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- Do not swim in or expose soft contact lens to fresh water
from any source. Doing so will increase your
risk of serious eye infections.
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Care
for soft lens
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- WASHING: Wash your hands before handling your
lenses, rinse well, and dry with a lint free towel.
Fingernails should be short and smooth to avoid damaging
the lenses or scratching your eye. Ivory or Neutrogena
bar soap are recommended.
- RINSE OFF: Remove lens from case and rinse well. To
avoid possible mix-ups, take the right lens first each
time.
- INSPECTION: Place the lens on your forefinger to
inspect it for cleanliness and determine if it is right
side out.
- INVERTED LENS: If the lens is in the correct
position, the edges will appear almost straight up. When
inverted, the lens edges will flare out slightly. This
is often difficult to determine until you have had a
little practice.
- INSERTION: Hold the upper lashes (not the lid) to
prevent blinking. Pull the bottom eyelid down. Focus on
a steady point with the eye you are putting the lens on.
Place the lens on the central cornea, not to the side.
Do not blink until the lens is in place.
- EYE DROPS: One or two drops of lens lubricant are
recommended if your lenses feel dry or if blurry vision
occurs while wearing. Eye drops may also be helpful
prior to removal if your lenses feel dry or sticky.
- REMOVAL: Wash hands before removal. Slide the edge
of your lens down onto the white part of your eye
(sclera). Then gently squeeze the lens between your
thumb and forefinger to remove.
- CLEANING: Ignore the "No Rub" message on
multipurpose solutions. Rub your lenses daily,
after removal, with proper cleaning solution. Your contacts must be cleaned after
wearing. Place the lens in your palm, put a drop or two
of cleaning solution on it and rub in a straight back
and forth motion. Rinse the lens with saline solution or
multipurpose solution and place lens in storage case.
- CLEAN CASE DAILY: In the morning, after inserting
your lenses, rinse the case and lids with hot tap water
and leave it open to air dry. This will retard the
growth of bacteria in your case. Replace the case
every month or two.
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Care for
rigid gas permeable lens
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- WASHING: Wash your hands before handling
your lenses, rinse well, and dry with a lint
free towel. Fingernails should be short and
smooth to avoid damaging the lenses or
scratching your eye. Ivory or Neutrogena bar
soap are recommended.
- INSPECTION: Remove lens from the case and
inspect it for cleanliness.
- APPLY WETTING SOLUTION: Wetting solutions
are used to make the contact lens surface more
compatible with your tears. They also increase
wearing comfort.
- INSERTION: Hold the upper lashes (not the
lid) to prevent blinking. Pull the bottom eyelid
down. Focus on a steady point with the eye you
are putting the lens on. Place the lens on the
central cornea, not to the side. Do not blink
until the lens is in place.
- EYE DROPS: One or two drops of lens
lubricant are recommended if your lenses feel
dry or irritated.
- REMOVAL: Wash hands before removal. Place
your index finger at the outer corner of the
eyelids. Looking straight ahead, pull the lids
out and up, then blink. This usually requires
practice to master.
- CLEANING: Your contacts must be cleaned
after wearing. Place the lens in your palm, put
a drop or two of cleaning solution on it and rub
in a straight back and forth motion.
- CLEAN CASE DAILY: In the morning, after
inserting your lenses, rinse the case and lids
with hot tap water and leave it open to air dry.
This will retard the growth of bacteria in your
case. Replace the case every month or two.
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Makeup Tips
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Contact lens wear can be hindered by many
factors, including one that is often overlooked -eye
makeup. Here are a few tips that can lead to more
successful contact lens wear.
- Put your contact lenses in before applying
cosmetics to avoid picking up makeup residue
- Always remember to close the tops of
cosmetics to help prevent bacterial
contamination
- Avoid hair sprays and spray deodorant as the
spray may go into your eyes.
- Use only water-based mascara and eye makeup
remover labeled hypoallergenic or for sensitive
eyes. Avoid waterproof mascara as it contains
mineral spirits and petroleum distillates, which
are irritating. NEVER USE VASOLINE OR BABY OIL.
- The safest eye shadow is a cream product,
since creams do not create particle fallout like
powdered shadows. If powdered eyeshadows are
used, a base should be used on the lids prior to
application. This will keep the shadow on the
lids.
- Eyeliner must not be applied to the inner
eyelid margins as it can cause pore blockage.
Soft crayon-type pencil liners are less apt to
cause flaking than liquids.
- Moisturizers should not be put inside the
bony orbital area of the eye.
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Having Problems with your
lenses? |
In the beginning it is normal if:
- Your eyes itch or feel funny
- One lens is more noticeable than the other
- Your vision seems fuzzier than with glasses
- One eye sees better than the other
- You have trouble handling your lenses
Remove your lenses immediately and call the
office if:
- You develop unusual pain or redness
- You develop unusually foggy or cloudy vision
- You experience a decrease in vision that
does not clear up
- You suspect something is wrong
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Frequently Asked Questions |
Can I sleep in my contacts?
Studies have shown that there is increased risk of complications
when contact lenses are slept in. One of the worst of these is a
bacterial corneal ulcer. These can leave corneal scars and
significantly compromised vision. We do not recommend sleeping in your
contact lenses.
Are there bifocal contact lenses?
There are many options available today for the presbyope, or the
person who needs "readers" or "bifocals". There are bifocal,
multifocal, and mono vision contact lens options. Which option is best
for an individual depends on their specific needs. This is carefully
evaluated during the fitting process.
Should I wear hard or soft contact lenses?
Most individuals could wear either, but will
find that their specific ocular conditions and needs will be served best by
one or the other. This is determined during the
fitting process.
Can I get a copy of my contact lens Rx?
Yes, please see details under
Contact Lens Prescriptions.
Am I too old to wear contact lenses?
There is no upper age limit for wearing contact lenses.
The determining factors are ocular health, motivation, and dexterity.
I have allergies, can I still wear contacts?
Allergies are not necessarily a contraindication for wearing
contact lenses. However the type, severity, and treatment of allergies
will influence wearing schedules, lens types, and solution use.
How old does my child need to be before he/she can wear
contacts?
Children need to be responsible enough, on their own, to attend
to the details involved in wearing and caring for contact lenses safely.
Can I wear contacts after refractive surgery if necessary?
It is possible to wear contacts after lasik surgery.
However, it will probably require a specialty lens designed for the post
lasik cornea.
What contacts work best for patients with keratoconus?
Keratoconus is a corneal condition which causes the cornea to
become misshapen resulting in progressive thinning of the apex
of the cornea. Specially designed hard contact lenses are the
traditional contact lens of choice, however new soft lenses for
keratoconus are also an option.
If I wear contact lenses, how often should I have my eyes
checked?
It is prudent and highly recommended that contact lens wearers
have an annual check up. Contacts are foreign bodies and the eyes
tolerance for them should be checked annually. This is not a full eye
exam with you Ophthalmologist.
What is new with colored contacts?
Colored contacts fall basically into two categories; enhancers
and opaques. Enhancers work best for light colored eyes, whereas
opaques work best for dark hazel or brown eyes. What's new is
that the color options in both categories--especially opaques--have
increased significantly.
Which soft contact lens replacement option is best?
The replacement option that is best for an individual is the one
that is the healthiest. That option depends on a variety of factors
that are evaluated during the fitting
process.
Are there lenses for astigmatism?
Today virtually any amount of astigmatism can be corrected with
either soft or rigid contact lenses.Return to Top
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