How to wash contact lenses. How to properly clean contact lenses

Contact optics for vision correction modern approach to the eternal problem of age-related or genetic deterioration of vision. How well you care for contact lenses depends not only on the effectiveness of vision correction, but also on the health of your eyes.

How to properly care for contact lenses - read in this article.

What you need to know about lenses

Contact lenses are modern facility vision correction. With their help, the main refractive errors are effectively corrected - myopia (nearsightedness), hypermetropia (farsightedness), presbyopia ( age-related farsightedness) and astigmatism. Externally contact lenses They are a transparent thin film, the back surface of which completely repeats the shape of the cornea, and the front surface corrects vision.

There is a huge variety of contact lenses on the modern ophthalmic market. First of all, they are classified into two large groups:

• hard;
• soft.

Soft contact lenses are the most common form of contact vision correction among consumers. They are 35-80% water, which gives them flexibility, softness and high oxygen permeability. No eyes in the cornea blood vessels, and it receives oxygen directly from the air. is very important, so the contact lens material must pass oxygen in sufficient quantities to the cornea.

The more high rate oxygen permeability have soft lenses, the better for eye health.

Depending on the material and manufacturing technology of contact lenses, their wearing mode, service life, as well as the rules for caring for them can be different. Soft contact lenses are usually made from two types of materials:

• Hydrogel. This is a polymeric material, characterized by softness in contact with water, good wettability. These material properties provide comfort while wearing and eliminate the feeling foreign body in the eye. Lenses made from hydrogel can have low or high hydration capacity (water content). Hydrogel lenses with low content water (38-45%) have low oxygen permeability, so they can not be worn for more than 12-14 hours. The disadvantages of hydrogel lenses are low strength and susceptibility to germination by microorganisms.
• Silicone hydrogel. This is an innovative material that began to be used for the manufacture of contact lenses relatively recently. Some of the silicone content in these contact lenses makes them harder and stronger. In addition, the silicone hydrogel material is more oxygen permeable and does not dry out during wear.

To give the desired shade to the eyes, special colored contact lenses are used. They are especially popular among young people. Tinted contact lenses can also correct vision.

Wear mode specifics

Soft contact lenses have different periods and modes of wearing, which are usually indicated on the product packaging. These rules set by the manufacturer must be strictly adhered to. Ophthalmologists do not recommend exceeding the period of wearing contact lenses, as this is fraught with dangerous complications, which in advanced cases can lead to poor eye health and even to rapid loss of vision.

Soft contact lenses are divided into three groups according to the terms of wearing:

• Traditional contact lenses. These are the earliest soft contact lenses, they appeared before other types. This is . The term of their wearing is about 0.5 - 1 year. The cost of these lenses is low, but they require careful care. In modern times, the popularity of traditional contact lenses is rapidly declining.
• Planned replacement contact lenses. These contact lenses are more marketable than their traditional counterparts due to their countless benefits. The term of wearing lenses of a planned replacement can be different - 2 weeks, a month, a quarter. These lenses are made from various materials, they can have different indicators of water content and oxygen permeability. When buying these lenses, you need to pay special attention to these indicators.
• Daily contact lenses. The most expensive but safe type of soft contact lenses. Ideal for those who do not want to constantly care for lenses. However, not everyone can afford it. Daily contact lenses are very convenient on trips, business trips, travel, as you do not need to take a container and care products with you. After removal, these lenses are disposed of, and new ones are put on the next day.

Hydrogel contact lenses can be safely worn for about 8-12 hours. In no case should they be worn for more than 15 hours, and even more so to sleep in them, since in this case there are high risks of developing corneal hypoxia.

Silicone hydrogel lenses can be worn even during sleep if they have a high oxygen permeability. Today, on the market for contact vision correction, you can purchase extended-wear lenses that can be worn for 6, 14 or even 30 days.

Daily contact lenses

In order to clean contact lenses from protein deposits, enzyme tablets are used. They effectively break down various organic compounds and remove them from the porous structure of contact lenses. Thus, the surface of the lenses after cleaning becomes completely transparent.

If you do not regularly clean contact lenses from protein deposits using enzyme tablets, microorganisms begin to multiply rapidly in them, which leads to unpleasant consequences in the form inflammatory diseases eyes, burning and pain in the eyes, a feeling of "veil" before the eyes and discomfort when wearing contact lenses. Enzymatic cleaning is necessary, first of all, for traditional lenses and lenses of planned replacement.

Enzymatic cleaning of contact lenses is performed as follows:

• To carry out the procedure, it is necessary to prepare several tablets, tweezers and a container. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before cleaning.
• The container in which the cleaning will be carried out must be rinsed with water and filled with fresh multi-purpose solution. Instead of a cleaning solution, you can also use hydrogen peroxide or saline.
• Take the enzyme tablets out of the packaging and dip them with tweezers into the solution container until completely dissolved.
• Place your contact lenses in the container for certain time(this time may vary, and it is usually indicated by the manufacturer on the product packaging). The container must be closed during cleaning.
• After cleaning, contact lenses and the container must be washed with water. After the procedure, the lenses should lie in a container with a multi-purpose solution for about 2 hours, only then they can be worn.

Hydrogel material with a high percentage of water content tends to absorb large quantity protein and lipid deposits. However, hydrogel lenses with high hydration capacity cannot be long time be subjected to enzymatic cleaning, since particles of these substances often remain in the lens, and then cause eye irritation during wear. The incompatibility of these lenses with enzymatic cleaners significantly reduces their lifespan.

Extended wear contact lenses can be worn continuously for a certain period of time. However, it is recommended to take them off at night at least once a week in order to produce complete cleaning and disinfection. In connection with the round-the-clock wearing of these lenses, there is a huge risk of infectious eye diseases.

Read about choosing lenses for your eyes.

Disinfection

Disinfection of contact lenses is a mandatory procedure that ensures the safety of your eyes and protects them from the development of inflammatory diseases.

Most often, chemical disinfection is carried out using specific disinfectants (for example, benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine, polyquad, dimed).

To effectively sterilize contact lenses, as well as to remove various deposits and preservatives from the surface of the lenses, a peroxide system is often used. It is especially advisable to use it for contact lenses with a wearing period of more than one month. Contact lenses are cleaned with a peroxide system once every 1-2 weeks.

The main component of the peroxide system is a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, which is able to effectively destroy wide range bacteria, viruses and fungi. In addition, the peroxide system does not contain various preservatives, so it is well suited for people with sensitive eyes and allergic reactions to certain components of cleaning solutions. The peroxide system should not be used when disinfecting soft contact lenses with a high moisture content, as this can significantly damage them.

When using a peroxide system, you must carefully follow all the rules. Be sure to wait for the neutralization of hydrogen peroxide and do not remove the lens from the solution ahead of schedule. Peroxide particles can then get into the eye and cause burning and other discomfort.

Heat treatment is also used to disinfect lenses. It is carried out in a water bath for 20 minutes. However, this method of disinfection is not recommended, since regular heating leads to rapid wear of the material from which the lenses are made, as well as a change in their optical properties. Such disinfection can only be carried out for lenses with low hydrophilicity and only for patients with allergic reactions to the components of cleaning solutions.

Read about how to care for soft contact lenses.

Storage

container and tweezers

It is not recommended to keep soft contact lenses outdoors for a long time. Evaporation of water, which is present in their composition, in in large numbers, will lead to drying and deformation of the material. Such lenses will then be impossible to wear. A special container with a solution is designed to store lenses. The container is necessary to prevent the material from which the lenses are made from drying out and saturating them with moisture.

The container must always be kept sterile. After use, the solution must be poured out and a new one poured. After pouring the solution, the container must be processed disinfectant and dry.

The container should be changed monthly. The same is recommended to do with tweezers to remove lenses from the container.

How to care for colored contact lenses?

Particular attention should be paid to the rules for the care of colored lenses. They are somewhat different from the rules for caring for ordinary transparent contact lenses.

Since colored contact lenses have a layer of pigment, they must be taken care of very carefully. To care for colored contact lenses, special non-aggressive products are required that will not damage the pigment layer. This is especially true for disinfection. Do not use peroxide solutions to sterilize colored lenses.

Read more about tinted lenses.

Consequences arising from improper care

Compliance with all the rules and nuances of lens care will allow you to avoid many eye problems. These can be various complications caused by neglect of the rules of hygiene and the mode of wearing contact lenses.

If you do not clean your lenses daily or do not disinfect them at the right time, there is a huge risk of inflammatory eye diseases. These include conjunctivitis, keratitis, blepharitis and other diseases.

Without proper cleaning of contact lenses from dirt and protein deposits, the transparency of the lens decreases and, consequently, the quality of vision correction deteriorates. Besides, protein deposits clog the pores of the material, which leads to a decrease in the oxygen permeability of the lenses and the development of corneal hypoxia due to insufficient oxygen supply.

Video

findings

Care of contact lenses is a mandatory daily procedure. Compliance with all the rules and nuances will allow you to avoid the appearance of many eye diseases and complications. Only with proper care will your lenses retain their quality and optical properties for a long time.

cleaning lens your cameras It's part of her maintenance. This should be done regularly, but not constantly. You have to be very careful during this process, but don't be afraid to touch it. It is necessary to clean the lens as it becomes dirty, and not in accordance with some other prerequisites. Excessive intrusion will do more harm than good. But when it really comes time to clean your lens, here are a few tips to help you:

Use a UV or colorless transparent filter

Before moving on to cleaning methods, let's focus on one important point. This applies to all owners of DSLR cameras. We recommend that you purchase a dedicated UV or colorless clear filter for each lens. It is better to do this when buying a camera and screw it on right away. This will protect the lens from dust, dirt, splashing water and mechanical damage. In this case, speaking of cleanliness, we are no longer cleaning the lens, but only the protective filter. Keep in mind that filters come in different qualities. If you decide to buy a high-quality lens, then it is preferable to purchase a high-quality protective filter as well.

Blenda also helps protect your camera lens, as does a special protective lid for the front and back of the lens. Always use them.

Lens Cleaner

You can find an alcohol-based cleaning fluid at any photo accessories store, which you should have on hand. This is good remedy removes fingerprints or other smudges from your lens or filter without leaving streaks or marks. Keep in mind that such a tool is spent very sparingly. As a rule, a couple of drops are enough. Do not pour liquid directly onto the lens or filter. Always use a special cloth. With gentle circular motions, easily remove unwanted dirt.

Alternatively, many photographers find breathing on the lens and wiping it with a cloth is enough. And do not take risks by exposing the technique to liquid cleaning. We advise you to start by breathing and wiping, and then move on to using liquid for difficult stains.

Cleansing wipes

These are special wipes that must be moistened with cleaning fluid. They are made of very thin paper, which will allow you to process the lens and not leave scratches. These wipes are disposable. Throw them away immediately after use. Do not use regular cosmetic wipes. They are made from coarse fibers and can scratch the camera lens.

Cleaning cloth

An alternative to cleaning wipes is the more modern microfiber cleaning cloth. This fabric is washable. It will perfectly get rid of dust and greasy traces of your lens. The main thing is to be aware proper care behind such a fabric and keep it clean by washing regularly. Or you can easily change it to a new one, as they will not cost you much.

Before using the cloth, inspect the lens carefully to make sure that there are no large particles of dirt left on it. Remove any coarse dust with a blower or brush before wiping. You don't want to scratch your lens.

Special pear for cleaning optics

Most photographic equipment stores sell various pears for cleaning optics. We recommend using them very carefully inside your camera. You can create a dust storm. Such blowers can be great for cleaning the camera body as well as lenses. Before using the bulb, point it in a safe direction and make sure there is nothing inside it.

brushes

If your camera collects a lot of dust, then we recommend a good tool that will work great. This is a cleaning brush. Get a special piece made of fine and soft camel hair so as not to scratch your camera lens. Similarly, you could buy a special tool that has a retractable brush on one end and a cleaning swab on the other.

silica gel

Another one preventive measure. Take a few sachets of silica gel with you to put in your camera package. The small bags will absorb excess moisture from the space, thus protecting both the camera and the lens from the harmful effects of increased moisture. Remember to change these bags from time to time. After absorbing a certain amount of moisture, they become useless.

All of the above equipment will not cost you very much. You you can to find all these facilities in one bundled. Do not buy too cheap components, but be aware that the high price is not always justified. Always prioritize quality. This guarantees getting good result from the use of funds.

Hygiene is one of the most important factors in preventing infection and other problems that can affect not only the health of your eyes, but also your vision in the long term.

Below are the do's and don'ts for cleaning your contact lenses.

How to clean contact lenses

Wash your hands with soap and water before touching your contact lenses.

If possible, use germicidal soap and dry your hands with a lint-free towel. Do not use soap that contains essential oils or fragrances. Such soaps can cloud or leave greasy stains on your lenses.

Always use fresh contact lens cleaning solution.

Do not use tap water, sterilized water, saline, saline, or moisturizing drops. None of these serve to disinfect and properly clean your contact lenses.

If you rub your fingers through your lenses, wash them with fresh cleaning solution.

Studies have shown that "wipe and rinse" lenses is the most The best way clean contact lenses, even without a cleaning solution for contact lenses, which is not intended for cleaning after “wiping”. Do not touch your lenses with your nails. Nails are not only sharp. Under the nails can be germs and dirt.

Rinse your contact lens case with fresh solution and leave it upside down to dry.

Do not rinse the container with water, which may contain contaminants and micro-organisms. Also, don't leave the container near a bathroom or in a damp place where mold and germs can grow.

Other ways to keep contact lenses clean

• Do not pour contact lens cleaning solution into a small container when traveling or for storage purposes - the sterility of the solution may be compromised.
• The bottle with the solution should be well closed with a lid. Foreign particles must not get into the used solution.
• Change your contact lens case at least once every three months.
• Never wear contact lenses for more than 30 days after opening the blister.
• Avoid lens contact with smoke and other contaminants that can get into your eyes and cause irritation and infection.

Always follow the instructions

The instructions that come with your contact lenses, container, and cleaning solution, as well as your eye doctor's instructions, will help you properly care for your contact lenses.

Ultimately, your ophthalmologist is your assistant in maintaining eye health and good vision. Visit your ophthalmologist annually to maintain proper contact lens care and keep your eyes healthy.

With daily wear of corrective vision or colored lenses, protein deposits form on the surface of such products, bacteria are deposited. When caring for contacts, it is important to keep them clean using special tools and products.

Proper storage of contact lenses

Regardless of the type of lenses, before putting them on, you must thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. Better to use antibacterial agent. Lenses - not required special storage, but for multi-day products, you need to purchase a solution, a container, tweezers for extraction.

Any have a porous structure that is capable of accumulating not only liquid, but also various substances. To remove them and not harm your eyes, you need to thoroughly clean the lenses. To do this, after removing contact lenses, they must be washed with a solution; a multifunctional product is optimally suited for permanent care.

To rinse the lenses, you need to pour a few drops of the solution on their surface, gently rub the products with pads. After that, you need to pour a fresh agent into the container and place the contact lenses in the cells. The lens holder also needs to be washed daily to prevent infection from getting into the eyes. Contact lenses should be cared for every time they are removed.

What to consider when caring for lenses

Contact lenses should never be stored in ordinary water, even if it is filtered, or in distilled liquid. The container is necessary to prevent the material from drying out, as well as to saturate the lenses with moisture and clean them. After cleaning contact lenses, they must be placed in the solution for at least four hours.

Ideally, the lens case should be changed once a month, and the same rule applies to tweezers. Be sure to follow the expiration date of the solution, the product should not be stored under sunbeams or in a warm place.

Extended wear lenses are also cleaned once a week additionally using enzyme or enzyme solutions, tablets. They provide high-quality removal of contaminants, the time for which you need to put contact lenses in such a solution varies by type of product. However, special cleaning should be carried out only as prescribed by a doctor; it is not recommended to use enzyme solutions without consulting a specialist.

The most common complaint of those who wear contact lenses to improve vision or beauty is discomfort. Because of this, they are often abandoned in favor of traditional glasses. Although modern correction devices are so thin, light and elastic that, ideally, you don’t notice them during wearing, even at the end of the day. Cause discomfort lies in improper care. This article tells you how to clean your lenses every day with solution and tablets, and what to do if special products are not at hand.

How to clean contact lenses every day

Even lenses designed for long-term use need to be removed and cleaned daily. For washing and storage, use a special solution recommended by an ophthalmologist, a plastic container with two containers and rubberized tweezers.

mechanical cleaning

Daily mechanical cleaning is a fairly simple process. The main thing is not to drop the device and not to put much pressure on it in order to avoid breaks. So, how to wash the lenses with a solution:

• hands with soap and dry with a napkin or lint-free towel (soap should be chosen without essential oils or fragrances: bactericidal is best);
• process the container and tweezers;
• in a cupped palm, pour a little disinfectant solution and place the lens there;
• Gently and gently wipe the correction device with your finger;
• supporting with tweezers, rinse it in the solution and place in a container;
• close the lid tightly and leave it for several hours;
• repeat for the other lens.

During the cleaning process, you do not need to spare the solution: harmful substances remain in the liquid used once.

Universal means

Daily care became not so burdensome when universal solutions marked No Rub appeared on the market. The substances contained in these products take care of the cleaning and disinfection of contact lenses. They are only suitable for those who buy a new pair every 2 weeks. Correction devices that are designed for long wear need more thorough care, so mechanical cleaning should not be abandoned.

How to wash lenses with No Rub? Care is reduced to a daily change of fluid in containers. Disinfectants in solution (polyhexanide, poloxamine, biguanides) destroy dirt without additional cleaning and rinsing.

Monthly lens deep cleaning tablets

For correction devices, the service life of which exceeds 1.5 months, be sure to arrange a deep treatment with enzyme tablets for cleaning lenses or enzyme solutions. They are able to remove calcium and protein deposits, which the usual universal solution or mechanical processing cannot cope with.

How to clean lenses with tablets:

1. wash and dry hands, prepare tweezers, container and tablets;
2. in a filled container, dissolve a tablet in each container (they will behave like a fizz - you don’t need to stir anything, just wait);
3. place correction devices in a container, close and leave for the time specified in the instructions (usually from 15 minutes to 6 hours);
4. after that, rinse the container and lenses with a multifunctional solution for daily care, refill the container and leave for another couple of hours;
5. only then are they ready for use.

Such deep cleaning should be arranged for long-wear lenses 2-4 times a month.

What to use: what solutions to use

The only correct answer to this question will be given by an ophthalmologist: he will take into account the characteristics of the body, probable allergic reactions, will tell you how to clean the lenses with the recommended product. But if it is not possible to consult a doctor, you can try to choose a multifunctional liquid on your own. What you should pay attention to:

• on the composition: exclude from the list those drugs that can cause allergies or are not suitable for sensitive eyes;
• on the manufacturer: it is better to focus on well-known brands: ReNu, MAXIMA, SOLO, Aqua-Soft, etc .;
• on lenses: for hard and soft correction devices, different fluids are used with the appropriate marking.

Tip: Choose a pH-neutral acid-base cleanser whenever possible. In addition, mixtures with chlorhexidine (may cause discomfort) and sorbic acid (leads to clouding of the cornea) should be avoided.

Peroxide and multifunctional products are available for sale. Peroxide lenses are considered the "gold standard" in the care of correction devices: they perfectly disinfect and clean the lens. When choosing this type of solution, make sure that it is intended for daily storage (some of them are especially strong and are recommended for use once a week or two). Multifunctional (universal) solutions, in addition to cleaning agents, contain conditioners and humidifiers that maintain the moisture level and elasticity of correction devices.

How can I wash the lenses if there is no solution at hand

Is it possible to wash the lenses with water if there is no solution? In such cases, they prepare a substitute on their own and, as soon as possible, buy a specialized tool. Self-prepared compositions will not allow the lenses to dry out, but will not give any disinfecting effect.

Tap water is strictly excluded: it contains harmful bacteria, chlorine, which can cause irritation of the sensitive membrane of the eyes. Please note that these funds are not for permanent or long-term use, but only if there is no special use, for example, on a trip.

How can you wash the lenses if there is no solution at hand:

• saline from a pharmacy;
• salty distilled water;
• eye drops - substitutes for natural tears such as "Vizina";
• saliva (highly discouraged).

Saline is a weak saline solution that is cheap and sold in pharmacies. Artificial tears ("Vizin") can be bought there. Their use: rinse the container, pour the product, close the lid.

How to clean contact lenses with distillate and salt? First, prepare the mixture: heating water, add salt (9 grams per liter) until completely dissolved, cool. The containers are washed, filled with the resulting liquid, correction devices are placed and closed with a lid.

Before putting on lenses stored in this way, it is still recommended to soak them in a solution for 2-3 hours to disinfect, since even boiled water, and even more so saliva, contains bacteria that cause irritation or infection.

• lenses need daily rinsing, and those that are worn long time, - in regular deep cleansing with enzyme tablets;
• for mechanical cleaning and storage of correction devices, you need to choose a suitable multifunctional or peroxide solution;
• if special means it was not at hand, you can temporarily (!) replace it with saline, a weak saline solution, artificial tears, and at the first opportunity - buy the right liquid;
• it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of containers and devices, do not use the same portion of the solution several times, etc.

Daily care of contact lenses is a simple process, but it requires some skill and accuracy. Step-by-step visual instructions on how to clean lenses at home are presented in this video.