When you wear contact lenses, you might find yourself without the proper cleaning solution. While tempting to find an alternative, remember that contact lenses are medical devices requiring specific care to protect eye health. Understanding correct handling and cleaning procedures is fundamental to preventing harm.
Why Common Substitutes Are Dangerous
Using common household liquids as substitutes for contact lens solution can introduce significant risks. Tap water is not sterile and contains microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and Acanthamoeba. Bottled water, while seemingly cleaner, lacks the necessary disinfecting agents and sterility, potentially harboring similar contaminants. Saliva is another unsuitable alternative, as it is teeming with bacteria from the mouth that can easily transfer to the lens and then to the eye, leading to infection.
Homemade saline solutions, often created with salt and water, are unsafe because they cannot be sterilized effectively at home and lack disinfecting properties. These solutions may have an incorrect pH balance, which can irritate the eye and reduce the effectiveness of any disinfecting agents on the lens. Rewetting drops lubricate and rehydrate lenses, but do not contain ingredients to clean or disinfect them. Using them as a cleaning substitute provides a false sense of security, leaving lenses contaminated and eyes vulnerable to infection.
Serious Risks of Unsafe Contact Lens Practices
Improper cleaning or unapproved substitutes can lead to severe eye complications. Bacterial keratitis, a common corneal infection, can cause pain, redness, blurred vision, and light sensitivity. Untreated, it can result in corneal scarring and permanent vision loss. Fungal infections, though less common, present similar symptoms and often require prolonged treatment.
A particularly severe outcome is Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare parasitic infection that is painful and difficult to treat. This amoeba, found in water sources, can adhere to contact lenses and invade the cornea, leading to significant vision impairment or blindness. Unsafe practices can also cause corneal ulcers (open sores on the cornea) and severe inflammation, contributing to discomfort and permanently affecting vision.
Safe Actions When You Lack Solution
If you lack proper contact lens solution, immediately remove and discard your lenses. This eliminates contamination risk from improper storage or cleaning. Switch to eyeglasses until you acquire a new, sealed bottle of approved contact lens solution.
Never store or rinse lenses in any liquid other than a sterile, multipurpose, or hydrogen peroxide-based solution designed for that purpose. Prioritizing eye health over convenience is essential.
Essential Principles of Contact Lens Hygiene
Consistent and proper contact lens hygiene is fundamental to preventing eye infections and discomfort. Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water and dry them with a lint-free towel before handling lenses. This simple step significantly reduces bacteria and debris transfer from hands to lenses and eyes.
Use only the specific type of contact lens solution recommended by your eye care professional. Different solutions are formulated for different lens types and may contain varying disinfecting agents. Replace your contact lens case regularly (every one to three months), as cases can become breeding grounds for bacteria. Adhere to the prescribed wearing and replacement schedule for lenses, and never sleep in lenses unless explicitly approved by an eye doctor, to support long-term eye health.