Finding yourself without contact solution presents a serious health concern requiring immediate, careful action. Commercial contact lens solutions are regulated medical devices specifically formulated to maintain eye and lens safety, and they are always the safest option for routine care. Any substitute must be viewed strictly as a temporary, emergency measure to prevent the lens from drying out. Lenses must be properly disinfected with a commercial product before they are ever worn again.
Understanding the Purpose of Contact Solution
A commercial contact lens solution serves three distinct functions in maintaining the health of both the lens and the eye. The first is hydration, utilizing wetting agents to ensure the lens material remains pliable and comfortable on the cornea. If a lens dries out, its material can warp and become damaged, making it unsafe to wear.
The second function is cleaning, where surfactant agents work to remove organic debris, protein deposits, and lipid buildup that accumulate throughout the day. Without this cleaning action, deposits can coat the lens, reducing vision clarity and creating a breeding ground for microorganisms. The third and most important function is disinfection, which uses chemical agents to actively kill harmful microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and protozoa.
The Safest Short-Term Alternative
The safest temporary substitute is a sterile, preservative-free saline solution, often sold in small, single-use vials for nebulizers or wound rinsing. This purified salt and water mixture is isotonic, meaning its salt concentration matches that of your tears. This osmotic balance prevents the lens from absorbing too much or too little water, maintaining the lens’s shape and integrity. It is suitable for temporary storage to keep the lens hydrated for a few hours, or a maximum of one overnight period.
Sterile saline is only a rinsing and hydrating agent and contains no disinfectants or cleaning surfactants. As soon as commercial solution is available, the lenses must be removed, thoroughly cleaned using the rub-and-rinse method, and soaked for the full disinfection time. If sterile saline cannot be sourced, the next best alternative for hydration is sterile, distilled water that has been boiled and cooled. Lenses stored in plain water may swell slightly and must be disinfected for an extended period upon retrieval.
Immediate Dangers and What to Never Use
Several common liquids pose severe health risks and must never be used as a substitute for contact lens solution. The most dangerous is ordinary tap water, which is not sterile and often contains the parasite Acanthamoeba. This organism is resistant to the chlorine in treated water and can cause Acanthamoeba keratitis, a devastating eye infection that frequently leads to permanent vision loss or blindness.
Bottled water, whether purified or distilled, should also be avoided because it is not guaranteed to be sterile and lacks the necessary osmotic balance. Using a liquid without the correct salt-to-water ratio can cause soft contact lenses to swell or shrink, altering their fit and potentially damaging the lens material. Another high-risk substance is saliva, which is teeming with bacteria, including organisms like Pseudomonas aeruginosa that can cause rapid corneal infections.
Attempting to create a homemade salt solution by mixing table salt and water is ill-advised. It is nearly impossible to achieve a sterile solution with the correct saline concentration and pH balance. The resulting mixture can introduce harmful bacteria and may irritate or burn the eye due to an improper salt level.