Before handling your contact lenses

• Always wash and rinse your hands thoroughly before you touch your lenses.
• Do not use creams or perfumes on your hands before touching your lenses.
• Keep fingernails neatly trimmed.
• Always insert your lenses over a flat clean surface and never over the sink

Inserting your contact lenses

• Rinse your right lens. Inspect it to ensure that it is clean and is not inside out. Raise the upper eyelid of your right eye with the first finger of your left hand.
• Balance the lens on the tip of the forefinger of your right hand, and using the third finger to pull down your lower eyelid, place the lens directly onto the surface of your eye.
• Your Left lens can now be inserted in similar manner.

Removing your contact lenses

• Open both eyes very wide.
• Place the first finger of your right hand on the margin of your right upper eyelid. At the same time, place the thumb of the right hand on the margin of the lower eyelid.
• Exerting gentle pressure onto the eye, press both fingers together and squeeze the lens out. Your lens should now be withdrawn from the eye between finger and thumb.
• Remove your left lens using the same procedure with your left hand.
• Follow the cleaning procedure recommended by your practitioner.

Wearing your contact lenses

In general disposable lenses can be worn for several hours immediately. Most patients, however, do have some difficulty inserting and removing their lenses and we consider it prudent to recommend a gradual build up to full daylong tolerance. Start with wearing your lenses for 4 hours and increase by 2 hours each day. Do not wear your lenses for longer than 12 hours in the first month or until they have been rechecked in your eyes by one of our practitioners.

Follow up examinations

Contact lenses are foreign bodies in the eyes and can cause irritations of which the patient is not aware. Only our specialised equipment can detect these problems. It is essential to have your eyes and lenses checked at least once a year.

Advances in technology mean that we will always try to upgrade you into the latest designs and materials. By attending regularly you will benefit from this service.

When you attend for a routine contact lens aftercare appointment please ensure that you are wearing your lenses.

Remove your lenses if they become persistently uncomfortable or your eyes become red and seek our advice.

Always have a pair of up-to-date spectacles you can use when necessary.

Caution

• Do not use solutions or eye medications other than those recommended by us.
• Do not sleep in your lenses unless specifically advised by us.
• Do not wear your lenses in the presence of noxious chemical fumes.
• Do not wear your lenses for extended periods on long haul flights because of the risk of lens dehydration.This can cause red and irritated eyes and may restrict you wearing them well after the journey.
• Avoid long periods staring at a VDU screen as this may cause eye tiredness and dryness. Do have regular breaks.
  We recommend the use of rewetting drops in dry and smoky atmospheres.
• Whilst swimming, use goggles to protect your eyes from water disinfectants.