Contact Lenses are delicate products, and your eyes are even more fragile. Manufacturers came a long way to offer you the best for your convenience. In turn, you should be careful to clean and maintain your contact lenses; their misuse can lead to infections and inflammation.
How many times did you extend the use of your contact lenses? How many times did you sleep in them?
These are the most common misuses; you should always abide by the attached duration-of-use instructions.
Contact lenses usually come with a disposal timeline, and if you wear them for longer than the recommended period, you increase the risk of eye infection and complications.
You should dispose of your Daily Contact Lenses, for instance, immediately after use, and beware not to sleep in them. You should clean your Monthly lenses after wearing them during the day and store them properly at night, you can do that for 30 days, and then you better dispose of them.
How Long Contact Lenses Can Be Kept? Contact lenses type determines how long you can use them; the container often has a label with an expiration date.
What is each type of contact lens’s durability?
Daily Contact Lenses:
The buildup materials for this type of lenses are soft plastic-like substances that allow oxygen and tears transmissibility to the iris.
They are the safest choice in terms of cleanliness and low risk of infection; why? Well, because you don’t have to either clean or store them; they are single-use contacts, you wear them then throw them away.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology reported that some Daily Lenses could last a bit longer than usual, and the matter depends on the manufacturer’s recommendations. So, make sure to read the label.
Monthly Contact Lenses
They are also soft lenses, but you can use them for 30 days. You should set a date each month to dispose of these lenses and store them in a new medical solution each night to ensure sterilization.
Annual Contact Lenses
The use of this type of lenses is declining as people preferring the last two types over them. They are soft oxygen permeable lenses that you should dispose of each year at a pre-set date. You might not use these lenses daily. However, you should properly clean and store them after each use.
Extended-Use Contact Lenses
This type is suitable for those with active lifestyles who find it difficult to take their lenses off daily, like firefighters, police officers, and doctors who might need to spend their nights at the hospital.
You can wear them for hours and days, but experts don’t recommend that, though; your eyes still need to breathe!
You should also follow the disposal instructions, whether they were weekly or monthly.
Rigid Gas-Permeable Contact Lenses
These contacts are suitable for day-time use. Yet, you have to take them off at night for proper cleaning and storage; you can put them in solutions for sterilization, or you can apply some heat to eliminate any infection factors.
When properly sterilized, these lenses can last for up to a year and more, but it is practically rare for anyone to wear them for a year. Needless to say, you should replace them in case of rupture.
How can Contact Lenses last longer?
The American Academy of Ophthalmology offers some recommendations to get the best out of contact lenses while maintaining your eyes health; the most important of which are the following:
- Use the lenses-specific medical solution for sterilization and storage.
- Properly wash your hands before using the lenses and taking them off.
- Always check the lens solution expiration date and replace it immediately.
- Replace the contact lenses container every three to six months.
- Do NOT add a new solution to the used one.
Generally, people avoid wearing contact lenses due to the risk of infections. However, it all comes down to how you handle them; following recommendations significantly minimizes that risk.
Read More: Full Body Workout: Exercise to Keep Your Body Fit
Don’t forget to visit MetroBrazil for high-quality contact lenses.