Finding yourself without a contact lens case can be a stressful experience. When your lenses must be removed immediately, the priority shifts to eye safety and preventing infection. This unexpected situation calls for strictly temporary, emergency storage methods that must be treated with caution. The following guidelines offer immediate steps to manage your lenses until a proper case can be acquired.
Immediate Temporary Storage Solutions
When a dedicated case is unavailable, quickly identify a small, non-porous container that can be safely repurposed for a few hours. The best substitutes are typically small glass or rigid plastic vessels, which are less likely to harbor bacteria. Consider clean, unused plastic condiment cups with tight-fitting lids, or small medicine bottles that have been completely emptied and cleaned.
Before using any improvised container, wash it thoroughly with soap and water to remove residual contaminants. After washing, the container must be rinsed completely and then allowed to air dry, or be wiped with a clean, lint-free cloth. Using two separate containers, one for each lens, is recommended to prevent mixing up the lenses and to ensure proper space for disinfection. This improvised method is only a short-term measure until a proper, sterile case can be obtained.
Other highly temporary options include new, clean metal bottle caps, which offer a non-porous surface that is easier to sanitize than plastic. If you use caps, ensure they are covered with plastic wrap secured tightly with a rubber band to create an airtight seal and prevent evaporation. While these vessels can hold a lens, they lack the rounded base and tight seal of a purpose-built case, meaning they are only suitable for a few hours of emergency storage.
Essential Safety Guidelines for Improvised Storage
The most important factor in emergency storage is the liquid used, which must always be a fresh, unused contact lens solution. This solution contains disinfectants and wetting agents necessary to keep the lens hydrated and free from harmful microorganisms. Never attempt to “top off” old solution with new, as this compromises the disinfection process.
A severe risk comes from using tap water, bottled water, or distilled water, which are not sterile and contain microorganisms dangerous to the eye. Tap water often harbors Acanthamoeba, a microscopic organism that can cause Acanthamoeba keratitis. This rare, sight-threatening corneal infection can be extremely painful and may lead to permanent vision loss.
Saliva must be strictly avoided for cleaning or storing lenses, as the human mouth contains a high concentration of bacteria infectious to the cornea. The use of sterile saline solution or rewetting drops is also not recommended for emergency storage, as these liquids are designed only for rinsing or moisturizing and lack necessary disinfecting agents. If proper contact lens solution is unavailable, it is safer to store the lenses dry in a clean, empty container than to risk using water or saliva.
After placing the lens and solution inside the improvised container, ensure a tight seal to prevent the solution from leaking or evaporating. If the solution dries out, the lens will shrivel and become damaged, making it impossible to wear again without risking corneal abrasion. A secure seal also prevents airborne contaminants from entering the storage vessel.
When to Discard the Lenses and Next Steps
The decision to discard a lens is necessary if the lens was stored in any liquid other than an approved, fresh contact lens solution. Exposure to unsterile substances like tap water, saliva, or even homemade saline introduces a high risk of bacterial or parasitic contamination that disinfection may not fully eliminate. In these cases, the potential for a serious eye infection outweighs the cost of replacing the lenses.
If the lenses were stored correctly in an improvised container with only fresh contact lens solution, they must be transferred to a proper, sterile contact lens case as soon soon as one is available. Before reinserting the lenses, they should be cleaned and disinfected in the new case for the full duration recommended by the solution manufacturer, which is typically six to eight hours. This extra step ensures that any residual contaminants picked up by the makeshift vessel are thoroughly neutralized.
To prevent future emergencies, it is prudent to always have a backup plan, such as keeping a spare travel-sized case and a small bottle of solution in a purse, car, or office desk. Wearing glasses is always a safer option than risking a serious eye infection from improper storage. Having a pair of daily disposable lenses on hand can also provide a simple solution, allowing you to discard the contaminated lenses immediately and switch to a sterile pair.