Nasal saline sprays should never be used in place of sterile contact lens solution for soaking, cleaning, or rinsing contact lenses. Although both are called “saline,” the fluids are manufactured for vastly different biological environments and serve incompatible purposes in eye care. Using a nasal product on your contacts introduces immediate and severe risks to your eye health that far outweigh any temporary convenience.
Why Nasal Saline is Unsafe for Contacts
The danger of using nasal saline for contact lenses is the lack of guaranteed sterility and disinfectant properties. Ophthalmic solutions are manufactured under stringent conditions to meet medical device standards, ensuring they are free from harmful microorganisms. Nasal sprays, even those labeled as sterile, are not held to the same zero-tolerance standard for eye-related pathogens, as the nasal mucosa is far more resilient than the delicate corneal tissue.
Using a non-ophthalmic solution risks introducing microbial contamination, including bacteria, fungi, and dangerous amoebas like Acanthamoeba, directly onto the lens surface. Once these microbes adhere to the contact lens, they are placed directly against the eye’s cornea, creating a high-risk environment for infection. Improperly stored or rinsed lenses can lead to severe eye irritation, inflammation, and potentially vision-threatening infections, such as Acanthamoeba keratitis.
Compositional Differences Between Nasal Spray and Contact Solution
The differences in fluid composition and purpose make nasal and contact lens solutions incompatible for ocular use. Contact lens solutions, particularly multipurpose formulas, are complex liquids designed to clean, rinse, disinfect, and hydrate the lens. They contain powerful disinfectants like polyaminopropyl biguanide or polyquaternium-1, which actively kill pathogens and are completely absent in basic nasal saline.
While both are technically saline, their precise balance of tonicity, or salt concentration, and pH are optimized for different tissues. Ophthalmic solutions are carefully balanced to be isotonic with the natural tear film, typically around 0.9% sodium chloride, and maintain a specific pH to prevent cell damage. A solution with improper tonicity can cause corneal cells to swell or shrink, leading to discomfort and potential damage to the eye’s surface.
Furthermore, many over-the-counter nasal sprays contain active medications or additives that are highly toxic to the eye. Common nasal sprays often include vasoconstrictors such as oxymetazoline or naphazoline, decongestants, or steroids intended to reduce swelling in the nasal passages. Exposure to these compounds can cause severe ocular pain, redness, blurred vision, and damage to the corneal epithelium. The manufacturing standards for contact solutions are also significantly more demanding than those for over-the-counter nasal preparations, reflecting the sensitive nature of the eye.
Safe Alternatives for Emergency Contact Lens Care
When faced with an emergency and no contact lens solution, the safest course of action is to immediately remove the contact lenses and discard them. Storing or cleaning lenses with anything other than an approved, sterile product should be avoided to protect eye health. If you must remove the lenses and have no solution, placing them in a clean, empty case until you can obtain the proper solution is sometimes preferred over using a highly risky substitute.
If a rinse is absolutely necessary and an approved multipurpose solution is unavailable, only use a new, sealed bottle of sterile saline intended specifically for eye irrigation or wound wash. This sterile saline is suitable for rinsing the lens to prevent drying but must not be used for disinfection or overnight storage.
Never use the following substitutes, as these liquids are not sterile and harbor microorganisms that can cause severe eye infections:
- Tap water
- Distilled water
- Homemade saline solutions
- Saliva
The only safe and effective way to clean, disinfect, and store your lenses is with a commercially prepared contact lens solution recommended by your eye care professional.