Switching from glasses to contact lenses requires a commitment to new hygiene practices and precise handling techniques. Contact lenses are medical devices worn directly on the eye’s surface, offering an alternative to frames and an unrestricted field of view. Making this change successfully requires a structured approach, starting with professional assessment, understanding your lens options, mastering insertion and removal, and adhering to a consistent care regimen.
Getting Medically Cleared for Contacts
The first step in wearing contact lenses is undergoing a specific professional assessment. A standard glasses prescription does not contain the necessary measurements for a lens that rests directly on the cornea, as it sits 12 to 14 millimeters away from the eye. The eye care professional must perform a dedicated contact lens exam to ensure the lenses fit correctly and maintain eye health.
This examination involves measuring the curvature of your cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. Specialized instruments, such as a keratometer or a corneal topographer, determine the required base curve and diameter of the lens. These measurements are fundamental, as an improperly fitted lens can cause discomfort, blurred vision, or damage the corneal tissue. The health of your tear film is also evaluated to confirm sufficient moisture exists, as tear quality influences the recommended lens material.
Once initial measurements are complete, you participate in a trial fitting where sample lenses are placed on your eyes. The doctor assesses how the lenses move and center on the cornea, checking for stability and proper coverage. This trial process ensures the chosen lens provides clear vision and a healthy fit before a final prescription is issued. Following a successful fitting, a technician demonstrates the initial insertion and removal techniques during a scheduled teaching session.
Navigating Lens Types and Wear Schedules
The contact lens selection involves choosing a lens material and a replacement schedule that aligns with your eye health and lifestyle. Soft contact lenses are the most common type, made from flexible plastics like hydrogel or silicone hydrogel. Soft lenses are generally comfortable almost immediately because they conform easily to the eye’s shape, offering a short adaptation period. Silicone hydrogel, a newer material, is recommended due to its high oxygen permeability, which promotes corneal health.
An alternative option is Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) lenses, made from a firmer, oxygen-transmitting plastic. RGP lenses offer sharper vision correction, particularly for complex prescriptions or higher astigmatism, and are more durable than soft lenses. However, the initial adaptation period for RGP lenses is longer, sometimes taking up to a month, as the eye adjusts to the firmer structure.
Wear schedules are categorized primarily as daily disposable, two-week, or monthly replacement lenses. Daily disposables are worn once and discarded, offering the highest level of hygiene and eliminating the need for cleaning solutions and storage. Two-week and monthly lenses require daily cleaning and disinfection but can be more cost-effective. These planned replacement schedules prevent deposit buildup, which can cause irritation and increase the risk of eye complications.
Essential Skills: Insertion, Removal, and Daily Cleaning
Mastering the physical handling of contact lenses begins with meticulous hand hygiene. Always wash your hands thoroughly with a non-scented, antibacterial soap and dry them completely with a lint-free towel before touching your lenses. This step prevents the transfer of microorganisms and lint to the lens surface, which could cause irritation or infection.
For insertion, place the lens on the tip of your index finger and check that it is correctly oriented, appearing like a small bowl with edges pointing straight up. If the edges flare outward, the lens is inside out and must be flipped. Hold your upper eyelid open with one hand and gently pull down your lower eyelid with the middle finger of the hand holding the lens. Look straight ahead, or slightly up, and gently place the lens directly onto the center of your eye.
To remove a soft lens, look upward and use your index finger to slide the lens down to the white part of your eye. Gently pinch the lens between your thumb and index finger to lift it off the surface. Following removal, all reusable lenses require immediate cleaning with fresh, approved contact lens solution. The effective method is a “rub and rinse” technique: place the lens in your palm, add solution, gently rub the lens for several seconds, rinse it, and place it in a clean case filled with new solution. Never reuse old solution or use tap water, as it can harbor harmful pathogens like Acanthamoeba.
Monitoring Adaptation and Maintaining Eye Health
The initial period of wearing contact lenses involves a physiological adjustment. New wearers may experience a mild awareness of the lens—a sensation of having a foreign body—along with slight tearing or dryness in the first few days. This feeling diminishes quickly, and most people become comfortable within a few days to two weeks with soft lenses. A gradual wearing schedule is advised, starting with a few hours a day and slowly increasing the duration as recommended by your eye care provider.
Maintaining long-term eye health requires strict adherence to the prescribed lens replacement schedule (daily, bi-weekly, or monthly). Over-wearing lenses, or wearing them past their disposal date, can deprive the cornea of oxygen, increasing the risk of complications such as corneal ulcers or infections. Regular follow-up appointments are necessary, often every six to twelve months, to monitor the fit of the lenses and the overall health of your cornea.
It is important to recognize the warning signs that indicate a problem, often referred to by the acronym “RED EYES.”
Warning Signs (RED EYES)
- Redness
- Eye pain
- Discharge
- Extreme light sensitivity
- Sudden vision changes
If you experience persistent pain, significant redness, or blurred vision that does not clear with blinking, remove the lenses immediately and contact your eye care provider for an urgent assessment. Ignoring these symptoms can lead to severe, sight-threatening conditions.