub each contact lens in a small puddle of solution in the center of your palm. The solution helps break down the scratchy salts that accumulate on your lenses after hours of wear. 

After you gently rub each contact lens with your finger for a few seconds, rinse them well with solution, then place them in their case with solution to keep them moist. Also, clean your contact lens case periodically. Dirt, grime, and dust on the outside of the case could get trapped in the lens wells and damage a lens enough to scratch your cornea or cause irritation.

4. Reusing cleansing solutions

You may be tempted to save money by keeping the cleaning-and-soaking solution in your contact lens case after you apply your lenses so that you can reuse it at night. Don’t. The old solution is filled with the dissolved salts from your contacts and is no longer clean or sanitary.

After you apply your lenses, throw out the old solution. Rinse your case with fresh solution before closing the tops and storing it. Replace your case every three months, or whenever it gets cracked or damaged.

5. Swimming in your contacts

Salt, fresh, or pool water can all contain viruses and microbes—among the scariest is Acanthamoeba, which attaches to your contact lens, causing your cornea to become infected and inflamed. This can result in permanent vision loss or require a corneal transplant.

If you end up wearing your contacts in the water, take them out as soon as you are done, then clean and disinfect them.

6. Ignoring symptoms

If you wear contact lenses, don’t ignore symptoms that point to an eye infection. Call InVision Eye Care if you experience:

• Blurry vision
• Pain in your eye 
• Unusually red eyes
• Constant tearing
• Discharge from your eye
• Sensitivity to light
• Feeling like there’s something in your eye
• Puffy, pink eyes

With proper care, contact lenses let you see while being seen. If you’re considering contact lenses or have questions about the ones you already have, call 732-210-0140 to book a visit with one of our experienced eye doctors.