ok im gonna jump in here and say, i probably have the worst eyesight without contacts on NS. I have what is called keratoconus (very advanced astymatisms) and its so advanced that for me to get any normal form of vision i have to wear soft contact lenses with rigid (gas permeable) lenses on top. without my lenses i cannot read a single letter on the opticians letter chart and have no point of clear focus, with my lenses i have good enough vision to drive. the double lens thing is a combination of that the cone shape of my corneas is so steep that rigid lenses on their own will not fit properly and that from poor fitting rigid lenses i have corneal scarring. so as you can guess i know a whole bunch about lenses and do's and don'ts. also i have had an operation on my left eye to halt my condition that <1000 people worldwide have had. (any questions pm me)
sorry if this is a long post
do:
-replace your solutions for your lenses if you keep them in a case, these cases get large build up of bacteria which is the biggest cause of infection. think about it you put your lenses through all sorts of bacteria throughout the day and then you leave them festering in the same solution as days before, that bacteria is going to catch up at some point.
-gently rub your soft lenses in solution/saline before putting them into solution over-night, no matter if your solution says no rub, they need rubbed.
-speak to your optician about getting more expensive/better quality contacts if you feel that you get really dry and itchy eyes and feel that its a massive release when you take out your lenses. this is a case of your lenses not letting enough oxygen into your eyes and possibly you may have dry eyes and need more hydrating lenses.
-contact your optician at the first sign of problems or discomfort if you cannot explain it. (its there job to provide you with advice and care regarding your eyes)
-always wash your hands before dealing with you lenses.
-carry spare unopened lenses in your bag or car or somewhere that if you have to, you can get them.
-carry a lens case with clean solution with you so if something does happen you can deal with it
-put your lenses in after a one night stand (after having put them in solution in your case, even if dailys) , you want to be able to see what the person you went home with looks like.
-follow guidelines on lenses and solutions, eyesight is not something to abuse, it s a gift.
-if you have long life lenses, use protein remover tablets monthly/every few weeks.
-regularly clean out any cases with saline and every couple of months replace or put in microwave with some saline in.
-see your optician regularly as frequently as directed by them.
dont:
-sleep for extended periods of time with your lenses in. some people have eyes that move alot in their sleep and some have a high protien concentration in their tears and it bulds up and leads to cloudy and damaged lenses.
-put your lenses in your mouth if you get stuck without cases or solution(like one post ive seen) , your mouth is a cess pool of bacteria and you dont want to put that back in your eyes. if you find yourself in this position, put them in a small container of the cleanest water you can find. dont put them back in after hydrating in this water until you have rinsed them in solution.
-wear somebody elses lenses if they have worn them, bacteria again.
-wear lenses of stronger powers if you have run out and thats all you can get. it will just cause you to get a headache, same can be said with less powerful lenses.
-wear daily lenses longer than a couple of days most are not made to take that much wear and will start to deteriorate, which can cause them to tear easier and you dont want to have parts of your lenses to be removed surgically, its not comfortable.
-panic if your lens goes under your eyelid. stay calm and find somewhere quiet to fix it and if you need to with a mirror (girls are vain and will usually have some form of makeup mirror to use).
-go to toilets (home bathrooms are ok) to deal with lenses, bacteria again.
-wear lenses that have completely dried out and have been rehydrated, they will be weak and likely to tear.
-rinse your eyes with any other liquid than saline.
-rub your eyes too much, can cause abrasions esp with contact lenses in.
-feel that you can't break any of these rules if situations get dire and there is litterally no other options no matter how inconvenient.
im a hyporcrite and have broken all/most of these rules, some which have turned out fine others not so good but not really bad. please treat your eyes with respect they are delicate and cherish your gift of sight, just think what it would be to be blind or less sighted than you are.
