The Basics of Contact Lens Care

Contact lenses are a safe and effective method of vision correction. There are nearly 40 million contact lens wearers worldwide and the vast majority wear them for a lifetime with no problem. Some recent events have shown, however, that there can be problems associated with contact lens use if the lenses are not disinfected correctly.

All contact lenses that are worn for more than one day must be stored overnight in a disinfecting solution.

The safest and most effective method of disinfecting is to use a solution containing hydrogen peroxide which is available as Clear Care or AOSept, both manufactured by Ciba Vision. Do not use ordinary commercial hydrogen peroxide for the purpose of disinfecting your contact lenses.

Clear Care and AOSept are supplied in twelve ounce bottles and each purchase is accompanied by a new storage vial with catalyst. Both are readily available at drug stores and elsewhere.

You will need a bottle of sensitive eyes saline solution along with the hydrogen peroxide. Any brand will do unless you know that your eyes have had a reaction to solutions with preservative. In that case you will need an non-preserved saline such as Lens Plus which is supplied in an aerosol can.

Why Not Multi-Purpose Solutions?

Many people have been using multi-purpose solutions that advertise the need for only one bottle. This convenience comes at the price of safety. In 2006 a fungal infection called Fusarium affected several hundred persons, the majority of whom were using a Bausch and Lomb multi-purpose solution that was subsequently withdrawn from the market. In 2007 a similar number of people were infected with Acanthemoeba and again the majority were using one particular multi- purpose solution made by American Medical Optics, that likewise was withdrawn from the market.

In neither of these cases were the solutions themselves found to be contaminated. The FDA concluded that the solutions were simply not effective at eliminating the particular micro-organisms.

These episodes lead us to be severely suspicious of the multi-purpose solutions. It is only a matter of time before some other enterprising micro-organism finds its way through another solution and we have another rash of eye infections.

Procedure

• Always wash your hands before handling contact lenses.
• When the lens is removed from the eye place it in the palm of your hand, pour a small amount of saline solution into the palm and rub the lens for ten seconds.
• Place the lens onto the appropriate side of the holder. The left side is prominently marked the right side less prominently.
• When both lenses are in the holder fill the cup to the line with Clear Care (or AOSept)
• Screw the holder into the cup and let sit for at least six hours; you will observe bubbles forming on the gear at the bottom of the vial - this is oxygen being evolved from the peroxide.
• The lenses can be removed from the cup and placed on the eyes after six hours
• If you wish the lenses can be rinsed with saline prior to putting on the eyes; in rare cases the lenses cause burning if not rinsed
• When both lenses are out of the case, rinse both the lens holder and the vial with tap water and allow to air-dry till the next use
• Be sure to discard the old lens case when opening a new bottle of solution. Always use the new case that accompanies the bottle of solution to avoid contamination.

The bottle of Clear Care (or AOSept) will last about thirty days. For those who replace their lenses monthly the lenses can be replaced each time a new bottle of disinfecting solution is opened.

In the event that the lenses are left in the vial for more than three days they should be disinfected again. Just pour out the solution from the vial, add more Clear Care (or AOSept) and let them sit for another six hours.