Tips for First-time Contact Lens Wearers
Have you been considering making the move from glasses to contacts, but have some hesitations? With more than 35 years of experience and five locations around the Fredericksburg, Va., region, Access Eye is here to help you make the transition.
While glasses make a great fashion statement and require nothing more than a plastic case or side table for when you’re ready to call it a night, contacts offer a few unmatched perks. They are great to wear during physical activity and move with your eye for sharper vision.
To help ease your transition from full-time spec-wearer to contact lens connoisseur, read on. Here we offer you a few tips to push nerves away and make your new vision as comfortable and refreshing as it should be.
Start With Clean, Dry Hands
Get the germs scrubbed away before you delicately scoop your contact out of the case. Not only does washing your hands remove debris from your hands to prevent germs from going into your eyes, it also ensures dirt does not get trapped between your eye and the contact, which can cause irritation.
The drying process is equally as important. Placing your contact on your eyeball requires you to peel open your top and bottom lids, which may already be moist from eye fluid. No need to make the process harder than necessary by using already-damp hands.
Hydrate
A proper hydration routine benefits the overall health and function of every organ in your body. Your eyes are no different, for a number of reasons, starting with the fact that they contain fluid to protect the eye and wash away debris. Further, dehydration can cause blurry vision (and in turn, a headache) and fatigued and dry eyes, which may already happen because of contact wearing. So to curb the potential of dry, itchy eyes, drink water!
Start Slowly
Wearing contacts opens your eyes to a whole new level of precise and refined vision. However, you may want to give your eyes some time to adapt to this supercharged sight. Your doctor will give you a schedule to increase your contact-wearing time each day. Make sure you adhere to it, so you can adjust comfortably.
Keep Your Glasses!
Just like sunshine after a cold winter or rain after a warm, dry spell, you’ll enjoy an occasional break from your contacts. Further, maybe an outside force — like seasonal allergies or a dusty kids’ baseball game — will make your eyes beg for a break. Give it to them by swapping out your new lenses for a pair of on-hand specs. Like all health-related habits, balance is key.
