More than 30 million people in the U.S. wear contact lenses, but many don’t always follow care instructions recommended by their optometrist, which can cause a serious eye infection.
To avoid infection, it’s important to not sleep in your contact lenses unless the lenses are designed for extended wear. Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling your contact lenses. After removing, be sure to use a contact lens solution for disinfection. This prevents harmful organisms from building up on the lenses.
Never re-use contact solution or top up – discard and replace with fresh solution each time the lenses are stored. Don’t bring your contact lenses in contact with tap water or wet your lenses with saliva either.
Lastly, be sure to replace your contact lenses at the time interval specified and don’t forget to schedule regular eye exams as recommended by your optometrist.
Optometrist Melanie Prosise, O.D. explains, “Although many patients believe they can get away with not following proper contact lens use, the resulting eye infections can truly be serious and cause irreversible damage to one’s vision.”
Source: https://lookafteryoureyes.org/seeing-clearly/eye-wear/contact-lenses/