Often, teens who have just put in contacts for the first time come home from the Optometrist’s office and practice taking the lenses in and out. This is a bad idea the first day they are worn. The eye can be scratched by repeated attempts to insert or remove contacts. Your eye also has to adjust to the contact lens being there, and can feel mildly irritated for the first day or two. Advise your teen to wait a few days before they practice. Until then, only insert the lenses in the morning, and remove them at night, according to your eye care professional’s instructions.
Here are a few things to remember once you get home:
Place a paper towel over the sink drain when inserting lenses. This way they won’t get lost if dropped.
Always wash your hands with soap and rinse thoroughly before handling your lenses. Contact lenses will absorb soap and sting when inserted.
Do not wear a damaged lens or attempt to insert it.
Never share your lenses with anyone else.
See your doctor immediately if your eyes turn and stay red, burn or are painful. You may have an eye infection.
Never wear your contacts if you think you have an eye infection or if your eye is red, irritated or painful.
Only use eye drops approved for use with contacts. Do not use drops made for allergies or to remove redness.
Some contact lens cleaning solutions cannot be used directly in the eye. Read package directions completely.
Clean your contact lens case daily with hot water or rinse it with solution. Allow it to air dry. Replace the case as needed; they can harbor bacteria.
Always follow the replacement schedule for disposable contacts and see your Optometrist yearly to keep your teen’s eyes healthy.
Never reuse contact solution in the storage case. Start with fresh from the bottle solution every single time.