Once you have had your eyes checked by the doctor and ordered your lenses, request your eye care professional to instruct you on how to care for your lenses. Educate yourself by reading articles and tips on web sites devoted to the care of vision health. Make a list of doubts you want to clear and find out answers to the questions.

Many lens providers give a detailed booklet along with the lenses. Read the booklet thoroughly and understand what needs to be done. Remember, lens care is not standard different kinds have a different regimen. So, the care required would depend on whether your lenses are daily wear, disposables, soft lenses, hard lenses, or continuous wear. Daily wear lenses must be removed at the end of the day, continuous wear lenses at the end of six days and disposable lenses must be discarded.

Basically lens care means:

1.Washing your hands thoroughly with mild soap, then rinsing the hands well and drying with a lint free towel before handling the lenses. Your hands must be free of pollutants and foreign bodies at all times. Never use cold cream, cosmetics, face powder or lotions just before handling the lenses.

2.Always handle lenses with your fingertips. Keep fingernails short and well filed.

3.After removal, the lenses must be cleaned, rinsed, and disinfected well. The solutions used must be approved by the FDA and manufactured by reputable companies. Never compromise on quality, remember you must protect your eyes. Clean lenses immediately after you remove them from the eyes.

4.The lens care solution must be fresh not expired and follow carefully the chemical system of sterilization.

5.For rewetting lenses only use recommended solutions not saliva or any other alternative. Never lick your lens or use tap water.

6.Fix your routine and follow it carefully. Remove lens 1, clean, rinse, disinfect and then place in its chamber in the lens storage case. Then repeat procedure for lens 2.

7.Lenses should always be completely immersed in disinfecting solution when not in use. Never leave lenses exposed to dust or air.

8.Learn the correct method of storing lenses.

9.If recommended use a lubricating solution while the lenses are in use. This will give comfort.

10.If you experience stickiness, discomfort, or any other problem immediately consult your doctor and replace the lenses. No lens with bacterial or fungal growth should ever be worn.

If you experience any irritation from household cleaning fluids, gardening solutions, flying particles, or chemicals rinse your eyes well with tap water and go immediately to the doctor’s clinic or hospital. Treatment must not be delayed.