It all starts when you decide to become a contact lens wearer. You probably seek the freedom, flexibility and look that contacts can offer and you’re ready to move beyond glasses—or at least have that option when you want it. Your first step should be to choose a comprehensive eye care doctor who can provide a wide range of eye care services.

Make sure that your doctor can offer a thorough eye examination and an honest evaluation of your suitability for contact lens wear. They should also provide the lenses, lens care kits, personal instructions for wear and care, and follow-up visits over the first year. The initial examination may take an hour or longer.

Once you’ve become a non-disposable contact lens wearer, you’ll want to make these common sense habits a part of your daily routine:

  • Always wash your hands before handling contact lenses.
  • Clean your contact lenses regularly. Rub the contact lenses and rinse thoroughly before soaking lenses overnight in multi-purpose solution.
  • Never re-use old solution. Only fresh soaking solution should be used.
  • Store lenses in their case and replace the case at least every 3 months. Clean the case daily and keep it open and dry between cleanings.
  • Follow the contact lens replacement schedule prescribed by your optometrist.
  • Remove contact lenses before swimming or entering a hot tub.
  • Avoid tap water to wash or store contact lenses or lens cases.
  • Schedule regular contact lens and eye exams with your optometrist.

Avoid practices that can cause problems with your contacts:

  • Cream soaps can leave a film on your hands that can transfer to the lenses.
  • Moistening them with saliva (full of bacteria) is a potential source of infection.
  • Using tap water to wash or store contact lenses or lens cases.
  • Using products not recommended by your optometrist to clean and disinfect your lenses. Saline solution and rewetting drops will not disinfect lenses.
  • Homemade saline solutions have been linked with a potentially blinding condition among soft lens wearers.