3 Little-Known Ways To Improve Contact Lens Comfort

When a pair of soft contact lenses fit properly, you shouldn't notice them in your eyes at all. If your contact lenses have always been uncomfortable, you should speak to your eye doctor to see if you are wearing the right lenses for you. However, if your contact lenses are typically comfortable, but you find them uncomfortable on some days and you don't know why, then this discomfort may be unintentionally caused by your habits. Follow these tips to keep your contact lenses feeling great every day. 

1. Stay Hydrated

Just as not drinking enough fluids can cause dry skin, being dehydrated can also cause your eyes to become dry. While chronic dry eye can be a medical condition, occasional eye dryness is often caused by a simple lack of fluid intake. 

Your contact lenses don't actually touch your eye lenses -- they stay suspended on top of a fine layer of protective fluid over your eye called a lipid layer. When you become dehydrated, this fine layer can lose viscosity, making contact lenses feel uncomfortable. 

While using rewetting drops can make your contacts more comfortable temporarily, this comfort often doesn't last long, as it does not help rebuild your eye's protective layer. You must keep your entire body hydrated to keep this protective film thick and slippery to protect your delicate eyes from your contact lenses. 

2. Wash Your Hands with Baby Cleanser Before Handling Your Lenses

Any foreign substance that is on your hands when you insert your contact lenses can lead to contact discomfort. That can include any soap or cleanser residue that is still on your hands after washing them before handling your contact lenses. 

For optimal lens comfort, wash your hands with unscented, "tear-free" baby cleanser or shampoo before inserting your contact lenses. While you should always rinse your hands well after washing them, any residue left behind by the baby cleanser will be much less likely to irritate your eyes than residue from bar soap or a moisturizing, scented hand wash would. 

3. Close Your Contact Lens Solution Cap After Every Use

If you use a contact solution that has a flip-cap, then be sure to close the cap after every use, especially if it is stored in the bathroom. Leaving it open can allow bacteria that goes up into the air when the toilet is flushed into the bottle. The bacteria can then easily make its way onto your lenses and into your eyes where it can cause a very uncomfortable eye infection. 

To be even safer, close your toilet lid before you flush and instruct your family to do the same. 

Remember these tips for contact lens comfort. Contact lenses should always feel comfortable, and if they don't, even when following good contact lens habits and hygiene, then speak to an expert like A New Vision to see if you need a different type or size of lenses.