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Dr. Edward Boshnick
Snapper Creek Professional Center
7800 SW 87 Ave Suite B-270
Miami, Florida 33173
305-271-8206
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Tips on Contact Lenses and Contact Lens Care

After a careful examination of your eyes you and your eye doctor will decide together what type of wearing schedule and lens design will be most appropriate for you.

Daily wear:Always remove, clean, rinse and disinfect your lenses every night as instructed by your doctor of optometry. If your lenses are not going to be worn for more than 48 hours, store them in the refrigerator and disinfect them again before wearing.

Extended wear:Since extended wear isn't suitable for everyone, only sleep in your lenses if your optometrist has approved it. These lenses should not be worn for more than 6 consecutive nights. Before removing these lenses, lubricate each lens with saline solution. This will allow you to remove the lenses easier and reduce the risk of a corneal abrasion during the removal process. After removing your lenses, they must be cleaned, rinsed and disinfected before they can be worn again. Because long-term buildup of proteins, mucous, oils and other debris is virtually eliminated, more and more optometrists are recommending that lenses be replaced every one or two weeks.

Daily wear disposable lenses:Many people because of allergies, solution sensitivities and lifestyle cannot wear conventional lenses. This type of wearing schedule provides an extra margin of safety and comfort.

Practice Good Hygiene

Ideally, nothing but a fresh clean lens should ever be in contact with your eyes. Dust, dirt, and other foreign substances can contaminate the surface of your lenses, as well as your storage case. Here are ways you can avoid some of the common pitfalls:

A) Before handling your lenses, always wash, rinse and dry your hands. Use a mild soap for washing and a lint-free towel for drying your hands.

B) Avoid getting lotions, creams or sprays in your eyes or on your lenses. Lenses should be inserted before applying makeup and removed before removing makeup. Oil-based makeup is more likely to damage your lenses than water-based cosmetics.

C) Do not use saliva, tap water, homemade saline solution or anything other than the recommended solutions to wet your lenses.

D) Empty and rinse your lens case every day with fresh, sterile rinsing solution. Allow the case to remain open so it can dry.

E) Never reuse the solution in your lens case. Replace your lens case at least every two months.

F) Use only fresh, sterile solutions for cleaning, rinsing and disinfecting. If your solution has expired, throw it out. Solutions may become contaminated after opening; do not touch open bottle tips to any surfaces. Some solutions should never be used in combination with each other, so use only those recommended by your optometrist. Don't switch solution brands without your optometrist's approval.

G) At least once a day, conduct a simple self eye exam. Ask yourself these three questions:

Do the lenses feel comfortable on my eyes?

Do my eyes look clear and healthy?

Can I see well at all distances?

If you think there's a problem, remove your lenses immediately and contact your optometrist.

Frequent eye exams are indispensable to your eye health. Since the eye is a sensitive organ, it undergoes many changes over a lifetime-changes that may be imperceptible to you, but which can lead to difficulties if left undetected. Only your eye doctor has the specialized knowledge and precision instrumentation available to evaluate the general health of your eyes, as well as the effectiveness of your contact lenses.