For someone that may have been wearing glasses for many years, using contact lenses for the first time can be a daunting prospect. With so many things to consider, it can be difficult to get to grips with how contact lenses work and what you need to do to look after your eye health.

At Dominic Tunnell Opticians, we help lots of people make the transition from glasses to contact lenses, and have compiled our top tips for contact lens success:

Putting your lenses in and taking them out

Make sure that you follow the correct steps when putting in or removing your contact lenses. This will reduce the risk of infection and of you damaging your eye.

Clean your lenses

We recommend the following steps for contact lens cleaning:

 After washing your hands, fill each contact lens chamber with fresh disinfecting solution, beginning with the same eye every time you put in or remove your lenses

 Place the lens in the palm of your hand and apply a few drops of the disinfecting solution

 Gently rub the lens to clean its surfaces and rinse with some more disinfecting solution

 Repeat for each lens and leave them to both soak overnight.

Clean the case

Remember to clean your contact lens case once a week and to replace it once every three months. You can clean it with a mild soap and allow it to dry before adding your contact lens solution. When you’re not using it, make sure you dry it with a tissue and store it upside down on a tissue until you are ready to remove your contact lenses again.

Give your eyes a rest

Ideally, you should wear your contact lenses for less than 12 hours a day in order to keep your corneas healthy. We also recommend that if possible, you give your eyes a break from wearing contact lenses for at least a day a week.

Throw away expired products

While it seems a shame to waste things, using contact lens products past their sell-by date can mean that the antibacterial properties no longer work properly, putting you at risk of eye infections.

Don’t sleep with contact lenses in

There are some lenses that are approved for wearing at night, but most of them should be taken out when you go to bed. Wearing them when sleeping can increase the risk of damage to the eye and of infections.

Don’t shower or swim with contacts in

Always remove contact lenses before showering or swimming. This is because water has small organisms in it that can lead to an eye infection.

Make sure that your eyes are comfortable

If your eyes don’t feel comfortable when you are wearing your contact lenses, make sure that you go back to your optician who will be able to investigate why this may be the case. It can be tempting to just ignore a slight discomfort, but it could be a sign that your lenses have a problem that needs fixing.

At Dominic Tunnell Opticians, we always like to ensure that our clients feel comfortable and confident with their contact lenses and glasses. If you need an eye test, advice or a contact lens consultation, you can call our friendly team of experts on: 01905 613020, or email.