Contact lenses are a safe and effective way to correct vision. However, they can increase your risk of eye infections if you don't properly wear and care for them.

Before handling your contacts, wash your hands and then dry them with a lint-free cloth. You'll need to know your prescription to determine the best type of lens for you.

How Contact Lenses Correct Vision

Contact lenses are thin transparent discs that help correct vision by refracting and focusing light to make objects appear clearly. They are placed on the tear film layer that covers a clear front part of the eye (the cornea). There are two types of contacts -- soft and hard, also called rigid gas permeable. Both can be used to correct the same refractive errors as glasses. Soft contacts are made of plastic combined with other materials that flex, making them more comfortable and durable than hard lenses. Both soft and rigid contact lenses can be fitted with bifocal or multifocal designs that allow you to see both near and far objects at the same time.

Contact lenses are also categorized by their replacement schedule. Daily disposables are worn throughout the day and thrown away each night, while extended-wear lenses can be left in overnight. Regardless of the type of lens you wear, be sure to follow your contact lens replacement schedule as recommended by your eye care provider to avoid complications like discomfort or blurred vision.

Types of Contact Lenses

There are many different types of contact lenses. Your eye care provider will help you select the best one for your needs.

Soft contact lenses are made of gel-like, water-containing plastics called hydrogels that conform to the front surface of your eye. Introduced in the 1970s, they have become more popular than hard (nonporous) polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) lenses because they are comfortable to wear right away.

Some soft contact lenses are designed to be discarded after each use, making them disposable; these are known as daily disposables. Others are reusable, and must be cleaned and disinfected with a solution such as hydrogen peroxide before each wearing. Some people prefer to buy a box of daily disposables, which saves time and money, but these require proper care to prevent surface contamination and infection.

Rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses are similar to nonporous PMMA contacts, but they have the added benefit of allowing oxygen to pass through the lens and into your eye. They are durable and may last for several years; they are also easier to handle than soft contact lenses.

How to Wear Contact Lenses

If you’ve never worn contact lenses before, be patient. You may find it takes a few attempts to get the hang of placing them in your eye.

Wash your hands (preferably with a non-perfumed, anti-bacterial liquid soap) and dry them thoroughly with a lint-free towel. Before you put a lens in your hand, make sure it isn’t torn or inside-out. Check this by holding it up to the light and looking at it’s edges. If the edges flare out, it’s inside-out.

When you’re ready to put in a contact lens, start by using your pointer or index finger of the dominant hand. Keep your fingernails short to avoid accidentally scratching or damaging the lens. Insert the right-eye contact first, then the left. Some people prefer to look up while putting the contact in, but it’s entirely up to personal preference. Blink several times and look down, up, and to the right to center the lens in your cornea.

How to Care for Contact Lenses

It’s important to follow your eye care professional’s guidance on wearing and handling contact lenses. However, some general tips and best practices for proper contact lens care apply across the board.

Always wash your hands before touching your contacts, especially when inserting and removing them. This prevents the transfer of germs from your hands to your eyes.

Avoid using saline solution or eye drops to clean or rinse your contacts, as these do not adequately disinfect them. Instead, stick to the dedicated contact lens solution recommended for your specific needs.

When soaking your contacts, always make sure that they are completely submerged in fresh contact lens solution and soaked for the optimal time indicated by your solution instructions. It’s also important to keep a good schedule of removing and replacing daily or bi-weekly contacts as recommended, and to replace the storage case at least every three months.