Finding yourself without contact lens solution can lead to the urge to use a quick substitute, but this poses a serious risk to eye health. Contact lens solution is a sophisticated medical product formulated for three functions: cleaning away deposits, disinfecting the lens material, and maintaining hydration. The complex chemical balance ensures the lens remains safe and comfortable. Therefore, for cleaning and disinfecting purposes, there are virtually no safe alternatives.
Immediate Danger: Why Common Substitutes Are Never Safe
The most common substitutes people consider are also the most dangerous, introducing severe risks of sight-threatening infections and physical damage to the cornea. Tap water, even when purified for drinking, is not sterile and contains various microorganisms. The greatest threat from water exposure is Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare but painful corneal infection. This amoeba, often found in tap water, can become trapped between the lens and the eye, leading to a condition that is difficult to treat and may result in permanent vision loss.
Beyond the microbiological risk, tap water also poses a chemical problem due to osmolarity. Contact lenses require soaking in a solution that matches the salt concentration of natural tears. Water has a very different osmolarity, causing soft lenses to swell rapidly. This swelling changes the lens fit, often tightening it on the cornea, which can create microscopic abrasions and increase vulnerability to infection. Furthermore, minerals and deposits in water can bind to the lens material, causing irritation and reducing visual clarity.
Using saliva is another dangerous shortcut that must be strictly avoided. The human mouth is home to a vast population of bacteria, including species like Streptococcus and Staphylococcus. While harmless in the digestive tract, transferring these bacteria directly to the lens surface and sensitive corneal tissue can cause aggressive eye infections. The eye lacks the robust immune defenses of the mouth, making it highly susceptible to these pathogens.
Homemade solutions, such as a mixture of salt and water, are profoundly unsafe for lens care. Pharmaceutical-grade saline is sterile, pH-balanced, and precisely measured, unlike non-commercial mixtures. Homemade versions are non-sterile, easily contaminated, and lack the necessary preservatives and buffering agents to inhibit microbial growth. Crucially, homemade saline does not contain the disinfecting agents required to kill the pathogens that accumulate on a contact lens.
Triage: Safe Handling If Lenses Must Be Removed Now
If you must remove your lenses immediately and cannot access multipurpose solution, your primary goal is to minimize the risk of infection until you can properly clean and disinfect them. The safest temporary option for keeping a lens wet is a pharmaceutical-grade, sterile saline solution. This solution is chemically balanced to match the natural tears in your eye.
Sterile saline is only meant for rinsing or hydration; it does not contain the surfactants and disinfectants necessary for cleaning and killing germs. If used for temporary storage, the lenses are not sterile. They require a full cleaning and disinfection cycle in a proper multipurpose solution before they can be worn again. This process must follow the manufacturer’s recommended soaking time, typically at least four to six hours.
If no sterile solution is available, the absolute last resort is temporary dry storage in a clean, empty contact lens case. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling the lenses to prevent transferring pathogens. Lenses stored dry may become brittle or misshapen, potentially damaging the material. However, this option avoids the severe infection risk associated with water. If your lenses have been exposed to any non-sterile liquid, such as tap water, it is safest to discard them immediately.
The Only Safe Alternative: Where and What to Buy
The only safe and correct alternative is to purchase a new, commercially prepared product. Contact lens solutions are widely available, making a quick purchase the most responsible action. Immediate purchase locations include:
- Pharmacies
- Grocery stores
- 24-hour convenience stores
- Gas stations and airport shops
When shopping, it is essential to distinguish between the two main product types. You should aim to buy a Multipurpose Solution, which is an all-in-one product that contains cleaning agents (surfactants) and disinfectants to kill microbes and safely store your lenses. The label will explicitly state that it cleans, disinfects, rinses, and stores.
Avoid purchasing a bottle labeled only as Saline Solution, as this product is strictly for rinsing and cannot disinfect your lenses. Once you have obtained the correct multipurpose solution, you must thoroughly clean your lenses by gently rubbing them in the solution, rinsing them, and then allowing them to soak for the full disinfection time before wearing them again. This step is necessary to neutralize any potential contamination.