Learn to take great care of your contact lenses

Saline solution is a mix of salt and water which makes it compatible with the tear film. It can be used to rinse your contact lenses after they've been sitting in your multipurpose contact lens solution. It's important to remember that saline solution should never be used in place of the multipurpose contact lens solution recommended by your eye doctor. Multipurpose solution is what cleans and disinfects your lenses, helping reduce the risk of eye infections. To help ensure you've properly cleaned your contact lenses, always make sure to follow the manufacturer guidelines and doctors guidance when using multipurpose solution.

Wash your hands with a mild soap and water and dry them with a lint-free towel to avoid dirt or oil transferring onto the lens. Place the lens on your fingertip with the curved side facing up. Examine the shape of the lens from a side view. It should resemble a bowl shape with smooth edges. If the edges flare outward or appear slightly turned up, it's likely inside out. Alternatively, gently pinch the lens between your thumb and index finger while holding it to light. It's correctly oriented if its edges meet smoothly without any gaps.

Try rewetting eye drops for contact lenses to lubricate your contacts throughout the day. Make sure to choose drops that are designed for your type of contact lens. Avoid wearing contacts for longer than their recommended wearing time, and blink regularly to spread fresh tears across the lens surface. Using a high-quality multipurpose lens solution and following the proper cleaning routine for the lenses and the case can also help prevent them from drying out quickly.

The main components in contact solution are disinfectants, wetting solution, protein removers and preservatives. Disinfectants help keep germs out, protein removers help remove deposits from your tear film, and preservatives help keep solution safe to use. A contact lens solution is different from a saline solution, which is typically used to rinse lenses before wearing them.

Eye infections from contacts can happen, but they're rare. The most common infection from wearing contact lenses is keratitis, an infection of the cornea. This can happen for many reasons, including sleeping with your contact lenses in, reusing contact lens solution to store lenses, or using the same contact lenses for too long. Following your eye doctor's instructions should lower your risk of developing an infection.

You can use eye drops with contact lenses, but you need to ensure they're formulated specifically for use with contacts, which should be clear on the packaging. Eye drops not meant for use with contacts may cause irritation or redness if they're used while wearing contacts. Always check the packaging and, if in doubt, get in touch with your eye doctor.

The most common causes are indoor and outdoor allergens, such as mold, pet dander, perfume, and pollen. Allergy symptoms depend on what it is you're allergic to and may include other symptoms like redness, swelling, burning, and more. If you have persistently itchy eyes, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor, who can help you determine if treatment is needed.

Dry eyes may cause blurry vision and a variety of other symptoms, including irritation, light sensitivity and redness. Using over-the-counter eye drops can temporarily ease the symptoms of dry eyes. If the problem persists, or you are concerned you have dry eye disease, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor, who can help determine a treatment plan.

There are lots of reasons your contacts may be blurry, including dirty lenses, lenses that are no longer wetting well, dry eyes, or the need for a new prescription. Reusable contacts must be cleaned every day to keep them free of irritants. Also keep in mind that eyes may change over the years, so it's important to keep your contact lens prescription up to date by visiting your eye doctor regularly. Let your eye doctor know if your vision is no longer clear with your contacts.

To flush your eye, use clean saline solution or an over-the-counter eye wash product. Wash your hands beforehand, and if you wear contact lenses, remove them before starting the flushing process. If you're experiencing an emergency such as exposure to hazardous chemicals, flush with tap water while someone calls 911 for you.

Only certain contact lenses have FDA approval for overnight wear. These are called "extended wear" lenses. If you do not wear this kind of lens, you should not sleep in your lenses at all. Even if you do wear this type of lens, you should only wear the lenses overnight if your doctor has approved this in your case. Follow their instructions on how long you can wear your lenses overnight exactly. Never sleep in lenses if your eyes are red, irritated or blurry. Sleeping in contact lenses increases the chances of serious eye problems, including corneal infections.

Using artificial tears specifically made for use with soft contact lenses is typically safe. Artificial tears not designed for use with contact lenses may have ingredients that can irritate your eyes or interact with your lenses. That said, not all artificial tear formulas have been tested with every brand of contact lenses, so it's always best to ask you doctor which eye drops are best to use with your specific type of contact lenses.

You shouldn't use contact solution as eye drops. Eye drops are made to ease specific eye issues like irritation and redness while contact solution is made to disinfect contact lenses so they're safe and clean to wear during their next use. For safety and the sake of your eye health, it's best to use each product only for their respective purposes.