KEEPING YOUR EYES HEALTHY

Few things affect your quality of life more than your eyes and you should never put them at risk. As a contact lens wearer proper care and regular renewal of your contacts are essential in keeping your eyes healthy. To keep your eyes healthy, it is of critical importance that all types of contact lenses including colored ones are fitted properly by an Eye Care Professional. Your doctor will make sure that you will get the most suitable contact lens which meets best the needs of your eyes and your lifestyle. To get the most out of your contact lenses you need to treat them well and follow the lens care directions given to you by your Eye Care Professional.

Daily wear contact lenses

Daily wear contact lenses are to be worn throughout the day and need to be removed every night before going to sleep. They are discarded after a certain period of time and replaced with a new pair. It is important to know that by shortening the replacement cycles the complication rate with contact lens wear will reduce significantly. Remember this simple truth: the more often you replace your contacts the less likely complications will occur. Some daily wear lenses are discarded every day, while others are discarded after one or two weeks or longer. If these lenses are reused, they must be cleaned and disinfected before being worn again. If you do not want to clean your lenses every day, or if you suffer from allergies, daily disposables, like 1DAY ACUVUE^®, might be the best solution for you. Since you discard them every night, and replace them every morning with a fresh and new pair of lenses there is no day-to-day deposit build up and lens cleaning is not necessary. Therefore, many Eye Care Professionals and contact lens wearers feel that daily disposable contact lenses are the healthiest and most convenient way of wearing contact lenses.

Extended wear contact lenses

Extended wear contact lenses are worn overnight until the end of the wearing time recommended by your Eye Care Professional. Some extended wear lenses are discarded when removed. Others are cleaned, disinfected and reused before being replaced. Always follow the guidelines given by your doctor.

Did you know sharing contact lenses is dangerous and means taking a big risk with the safety and health of the eyes? Contact lenses are uniquely fitted for a person's individual eyes and should never be shared with anyone else.

Wear them right and protect your sight.

There's more to contact lens replacement than the great feeling of placing fresh, new lenses on your eyes. It is also critical to your eye health. You may find it illogical to throw away your lenses while you feel your vision and comfort are still good. However, eye problems often have no symptoms early on and vision can be reduced considerably without detection if it occurs in small increments. To avoid complications, you should throw away your lenses before any degradation of performance will occur. Following the recommended replacement schedule of your doctor prevents you from future problems.

The more often you replace your lenses by a fresh new pair the healthier it is for your eyes.

Sometimes, however, it is difficult to remember when to replace your lenses. Write your lens replacement date on your calendar. If you have an electronic calendar, program it to remind you to change your lenses. It is also good idea to keep a visual reminder in the area of your house where you insert and remove your lenses everyday. For example, keep a note next to your toothbrush holder or on the mirror to remind you when it's time for a fresh pair of lenses. And remember: if in doubt, always take a new fresh pair of lenses. Contact lenses are medical devices and should be treated as such. Just like with any medical device failing to follow prescribed directions increases the risk of health problems with your contact lenses:

• Daily wear contact lenses should never be worn overnight without approval from your Eye Care Professional. Doing so can deprive your eyes of oxygen and reduce their ability to fight off infection.
• Always replace your lenses as directed by your Eye Care Professional. Wearing them too long without replacement can lead to a buildup of lens deposits that may result in irritation and/or reduced vision. Remember the more often you replace your lenses the healthier your eyes will be.

Caring for your lenses means caring for your eyes.

Your lens wearing and replacement schedules are critical to your eyes health. Another area where it is important for you to comply with the instructions given by your Eye Care Professional is proper lens care and maintenance:

• Hand washing is always the first step before handling contact lenses, whether that is lens removal, lens insertion, or lens cleaning. Otherwise, anything found on the hands can be transferred to the lens, including bacteria and other microorganisms.
• Non-perfumed anti-bacterial liquid soap dispensers are preferable to bars of soap, which can be contaminated more easily.
• All soap must be thoroughly rinsed off the hands before the lenses are handled to avoid contamination.

• Daily wear contact lenses should never be worn overnight without approval from your Eye Care Professional. Doing so can deprive your eyes of oxygen and reduce their ability to fight off infection.
• Always replace your lenses as directed by your Eye Care Professional. Wearing them too long without replacement can lead to a buildup of lens deposits that may result in irritation and/or reduced vision. Remember the more often you replace your lenses the healthier your eyes will be.
• The hands should always be dried with a lint-free towel to prevent getting lint on the lenses.
• Any contact lens that is worn more than once must be cleaned and disinfected before being placed back onto the eye. It is because pathogenic germs could cause complications and substances like protein, calcium and lipid that are found naturally in your tears could build up on the surface of all contact lenses. They may reduce the comfort of your contact lenses and make your eyes more prone to infection.