Care to Place and Remove Contact Lenses

The process of putting on and taking off contact lenses involves the handling of the lenses, which means that some hygiene precautions must be followed to avoid the occurrence of infections or eye complications.

Compared to prescription glasses, contact lenses have several advantages because they do not become blurry, they do not weigh or slip and are more comfortable for those who practice physical activity, but their use can lead to conjunctivitis, red and dry eyes or ulcers on the cornea, for example. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of using contact lenses in Guia to wear contact lenses.

How to Put Contact Lenses

To put contact lenses daily, it is recommended to follow a hygiene routine, which makes the entire process safer. Thus, it is recommended:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with liquid soap and dry;
2. Choose an eye and always start with that, to avoid changes, it is usually recommended to start with the right eye;
3. Remove the lens from the case with the tip of the index finger, place it in the palm of the hand and check that the lens is not inverted. To do this, you should place the lens on your index finger, pointing it towards the light, and check that the edges widen to the outside, if this happens the lens is reversed (inside out). For the lens to be in the correct position, it should show a bluish outline, as shown in the image;
4. Then put the lens back in the palm of the hand, passing some liquid on the lens to remove some particles that may have become trapped;
5. Put the lens on the tip of the index finger, use the fingers of the hand that has the lens to open the lower eyelid and those of the other hand to open the upper eyelid;
6. Slowly and carefully, move the lens toward the eye, placing it gently. If necessary, looking up at the moment the lens is placed may facilitate the process;
7. Release the eyelids and close and open the eye for a few seconds to aid in the adaptation.

The entire process from point 3 should be repeated to place the lens in the other eye.

How to remove contact lenses

Normally, removing the lenses is easier than putting on, but the necessary care is similar. Thus, to remove the lenses from the eye, it is advised:

1. Wash hands again with anti-bacterial soap and dry;
2. Open the lens case, choosing the eye to start with.
3. Look up and with the middle finger pull the lower eyelid;
4. With your index finger, gently pull the contact lens down to the white part of the eye;
5. Grasp the lens with your thumb and forefinger, squeezing gently with just enough force to remove it from the eye;
6. Place the lens in the case and close.

The entire process from point 2 must be repeated to remove the other lens. In the case of daily contact lenses, they should never be stored and should only be removed from the eye and discarded.

Cleaning and Care of Contact Lenses

To avoid infections and other more serious problems like corneal ulcers, it is important that those who wear contact lenses follow a few rules, which include:

• Before touching eyes or lenses always wash hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial liquid soap and dry with paper or a lint-free towel;
• Change the disinfectant solution from the lens case whenever you need to store lenses, rinsing the case thoroughly with solution to remove possible debris.
• Whenever you store a lens, you must first place the solution in the case, not the lens;
• The lenses should always be manipulated one at a time, to avoid confusion or change, since it is common for eyes not to have the same degree.
• Whenever a lens is withdrawn from the eye, you should put in the palm of the hand, add a few drops of disinfectant solution and with your fingertip should gently rub the front and the back of each lens in order to thoroughly clean your surface.
• Whenever the kit is free, it should be rinsed with disinfectant solution, letting it air dry in the upside down and on a clean cloth. The case should be changed once a month to avoid infection and accumulation of waste.
• If the lenses are not used every day, the solution of the case should be changed once a day to preserve and disinfect the contact lens.

Placing and removing contact lenses from the eyes is an easy process, especially if done by following the recommended steps. Often there is the fear that the contact lens gets caught in the eye and can not be removed, but this is physically impossible due to the existence of a membrane that prevents this from happening. Know other Myths and Truths about Contact Lenses.