Medicine & Manicures

Healthy Contact Lens Habits


Happy Thursday, friends! Today we’re talking all about eye health and for all the people who weren’t born with perfect vision… this one’s for you. I started wearing glasses when I was in the 7th grade and luckily was able to get my first pair of contact lenses later that year. I like to wear glasses sometimes to give my eyes a break and they’re a fun way to change up your look, but wearing them all day can be uncomfortable at times. Thank goodness for contacts, right?! They are one of the safest and most popular forms of vision correction and I honestly don’t know what I’d do without them (except see the world in a blur). Whether you choose daily, weekly, or overnight contact lenses, it is important to be in tune with your eye health.









Pick a Great Solution


I really like RevitaLens because I have found that it keeps the buildup and protein off of my lenses and keeps them super fresh. I used to buy the generic brands in an attempt to save money, but after working in healthcare and understanding that generic brands can have different inactive ingredients, I believe with some products it’s just better to buy the brand name. Contact lens solution is a perfect example! And I shouldn’t have to say this but do not ever use water or spit (eek!) to re-wet your contacts!! I’ve heard some bad stories and one thing you don’t ever want to mess with is your vision so always use a good multi-purpose solution.










Don’t Over-Wear Your Contacts


I also used to try to save costs by over-wearing my contacts aka stretching 2 weeks to 4 weeks. This definitely caused them to dry out more quickly and not be as comfortable in my eyes. Remember, you’re never supposed to feel contacts and wearing them longer than directed can put you at risk to cause permanent eye damage due to bacteria or oxygen deprivation. Yikes! Now I use monthly contacts and change them on the first day of each month because that’s easiest to remember!





Visit the Optometrist Yearly


I’ve been going to the eye doctor for quite a few years and I believe it’s important to go for your yearly checkup for several reasons. It’s important to see if your prescription has changed, make sure that your contacts are still fitting correctly, and just see if your eyes are in general good health. Even if you don’t wear corrective lenses, you should still visit the optometrist as you get older. Believe it or not, an optometrist can look at your eyes and see signs of diseases such as hypertension or diabetes so like I always say… preventative medicine is the best medicine!






Now, here’s a question for you guys- have you ever had a scary experience with contacts and did you end up changing your routine because of it? I’d love to hear! And if you want to learn more about how to keep your eyes and vision in tip-top shape, visit the American Optometric Associaton here. Thanks for reading y’all!






I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.


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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Myra says

    I love my contacts, but living in Manila has taken a toll on my eyes something fierce! I think all the pollution and awful air quality here breeds so many germs and yucky-ness that no matter what I do, I end up with eye infections. But then I leave Manila, or go back to Houston for a visit, and suddenly, everything with the eyes are okay again! Fingers crossed I don't have this problem once we get out of here! x

  4. Chesson {A Southern Twenty-Five} says

    I used to do all of those cost savings things, too! Generic solution (+ reusing solution…), wearing contacts for 6 weeks instead of 4, etc. Several eye infections later my doctor put me in daily wear contacts to break me of all my bad contact habits 🙂 Great post!

  5. Jenn says

    I've always tried to have healthy contact habits. I think I used to wear mine too long in the day (as soon as I woke up until I went to bed), so now I take them out after I shower at night so I give my eyes a chance to get some more oxygen.

  6. emily @ a little bit of emily says

    Ahh, I had a miserable experience back in jr. high….I had this crazy contact case/solution (I think it was Renu?), not like the normal container, but I did something wrong and it was burning my eyes when I put them back in. No fun…and I have had plenty of times when I put my contacts in the wrong eyes…ahhh just a mess. But when they are in proper they are amazing! 🙂

  9. Owen Davis @ Davis Duo says

    A couple of years ago I had TWO corneal ulcers and a corneal infection thanks to not changing my contacts/contact solution like I was supposed to. It was literally hell. I am so OCD about changing my contacts and the solution ALL the time now!

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