Contact lenses are devices placed directly on the surface of the eye (the cornea) to correct vision problems such as short-sightedness, long-sightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. Most of them are made of materials called “hydrogels”, which make the lenses breathable: they let oxygen through and keep your eyes feeling fresh. As they are medical devices, they must be used carefully and following a few rules. Here is some useful information to get the best out of them.
Everyday use of contact lenses
Using disposable contact lenses? It’s easy! Just open the blister pack, take the lenses out of the sterile solution and put them in. At the end of the day you simply throw them away, with no daily cleaning needed. Fortnightly or monthly lenses, on the other hand, must be stored in a lens case filled with multi-purpose disinfecting solution. Contact lenses should not be worn for more than 24 hours: prolonged wear can cause discomfort or even damage your eyes.
Before buying contact lenses it is important to have an eye examination with your ophthalmologist, who will give you the best advice on how to use them and confirm, based on your eyes, whether switching from glasses to contact lenses is right for you.
How long lenses last
Daily lenses
As the name says, daily lenses can be worn all day long but must be thrown away once removed. They are simple and very practical to use and, above all, need no cleaning or maintenance.
Wearing new lenses every day is a hygienic and convenient way to use contact lenses. Reusing daily lenses, in fact, can cause serious inflammation of the cornea, with swelling, pain and difficulty keeping the eyes open. Even when the problem is solved with eye drops, antibiotics or cortisone, the eye may no longer tolerate contact lenses, which then cannot be worn as often as before.
So pay close attention to how your eyes react when wearing lenses and, if you notice discomfort or redness, take them out immediately.
Fortnightly, weekly or monthly lenses
Fortnightly contact lenses can be worn every day for two weeks. Before going to bed you must take them out, clean them and leave them to soak in disinfecting solution; the next morning you can put them in again. On the fifteenth day, open a new blister pack and start the day with a new pair. Some frequent-replacement lenses can be worn continuously for several days or weeks, but remember that sleeping in contact lenses increases the risk of eye infections, including serious ones.
Longer-lasting lenses – fortnightly, weekly or monthly – suit people who wear lenses very often. They are cheaper and soft and, if your eyes feel dry, they can be moistened with artificial tears.
If your eyes are very dry, we recommend wearing glasses during the day and keeping daily contact lenses for going out, sport and travel.
Travelling with contact lenses
Whether you are at the seaside or in the mountains, in a village or in the city, travelling with contact lenses means keeping a few precautions in mind.
- BY PLANE: check the current rules on carrying liquids (solutions, eye drops, artificial tears, etc.). To travel within the rules, you can buy single-dose rewetting drops: practical, preservative-free and with a small amount of liquid. The air-conditioned, pressurised cabin dries the eyes, so keep them moist. Disposable lenses are recommended, and avoid wearing lenses on flights longer than four hours.
- BY CAR: moisten your lenses often with artificial tears, avoid driving for long periods without a break and wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun. And never touch your lenses or eyes with dirty hands.
- BY TRAIN: air conditioning in the carriages can make the eyes red and uncomfortable as they lose moisture. Lenses with hyaluronic acid help keep the eyes better hydrated.
Whatever way you travel, avoid exposing your eyes to the sun for long periods and wear good-quality sunglasses.
Other tips
Never store your lenses in tap water: it may contain bacteria and other microorganisms that can cause serious infections.
People with fair skin and light eyes should be especially careful and use lenses with sun protection: green or blue eyes contain less melanin than dark eyes and absorb more of the sun’s rays.