An estimated 45 million people in the United State use contact lenses. But unfortunately, not everyone keeps up with proper use, storage and care of their lenses. At its mildest, carelessness can lead to eye discomfort. At its worst, misuse can cause infections and ulcers that result in blindness.

Because contact lenses sit directly on the cornea – the transparent, dome-shaped covering on the front of your eye – they are much more likely than glasses to cause eye discomfort and infection. If you are experiencing unusual irritation while wearing contacts, you should remove them, make an appointment to see your eye doctor and wear glasses until you can be seen.

But as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Avoid these mistakes to help keep your eyes healthy while wearing contact lenses.

Water

Be safe and remove your contacts before showering or swimming. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling lenses. And never use water as a substitute for the contact lens solution that your eye care provider recommended for your type of lenses.

That’s because water can cause soft contacts to swell or stick to your eye. Even worse, germs can lurk in tap, well, pond, lake and ocean water. An amoeba called Acanthamoeba is notorious for causing eye infections that can take up to a year or more to treat. Chlorinated water in pools isn’t much better – chemicals can damage contacts and irritate your cornea.

Saliva

Chances are that you saw at least one of your classmates use spit to moisten lenses during high school, but you should never risk it. Like water, saliva is not formulated to clean contacts and can harbor bacteria. Always keep contact lens solution and specially formulated contact lens rewetting drops on hand should you need to remove them during the day.

Sharing

Your contact lenses were prescribed just for you. Factors like the curvature of your cornea, the diameter of your eye and the amount of vision correction needed all went into the prescription you were given.

Contacts are not a “one size fits all” type of medical device. Giving someone else your pair can damage their eyes – and spread germs and bacteria as you pass them back and forth. Keep your contacts to yourself and encourage friends and family members to get their own prescription.

Sleep

Unless you are wearing a specific type of contacts to reshape your cornea (orthokeratology), take your lenses out when you nap or sleep at night. This is because your cornea needs to absorb oxygen from the atmosphere to stay healthy. Closing your eyes reduces oxygen exposure, and contact lenses are an additional barrier.

Lack of oxygen to your cornea can lead to dry eyes, irritation and the possibility of infection and corneal ulcers. If you accidentally fall asleep while wearing your contacts, try to get them out as soon as you wake up. If the surface feels too dry for you to remove them, you can use some of your lens solution to help wet your eyes.

Sources:
Acuvue
American Optometric Association
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention