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Vision Solution With Contact Lenses

May 29th, 2009
Suzanne Hughes asked:


Earlier when eye vision needed to be corrected, people preferred glasses. But glasses often can’t be worn while playing sports, as they slip on nose.

Then came contact lenses which are easy to use and manage, and almost undetectable. The contact lens is made up of thin plastic discs that are curvy at the inside so as to fit easily on the eye surface. The lenses are shaped externally so as rectify and better poor eye sight.

This contact lens is also used to bandage the eyes after surgery. There are also cosmetic benefits of lenses like covering eye’s white scarring with them or changing the color of the eye according to the dress for fashion.

Types of Lenses

Disposable lenses: The disposable contact lens is used for a limited time period that might be a day, a week or a month depending on the type of lens. The disposable lens is good for the people who cannot care and clean the contact lens regularly. The disposable contact lens comes in different colors and according to eyes also.

Gas Permeable lens: The gas permeable lens transmits more oxygen to the eyes so as to provide clarity of vision. These lenses are durable and easy to clean so last up to a year. These lenses are made of semi rigid material with no water so the wearer takes some time to adapt to them.

Flexible and extended wear contacts: These are specially designed so that the wearer can use them continuously for several days. One can also take a nap while using the lenses in eyes. This contact lens allows more oxygen to reach the eye cornea.

Annual soft contact lenses: These lenses prevent eyes from drying as its soft material aid oxygen transmission. These lens need good care, cleansing and storage as used for a complete year.

Cosmetic Lens: Four varieties of cosmetic lenses are in the market. They are light-filtering tints, visibility tints, enhancement tints and opaque color tints. The power value of the lens lies in the center so it needs typical cleaning regime daily. But there are also cosmetic lens that are without visual correction.

The contact lenses can now correct all types of visual defects like Astigmatism.

Caring for your contact lens

While wearing contact lens the person feel comfortable with his vision but proper care of lens is also required for preventing any eye infection. You should keep your contact lenses disinfected and clean as contact lenses get so many deposits on them both from the environment and the eye whilst wearing them.

Tears contain lipids, mucous, proteins and calcium that deposit on the lens. The pollutants in the environment like metal and dust particles from cars and factories embed to lens surface.

So to save contact lenses from these deposits, they should be soaked in eye solutions daily for disinfection. If these deposits remain on the surface of the contact lens, it may lead to redness in the eye and recurrent infections. So daily cleaning of contact lens with surfactant cleaner by rubbing in the palm is very important.



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Questions To Ask When Buying Contact Lenses

May 29th, 2009
Amy Nutt asked:


Buying contact lenses is a big deal because they affect how it is you see the world around you. Since eyesight is very important, it is important to make sure that no harm can be done to our vision and that nothing occurs that can negatively compromise our vision. However, when buying contact lenses, many are not sure what to look for and there are certain things that should be evaluated before contact lenses are considered. Do you have allergies? Do you work in an environment where particles of materials and fumes can get in your eyes? Are you able to properly take care of the contact lenses? These are just a few questions you should ask yourself when bringing the issue of having contact lenses to the table with the doctor.

Once you answer the above questions and you determine that allergies, work, and proper care of the lenses are not an issue; then it is time to ask the doctor questions. Learn as much about your contact lenses as possible. Even if you are using an online service to order your contacts, get on the phone or e-mail them a bunch of questions. You want to know what your choices are and how those choices will affect your ability to see. You want to be able to see the best you can and be comfortable while doing it, so don’t be afraid to ask these questions:

- What do the markings on the box mean? You should ask this question, especially if you will be ordering contacts from a source other than your doctor. The markings are your measurements such as “sph” meaning the spherical power of the lens. A negative before the number means that you are myopic, or what many call nearsighted. The “BC” is the curvature of the back of the lens and the “Dia” is the diameter of the lens. These are just a few examples of what you may see on the box.

- What are the different materials that I have to choose from? You want to know this because different people may require different materials. Some even have to try different contacts before they find one that fits them well, so don’t get discouraged if this is you. This is why the doctor may offer you a trial pair. If that doesn’t work, then he may offer you another until you can find one that is comfortable enough for you.

- Are soft contacts or hard contacts better for me? Hard contacts are hardly used nowadays, but there are those who wish to continue wearing them. The doctor may suggest soft lenses, but an exception may be made if you wore hard lenses in the past and liked them.

- Why is my contact lens prescription different than my glasses? The distance the lens is from your eye can have an impact on this. It also depends on what degree of astigmatism you have. Astigmatism may be corrected on one or the other.

- Can my astigmatism be corrected with my contacts? It is possible for low astigmatism to be corrected with contacts, but it is fair to say that those with severe astigmatism may find that they see better with their glasses since astigmatism can only be corrected so much with contact lenses.

And so these are questions that you must ask of your doctor to learn a little more about these very small and clear circles that correct vision for millions of people. It is important to know this information because it allows you to know more about what you’re putting in your eyes and helps you make more informed decisions when choosing the contact lens that is right for you.



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Artificial Eye Care

May 29th, 2009
Carolina Eye Prosthetics asked:


The days of daily removal and cleaning of an artificial eye are gone. Most ocularists and ophthalmologists now agree that if the ocular prosthesis is not causing irritation to the eye socket, it should be left alone. It may however require occasional lubrication depending on the function of the tear ducts or other natural lubricants of the eye socket. In fact, it is now believed that handling the ocular prosthesis can increase the chance of infection in the eye socket and it should only be handled when necessary. However, the area surrounding the eye socket such as the eye lid and eye lashes should be cleaned daily in order to remove buildup of the eye’s natural secretions. When cleaning this area, it is important to remember to only rub from the outside of the eye towards the nose as not to displace the prosthesis.

Occasionally, the artificial eye can acquire protein build ups or other irritants that may require its removal and cleaning. Before you begin this process, make sure that you thoroughly wash your hands with an antibacterial soap in order to lessen the chances of infecting the socket. To remove the artificial eye, simply pull down the lower lid and look upward, which allows the prosthesis to slide out over the lower lid. Make sure you place the palm of your free hand on your cheek to catch the prosthesis as it slides out. There are also suction cups available to help with the removal of an ocular prosthesis if needed. Once removed, it is important to keep the prosthesis wet with either water or saline solution so that any secretions on the eye do not dry on the surface of the prosthesis. The artificial eye can be gently cleaned with an antibacterial soap and a cotton ball. It is important not to use rubbing alcohol or any other harsh chemical as they can damage the ocular prosthesis.

If needed, you can also clean out the eye socket with a saline solution while the artificial eye is removed. Using a bulb syringe and sterile saline solution, both of which can be found at any drug store, simply flush the eye socket to remove any debris or build up. Once the artificial eye and the eye socket have been cleaned, the ocular prosthesis can be reinserted by holding the prosthesis between the thumb and forefinger and with the other hard, lift the upper eye lid. Then, gently slide the top of the prosthesis under the upper eye lid and hold in place while you pull down the lower eye lid with your other hand so that it slips over the bottom of the prosthesis holding it in place.

Other than occasional at home cleanings, it is important to return to your ocularist once or twice a year in order to have the eye checked, professionally cleaned and polished. This will help ensure a natural look and increase the longevity of the ocular prosthesis. Plus, the ocularist will be able to detect the subtle changes in the prosthesis or socket that may require an adjustment.

Artificial eyes are relatively low maintenance prosthesis and actually benefit from limited care due to decreased risk of damage or infection. For this reason, an ocular prosthesis is easy to care for and maintain and although the concept of removing an eye might seem overwhelming at first, it is rarely required and quality ocular prostheses are designed for simple removal, insertion and maintenance.



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Eye Care Exam: Are They Important And How Often

May 28th, 2009
Paul Courtney asked:


Like every other part of our bodies our eyes are also subject to wear and tear be it from the ultra violet rays of the sun, pollution and dust in the air, transmittable diseases or stress from looking at a computer screen all day.

Most of us go to our family doctors to undertake a physical exam to see how our overall health is. Other people take their health for granted. Why is it then that many of us disregard our eyesight. To guarantee healthy and normal vision, an annual visit to your eye doctor for your eye care exam is necessary.

Your eyes are like your windows to the world, Our brain receives sensory information daily from our eyes therefore keeping them in an optimum shape will ensure proper signals being received by the brain and consequent action and reactions. If your vision is sub par this will obviously affect your life performance.

Eye care exams should start from a very early age, babies of 2-6 months should have their eyes checked to correct any abnormalities, children entering primary school and again when entering secondary school should undergo eye care exams which will also detect any vision problems and corrective action can be taken to rectify the problem.

As we get older it is of vital importance to have an eye care exam performed yearly because every time you visit your eye doctor they will evaluate any changes in your vision system and they can help you correct any difficulties that you may have with your sight. Early diagnosis of any potential problems will decrease the chance of severe damage to our sight.

Elderly citizens are more susceptible to vision loss, they should be aware that the probability of having vision disorders increases with age. The threat is still there even though you might not be experiencing any problem, therefore you should visit your eye doctor regularly for an eye care exam.

An eye care exam is a painless and informative method for the assessment of your eyes. The eye doctors will test your visual acuity, which is the clarity of your vision. During the eye care exam, the doctor will also check the muscles of the eyes, eye pressure, fluid circulation, retina and general condition of your eyes.. The routine eye examination is not painful or uncomfortable.

Eye Care Exam Doctors

Doctor’s who specialize in the comprehensive care of the eyes and visual system in the prevention of eye disease injury is the ophthalmologist. They are medically trained specialists who can deliver total eye care exams, primary, secondary and tertiary care services and diagnose general diseases of the eyes.

Whereas the health care professional who provides only primary care services is the optometrist. Services included are the comprehensive eye health and vision examinations: treatment and diagnosis of the vision disorders and eye diseases; the detection of general health problems; they prescribe the glasses, contact lenses, vision therapy, low vision rehabilitation and medications.

How Often Should You Have An Eye Care Exam?

If you note that you are having eye difficulty, pain or visual disturbances or any other problem in the eyes, you should immediately see an eye doctor. However, if you are in good health and no known ailments, no vision problems, you can have an eye exam every two to four years provided your age is below forty. For people with diabetes, you need frequent eye examinations to maintain good eye health.

Remember prevention is better than a cure, so make sure you are aware of your vision and if you note any deterioration get on down and have an eye care exam.



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Doctor Recommend Reading Glasses Combination With Contact lenses Correct Distance Vision

May 27th, 2009
Suwat Muenpan asked:


They correct vision with no distortion, but they are the least comfortable type of contact lens. In other cases, your doctor may recommend using reading glasses in combination with contact lenses that correct for distance vision. For those who are short-sighted a number of contact lens products are now available to restore sharp, clear distance vision. Patients who require correction to improve vision may wish or even need to wear contact lenses to maximize their vision.

Apart from cosmetic lenses, contact lenses allow normal vision for people with a wide range of medical conditions. Infants and young children often have various visual conditions that require a contact lens so that their vision system can develop normally. The main concern with implantable contact lenses is the risk of infection, a potentially serious condition that can lead to loss of vision. Soft contact lenses are available that will change the color of your eyes, even if you don’t require vision correction. Correcting vision is not the only use for contact lenses.

Colored contact lenses are available with no vision correction, and an even more stylised version, called Halloween contact lenses, goes one step further. Nowadays almost all those who need vision correction and want to wear contact lenses can do so. Crazy Eyes novelty contact lenses are available both for those who need vision correction, and those who don%u2019t! High Myopia Patients with a high degree of nearsightedness are known to attain better vision with the use of contact lenses. The Contact Lens specialist will determine what your fee will be based on the type of lenses desired and your particular vision needs.

People who have chronic or recurrent infections or sores on the cornea cannot wear contact lenses. 1982: Bifocal daily wear soft contact lenses became available for commercial distribution. Unless you have been instructed otherwise, remove your contacts at night, even if you wear disposable lenses. Almost anyone with astigmatism can now wear contact lenses. But he isn’t keen on forking out over Rs 1,000 for a pair of contact lens he may wear only once.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert to health-care professionals and patients who wear soft contact lenses of the risk. Following a thorough ophthalmic examination, a patient’s potential for successful contact lens wear is objectively evaluated. editor Neil Fowler said: “Many people who wear long-life contact lenses may be paying over the odds. For some people who haven’t been able to wear contacts and want to, implantable lenses may be an option.

Wear your contact lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your doctor. Toric lenses correct this problem just as well as wearing glasses does, and come as disposabls, extended wear and even colored contact lenses. Safe contact lens wear For most people, contact lens wear is safe and completely trouble free. There are also many practical advantages to contact lens wear for sports and recreational use.

http://www.laser-vision.info/contact-lens/



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Access to Eye Care is Important to your Family

May 27th, 2009
Paul Courtney asked:


Access To Eye Care Is Important For Your Family.

When children are young they are unable to describe how wel they can see things, particularly in the early learning stages and it is virtually impossible for parent to recognize a visual disability in the early stages thus imparing the child’s development.

Ensuring that your family has regular access to eye care, is perhaps one of the most important things for a family’s health. Without proper eye care, children are too often forced to enter school with untreated sight deficiencies, and in turn do not get the education they deserve. Access to eye care is equally important for adults. Even if you need glasses or contacts, allowing your eyes to go unchecked for long can lead to much more serious sight loss.

Choosing An Eye Care Professional

1. To ensure that your family has proper access to eye care, you need to choose an eye care professional that can work with your entire family, regardless of age. Children require a different approach to eye care than adults do, and not all eye care professionals will work with kids. Or, some will work with older children, but not with toddlers, who need access to eye care as well. Before you settle on an eye care professional, ask around to see which ones in your area accept children.

2. In order to ensure that your family has proper access to eye care, choose an eye care professional that offers several different types of payments options. The eye doctor you choose should accept several different insurance companies, as well as offer cash only payment plans. If you have a large family, you may want to look for an eye doctor that offers family discounts as well.

When You Can’t Afford Eye Care

For those who do not have proper access to eye care due to financial difficulties, there are alternative options, as well. Every state has a low income, state funded, health insurance program. Although these programs do not cover much, they do cover annual eye exams in most states. This is true for both adults that qualify, as well as children. Although glasses, contacts, and other specialized optometric procedures are not necessarily covered, the basic yearly visit is. This is one way our government has opted to ensure access to eye care for everyone.

When You Should Start

Although its never too early to start making sure your eyes are in good health, you should provide access to eye care to your children as early as twelve months. It is most important that children have access to eye care as early as possible to help protect against future eye problems. Your entire family’s eye care should be one of your highest priorities. Thanks to the efforts of many eye care professionals to provide access to eye care to everyone, this is now easier than ever!

If your vision is blurry , you are finding it hard to read or make out objects on the horizon or are suffering from head aches then good access to eye care will provide you with the necessary help you need.



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Advantages of Contact Lenses Over Glasses

May 27th, 2009
S. Geetha asked:


The functional advantages of contact lenses over glasses can be felt in areas like sports, working in humid conditions and also in occupations where glasses can be very inconvenient and may not be compatible when using equipment like special headgears. Contact lenses also offer aesthetic advantages as they do not alter the image of the person wearing it.

When contact lenses are worn correctly on the cornea of the eye, the vision is very similar to the natural vision. The objects are seen in the right size and position without any kind of distortion of the image. When glasses are worn, the distance between the glasses and the eye vary making the objects appear smaller or larger than the actual size, position etc.

Contact lenses are not altered by bodily movements, as in the case of sports or similar kind of activities. They remain stable providing stable and clear vision to the wearer. When glasses are worn, the vision is unstable while moving or running, in turn affecting the performance of the wearer.

Contact lenses provide a better and wider peripheral vision than the glasses. Contact lenses move with the movement of the eyes and the wearer always looks through the clearest part of the lens called the optic zone. When glasses are worn, it blocks the peripheral vision. When the eyes move to the sides, the sight is far from the optic center leading to distorted and blurred vision.

Contact lenses do not steam up due to body heat or perspiration. They also neither fog when exposed to cold weather nor get splattered in the rain. Glasses on the other hand fog up and the wearer cannot see completely during rain pour.

Contact lenses do not leave marks on the nose and are very comfortable to wear. No pressure is felt on the ears, temple, or nose unlike the glasses. Also glasses slide down from the nose during perspiration.

As told before, contact lenses do not alter the appearance of the person. They are boon for children who are often picked up at school for wearing glasses. Contact lenses provide both physical and psychological comfort to the wearer.

Also, after cataract operations, contact lenses provide the necessary protection more than the glasses. Contact lenses offer adequate correction when the visual acuity of the eyes are more than 2.5 diopters, which is not possible with the glasses.



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Dry Eye Care - Don’t Let it Go Untreated

May 27th, 2009
Madonna Jeffries asked:


Our eyes need to be coated with moisture so as to function properly. It is easy to compare our eyes and the need for a lubricant to coat the eye ball to that of a motor, where as a comparison a lubricant (usually oil) is needed so as to ensure the moving parts work properly. As we know if a motor was required to perform without the parts being well lubricated it would only take a short time before the non-lubricated moving parts would suffer from abrasions. In situations where our eyes do not have enough lubricant the condition is known as ‘Dry Eye’.

Dry eye, or dry eye syndrome as it is often known, is a medical condition that occurs when the sufferer’s eyes lack the correct formation of lubricant. Usually the lubricant is in the form of tears and dry eye is as a result of the body not producing sufficient quantities of tears to oil the eyes and make them relaxed. This condition is more prevalent amongst older people. In America alone around 30 to 40 million people suffer from dry eye syndrome. About three quarters of sufferers have fairly mild cases, however many of the remaining 10 million or so sufferers experience extremely serious cases of the affliction.

One of the very important aspects of dry eye care is having the sufferer understand the symptoms associated with the condition and address the problem correctly. As a guide most people suffering from this problem usually experience constant irritation, their eyes ache and they experience a burning sensation as well as a grainy feel in on and around the eyes.

If you suffer from this condition it is important that you undertake an eye care program as soon as possible because if the eyes go untreated it can possibly result in more serious problems occurring in the future. These serious symptoms can include scarring, infection of the cornea and in the most severe of cases even permanent loss of vision. It is vitally important that dry eye syndrome be treated because failure to do so may result in serious consequences.

Preventative Suggestions

Dry eye care starts with preventative measures to ensure adequate moisture is present in the eyes. If you have noticed that you have a distinct lack of moisture in your eyes it is recommended that you take steps to avoid the use of hair driers, use glasses to deflect wind from the eye region, avoid extremely warm rooms and of course avoid smoke. Other preventative measures include wearing glasses rather than contact lenses, using a manmade tear ointment at night before going to bed and use humidifiers in rooms that have been heated.

From Dry To Damp

When Dry Eye Syndrome cannot be prevented, your dry eye care should include treating the eyes with formulated eye drops. Many brands of effective eye drops can be bought over the counter and do not require a doctor’s prescription. In essence these drops work as fake tears. Currently a great deal of scientific research is being undertaken to develop more advanced medications for the treatment of this eye condition.

In more serious cases the eye’s cornea becomes terribly irritated. In some of these situations the use of anti-inflammatory agents are encouraged to combat the condition. An effective dry eye care remedy for short-term usage only, includes topical steroids as an ingredient in the eye drops. However, it is not recommended that these compounds be used over an extended time frame because of the known side effects.

As part of the modern treatment regime researchers are trying to find out ways of restricting the extent of the eyes swelling, instead of just oiling the eye’s surface. They have developed a number of methods to reduce the dry eye condition, including one method where the doctor attempts to close the channels from the eye to the nose. Another method involves using very small plugs to control the speed and volume of the flow of tears as they drain from the eyes.

So if you think that you may suffer from this syndrome and are in need of dry eye care please consult your doctor for advice on preventative measures as well as effective treatment for your condition.



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How to Become Comfortabale With Your Contact Lenses

May 27th, 2009
J&g Reay asked:


If you don’t take care of your contact lenses, they can do you more harm than good. Contact lenses are a very popular alternative to corrective vision, and they can really help your eyes if you take care of them. There are ways that you can get the most from your contacts, and ensure that they remain comfortable for as long as you wear them. Below, you will find some tips on how to get the best from your contacts.

To ensure that your contacts remain healthy, you should always replace them as required by the manufacturer or type of contacts you are using. Most types of contacts need to be replaced every 2 weeks, and replaced with a fresh pair. If you are using daily disposable lenses, you should always throw them away before you go to sleep, then wake up to a fresh new pair in the morning.

Another common mistake people make, that can easily damage or affect contacts, is swapping them with other people. You should never swap your contacts, even with a family member or friend. No matter how well you know the person, you should never switch contacts with them. Swapping contacts can damage your eyes, in the terms of protein and contact shape/power.

Anytime your eyes start to bother you, you should take your contacts out and allow your eyes time to rest. Normally, if your contacts are causing irritation, allowing your eyes ample time to rest will correct the problem. If it happens to be more than just tired eyes or irritation, you should leave your contacts out until you can schedule an appointment with your optician and get them checked.

Before you handle your contacts, or put them in your eyes, you should always wash your hands with soap and water, and dry them thoroughly. If you handle your contacts with dirty hands, you could easily get dirt or debris on your lenses and transfer that dirt that you put on the lens into your eye - which could result in an eye infection. If your hands aren’t clean, you can also scratch or tear your contact lens, which can do damage to your eyes, possibly even scratch the cornea.

When you handle your solution, you should avoid letting the tip of the bottle touch any surface. You should also make sure that you read the label on the solution bottles, as there are some types of saline solution that are intended to be used with certain contacts. Some types of solution aren’t meant to be put in your eyes, while others can be used as eye drops. To be on the safe side, you should always read the label and know what you can and can’t do with your solution.

When you put your contacts in, you should try and put them in using the same order each and every time. This way, you’ll know which contact goes in first and you won’t get them mixed up. Before you put them in, you should always inspect them each and every time to make sure they aren’t torn or damaged. If you notice a tear or anything wrong with your lenses, you should immediately discard them and switch to a fresh pair.

To get the most from your contacts and ensure that they remain comfortable, you should always take care of them and use a bit of common sense. If you experience any problems with your contacts, you should take them out and let your eyes rest for a while. Contacts are great to have, although you’ll need to rest your eyes every so often. This way, your eyes will get the rest and oxygen they need, and you can go back to wearing your contacts after a few hours.



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How Long Can You Leave Contact Lenses in Their Case For?

May 26th, 2009
A. Nutt asked:


It doesn’t matter what kind of contact lens you wear, there are times in which you have to take them out. How often you have to take them out of your eyes depends on what kind of contact lenses you have. For example, you may have a daily wear contact lens that requires you to dispose of them daily. Then again, you may have an extended wear contact lens that doesn’t require you to take them out for a month.

The different kinds of contacts

First, it is a good idea to discuss the different kinds of contacts. As mentioned before, there are daily contact lenses that you throw away daily. Those should not have to be put into a contact lens case. This is unless you need to take them out at some point during the day. However, you don’t need to take them out for part of the day and then put them back in the next day so that you get an entire day’s wear out of them. They’re daily, so just throw them away.

There are also contacts that you wear for a week and throw away at the end of that week. These are most likely contacts that you’re going to take out at the end of the day before you go to bed. You can keep them in your case overnight. If you don’t feel like wearing them the next day, you can leave them in their case and wear your eyeglasses. The same applies to those contact lenses that you throw away every two weeks and monthly contacts. You take them out every night and put them back in the next morning.

The next contact lens on the list involves extended wear contact lenses. These are the contacts that you can wear for an entire month before taking them out. However, you don’t have to take them out, which means there is no reason for the case. When the 30 days are up, they simply go into the trash can and nowhere else. They should not go to your contact lens case for anything. The only time that should happen is if you have to take them out at some point during your 30 day wear period.

How long to leave them in their case

Well, you have read that there are contact lenses you wear and throw away after wear. Those are the daily contact lenses and the extended wear that you will throw away after a month. As stated before, you may not have to put those in a case at all unless you have to take them out sometime during your wear period.

As for your others, you simply store them overnight. But what do you do if something happens that requires you to take them out for a prolonged period of time? What if you’re wearing extended wear contacts and you don’t complete the time in which you are to wear them? What do you do?

Truthfully, contact lenses can remain in their case for six months to a year. It is just a matter of whether or not you want to do something like that. To keep yourself on a schedule, it is ideal to throw away daily contact lenses. However, you may find yourself in a situation where you were only able to wear a weekly contact for a day. Does that mean you can put it in your case and put it back in next week? That shouldn’t be an issue. If you had an infection of some sort, it may be a good idea to throw it away, though. The same rule applies to all of the different kinds of contact lenses. But if you’re more than halfway through your wear period, go ahead and throw them away.



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