Forgetting your contact lens case requires a swift and safe solution to protect your lenses and eye health. Contact lenses must remain hydrated and sterile to prevent damage and severe infection. Temporary storage requires two components: a clean vessel and an appropriate liquid medium. The solutions discussed here are intended only for short-term, emergency use until you can acquire a proper, sealed case and fresh, approved solution. Delaying proper care increases the risk of ocular complications, so the goal is to safely manage the emergency overnight.
Emergency Container Substitutes
The physical container must be non-porous, perfectly clean, and capable of holding enough liquid to fully submerge the lens without spillage. Small glass items, such as shot glasses or tiny glass jars, are preferred because their non-porous surface is easier to sterilize than plastic. If glass is unavailable, a new, clean plastic bottle cap or a small, sealed plastic food container can serve as a last resort.
Before using any makeshift container, thorough sterilization is mandatory to eliminate microbial contaminants. Wash the container meticulously with hot, soapy water, rinse completely, and then allow it to air-dry or pat it dry with a clean, lint-free paper towel. Use two separate containers, clearly labeling one for the left lens and one for the right lens to avoid mix-ups. Once the lenses and solution are placed inside, the vessel must be covered tightly, perhaps with plastic wrap secured by a rubber band, to prevent evaporation and airborne contamination.
Safe Temporary Storage Liquids
The liquid environment is arguably the most important factor for maintaining lens integrity and protecting eye health. The safest and only recommended liquid for temporary storage is fresh, commercially prepared multipurpose contact lens solution. This solution is specifically formulated to maintain the lens’s hydration, pH balance, and salinity, while also providing a disinfecting action. If you have a bottle of solution but no case, this is the optimal combination for the temporary container.
If multipurpose solution is unavailable, sterile saline solution is the next best option for keeping the lens hydrated. Saline is pH-balanced and isotonic, meaning its salt concentration matches natural tears, preventing the lens from swelling or shrinking. However, saline solution only rinses and hydrates; it contains no disinfecting agents to kill harmful microorganisms.
As an absolute last resort for hydration only, sterile, sealed distilled water may be considered, but this carries significant drawbacks. Distilled water lacks the necessary salts and buffers, which can cause the lens material to absorb water and swell, altering its fit and comfort. Any lens stored in a non-disinfecting medium, including saline or distilled water, must undergo a complete cleaning and disinfection cycle before reinsertion.
Immediate Hazards and Absolute Avoidances
The most severe risk in an emergency situation is the temptation to use tap water for storage or rinsing. Tap water, even when filtered, is not sterile and contains various microorganisms, most notably the microscopic amoeba Acanthamoeba. Exposure to this organism can lead to Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare but sight-threatening corneal infection that is difficult to treat and can result in permanent vision loss.
Tap water also presents chemical dangers due to its variable pH and osmolarity, which are not compatible with soft contact lenses. Lenses exposed to hypotonic tap water can rapidly absorb the water, causing them to swell, change shape, and adhere too tightly to the cornea. This swelling can introduce microscopic tears in the cornea, making it susceptible to infection upon reinsertion.
Never use saliva, which is teeming with bacteria, or attempt to create a homemade salt solution. Non-sterile water and unmeasured salt concentration can severely damage the lens and eye.
Follow-Up Safety and Disinfection
Once the immediate storage emergency is over, the priority is to return the lenses to a fully sterile environment. The temporary container must be discarded immediately, or at a minimum, cleaned and dried thoroughly before any potential reuse. As soon as a proper contact lens case and fresh multipurpose solution are obtained, the lenses must be removed from the temporary container and fully disinfected.
This requires performing a thorough “rub and rinse” cleaning using fresh solution. Follow this by soaking the lenses in the new, approved solution for the minimum time specified by the manufacturer, typically six to eight hours. This full disinfection cycle is non-negotiable, regardless of the temporary liquid used. If any irritation, redness, pain, or blurred vision occurs upon reinsertion, the lenses should be removed immediately, and an eye care professional should be consulted without delay.