Wearing contacts for longer than instructed can cause eye irritation, infection, abrasions, and vision issues!

Whether your wear daily, weekly, or monthly disposable contacts, Columbia Eye’s contact lens departments at our four convenient locations are here to make sure you always have a supply of fresh contact lenses. Call or walk-in to ask about annual supply discounts, online reordering and contact lens subscription service that provides refills of your contacts shipped directly to you when you need them.

Daily contacts are designed to throw away after a single use. Never reuse daily contact lenses because they’re not designed to withstand washing and disinfecting. Their thin nature, coupled with the soft, flexible material makes the contacts more breathable and comfortable for the eye, but attempting to clean them can cause scratches and tears, causing serious complications that can threaten your vision.

You should also never sleep in your contacts unless they’re FDA-approved for overnight use (dailies are not). Your eyes need rest, so contact lenses should be worn for about 14 to 16 hours per day or according to your doctor’s advice.  Sleeping in your contacts reduces oxygen supply to your eyes and causes irritation.

Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water and dry them with a clean towel before handling your contacts. Harmful bacteria, viruses, or parasites on dirty hands contaminate the surface of the soft contacts which will then be transferred to your eyes, exposing you to risk for infection. Dirty hands may also introduce debris, such as dust, which can irritate your eyes.

You should wait to insert your contacts until after completing your morning routine. Washing your face or showering can expose your contacts to germs in tap water. Hair styling with sprays and aerosols can expose your contacts to eye irritating chemicals and hair sprays can form a coating on your contacts, affecting your ability to see.

Makeup products are a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and should be applied after inserting your contacts. Makeup residues from your hands can easily get onto your contacts and potentially cause eye infections.

If your eyes are irritated, remove your contact lenses and let your eyes rest before inserting a new pair. Consult your eye doctor if the irritation persists.

The post What’s the worst thing you can do if you wear contact lenses? appeared first on Columbia Eye.

We know that you have more on your mind than re-ordering contact lenses. Keeping your contact lenses stocked is important for your eye health and comfort. With Text2Order, we’ll send you a text and you simply text back to confirm your order. Get your contacts delivered right to your door, right on time. You can even pause a shipment if needed and we’ll text a reminder later.

Get started by visiting or calling the Optical Shops at any of our three convenient locations.

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Contact lens dryness is one of the most common complaints we hear from patients who wear contact lenses.  Symptoms of contact lens dryness include:

• feeling your contact lenses throughout the day (dry or gummy),
• the lenses move around on your eye causing blurred vision,
• feeling the need to blink excessively,
• eyes feel tired.

As you wear your contact lenses, lipid and protein deposits form on the front surface preventing tears from effectively coating the lens. The unlubricated lens then rubs against the inside of your eyelid as you blink, causing irritation that feels like something is in your eye. Throughout the day more deposits collect on your lenses, making them more and more uncomfortable.

Your current cleaning solution may not be removing deposits that build up on your lenses. By switching to a brand name contact lens solution that more effectively removes lipid and protein deposits, you will start with a cleaner lens each day. Some people can also be more sensitive (or become more sensitive over time) to certain preservatives used in contact lens cleaning solutions. Use only one brand of solution until you have determined if it is effective for you. Using a combination of solutions makes it difficult to determine which solution may be causing an adverse result.

Unfortunately, no overnight cleaning solution can remove all deposits from your lenses. Because deposits build up over time, patients who wear two-week or monthly disposable lenses tend to have more problems with contact lens discomfort. Switching to daily disposable contact lenses eliminates the issue of buildup over time. Each day you have a clean, deposit-free lens. Single-use contacts also decrease your risk of infection and reduce allergies.

If you are currently not able to comfortably wear your contacts throughout your waking hours, don’t give up on contacts altogether. With the right lenses and cleaning solution, most patients can comfortably wear contact lenses all day, every day.

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