Contact lenses have been the boon and the bane in the eyewear industry. Since their inception in 1887, when glass contact lenses weren’t built to correct vision, but rather protect diseased eyes from exposure; till today, when contact lenses are all the rage for aesthetically pleasing Instagram posts and Halloween costume accessories, contact lenses have come a long way.
A daily contact lens wearer or an occasional lens wearer, contact lenses are a far cry from the irritable glass lens prototype from the 1880s. Now, for the vast majority of wearers, they are comfortable, unnoticeable, and allow people to live their lives with excellent vision.
But it goes without saying, man-made inventions come with their dos and don’ts to make life easier. In this article, we will discuss issues that can arise after a long day of wearing contacts and how they can be rectified.
Five Methods To Tackle The End-Of-Day Contact Lens Discomfort
1 Contact Solution- Your Best Friend
For a contact lens user, it is of utmost importance that you do not over wear your lenses, especially not for longer durations than recommended by your doctor. Overusing contacts can cause dry eyes, redness, irritation, and in some cases, headaches. When you take out your lenses, there are a few tips recommended by experts to clean your lens thoroughly to avoid any discomfort the next day;
- When you take off your lens, do not put the lens back into the old solution in your contact lens case. Discard the old solution, clean the lens case, and replace it with a new batch every time.
- Do not use tap water as a replacement for the lens cleaning solution to store your lenses. Lens solution consists of a sterile, isotonic solution that works to kill bacteria and keep your contact lenses safe, and water can never be a replacement. Choose a lens solution that helps keep the lens moist and remove protein and lipids in deposit like the Aqualens Comfort Solution. These contact solutions are not only great for the lens but also budget-friendly.
- Lens, over time, develop residue even after cleaning it thoroughly every day. This residue is impossible to remove without damaging the lens. At this point, the only solution is to change the lens.
2 Dry Eyes? Do Not Ignore!
Did you know that three out of five contact lens users have experienced dry eyes, even if they have no symptoms. These could be due to over-usage of contacts or an underlying medical condition called dry eye disease (DED). The symptoms of dry eye include:
- Redness of eyes, along with soreness
- Foreign body sensation or gritty eyes
- Low moisture or wetness in the eye
- Sensitivity to strong light
- Itchy, sore, fatigued eyes or
- Blurred vision
The addition of lubricating eye drops helps moisturize your eyes, making blinking smoother, thereby decreasing discomfort. In the case of DED, if your dry eyes persist even after the lens is removed, it is necessary to bring about behavioral changes like reducing screen time and consulting your eye doctor for prescription eye medications. These medications help your body secrete more tears and protect the eyes from dryness and related complications.
Most dry eye cases can be sorted by changing the quality of lenses to the one that can retain more moisture. Check out these Aqualens 24 H Daily Disposable (30 Lens per Box) With a 56% water content, these lenses offer continuous wettability for 24 Hrs.
3 Take A Break
End-of-day discomfort can be significantly reduced by decreasing your lens wear time by a few hours. Let’s suppose, the recommended time of wear by the lens brand is twelve hours. Make an effort to curb the lens wearing time to ten hours to give your eye that much-needed break. Another good idea would be switching from lens to eyeglasses in the evening post-work, rather than keeping them on till you get into bed. This could help reduce eye strain and circumvent the dreaded ‘rip the lens out’ dryness too. Take a look at these feather-light eyeglasses that are made for those who demand for comfort and sophistication even when they’re not wearing their contacts
4 Contact Lens Hygiene
The golden rule, pandemic or otherwise, is to wash your hands thoroughly to avoid contamination before touching anything, including your lens and eyes. Soap, free of perfumes, and a clean towel will suffice in maintaining your hand and eye hygiene. Additionally, it is necessary to trim your nails to avoid injury to your cornea, prevent any tear in your contact lenses, and ensure no dirt gets into the lens.
5 Makeup And Contacts
Makeup on the face is beautiful, but inside the eye, not so much. Makeup that accidentally gets into your eye can cause significant eye irritation and injuries too. For people who wear contact lenses, this can be even more problematic. Makeup could stick to the contact lens, causing irritations like redness, watery eyes, and in the worst-case scenario, allergic reaction due to the chemicals in makeup. It is necessary to take extra care if you are wearing eye makeup with contacts.
- Before applying eye makeup, ensure that you wear your contacts and then carefully put on the makeup around the eye (avoid the skin that comes in direct contact with the lens).
- To remove eye makeup, take out your contacts first, being careful not to get any makeup on them; only then proceed to use your eye makeup remover.
Most end-of-day contact lens discomfort arises by choosing the wrong lens for your eye. Comfort should begin from the moment you wear a lens till the moment you take them out. There are a few factors that need to be taken into consideration while choosing the right lens for your eyes;
- Lens can be worn for 10 to 12 hours a day without any discomfort.
- Contacts should have UV protected lenses to shield your eyes from UV radiation from the sun and prolonged digital device usage.
- No friction and more breathability with oxygen permeability hydrogel lens
- Sharp and crystal clear vision at night.
At Lenskart, you can find premium quality contact lenses at non-premium prices. From top brands, power color lenses, daily/monthly disposable packs to lens solutions; Lenskart is a one-stop ally for all your contact lens accessories.
