Although contact lenses are very satisfactory devices that make life easier for people who want to gain independence from glasses but are not suitable for refractive surgery or want to avoid an invasive method; If their selection, care and use are not done correctly, they can cause many discomforts, from eye dryness and redness to persistent eye allergies and eye infections that can result in permanent vision loss.
In this article, our contact lens users will be informed about lens use and care.
The most important point to consider when using contact lenses is to know that contact lenses should only be used after they have been tested and prescribed by ophthalmologists. Although performing a complete eye examination of the patient, fully revealing the refractive error, and evaluating measurements such as the radius of curvature and size of the cornea are indispensable parts of the contact lens examination; These are evaluated by the doctor, including factors such as how long the patient will wear the lens on average per day, his profession, economic situation, and the presence of an underlying ocular or systemic problem, and a trial lens that is thought to be suitable for the patient is applied to the eye. After waiting for an appropriate period of time depending on the type of lens, parameters such as the position of the contact lens on the cornea, its tightness and movement are observed and it is decided whether the lens is suitable for the patient. If a (toric) contact lens with astigmatism correction feature is tried (Acuvue Oasys for astigmatism, Purevision 2 HD for astigmatism, Biofinity Toric, SofLens for astigmatism, Air optix for astigmatism, Proclear Toric, Clariti Toric, etc.), the position of the lens on the cornea is recorded. and based on the markings on the lens, it is decided whether to make changes in the prescription of the contact lens. Considering that there are dozens of types of contact lenses on the market with different materials, oxygen permeability, radius of curvature and size, it is not difficult to estimate how incorrect results can be caused by using contact lenses according to the glasses prescription without a contact lens examination.
Contact lenses. The users choose the lens determined by their doctor together. They should use it according to their preferred usage schedule, comply with the replacement plan on the necessary dates, and follow the doctor's recommendations for cleaning and maintenance. It is useful to remind here once again that the opinions of close friends who use lenses, lens users on internet forums, or employees of companies that sell and distribute contact lenses cannot replace an ophthalmologist examination.
Soft contact lens technologies have been developed in the last 10 years. With the introduction of revolutionary daily disposable contact lenses and multi-purpose lens care systems that allow lens care from a single bottle, contact lens care has become easier than before. However, it is useful to underline some points that need to be considered in lens care.
The first rule to be followed in care is to wash your hands with soap and dry them with a towel that does not leave thread or cotton before contacting the contact lens or eyes. Since the soaps to be used for washing contain moisturizers and may leave residue on the lens surface, it is recommended to choose pure soaps instead of creamy soaps.
Residues such as lipids, proteins, mucus, environmental pollutants and cosmetic residues contained in tears tend to bind to the lens surface and penetrate the lens matrix. . For this reason, it is important to perform lens care with a solution that is capable of cleaning such residues and pathogens and is friendly to the contact lens itself, eye tissues and tears. There are more than 10 contact lens solutions on the market depending on different parameters such as surface active, auxiliary and preservative ingredients. The most preferred ones are BioTrue, OptiFree Express, Opti Free Puremoist, Renu Multi Plus, Aqua Soft Comfort, All in One light, Synergi, Solo Care Aqua. The most important point to consider when using the solution is that even if there is a phrase "no rubbing required" on the solution, the lenses should be taken one by one into the palm of the hand and a few drops of lens solution should be dropped on them after they are removed, and then they should be cleaned with the solution between the index finger and the palm. This cleaning process is intended to remove debris, cosmetics, air pollutants and microorganisms accumulated on the lens surface. is important from. Then, the loosened residues during the scrubbing process are washed with the solution again and the cleaned contact lens is placed in the lens case filled with new solution and closed. Using the contact lens solution left in the box from the previous evening is dangerous as it will cause bacterial biofilm to form on the lens surface. It is also important to be careful not to contaminate the tip of the contact lens bottle by touching any surface, including the hands, during the cleaning and rinsing processes.
An important cleaning step that is often skipped in contact lens care is the care of the contact lens case. Rinsing the inside of the container with clean contact lens solution and then drying it upside down on a clean tissue paper is generally the most recommended method by ophthalmologists. It is also recommended to change contact lens cases every two to three months to prevent microbial contamination. There are also lens cases on the market that contain silver ions and provide extra disinfection. It is recommended not to use lens cases that are cracked or have broken rims.
Another important point to know about contact lens care is that contact of contact lenses with tap water may cause various microorganisms, especially Acanthamoeba, to be carried into the eye. For this reason, patients should be reminded not to take a shower with contact lenses, not to enter the pool, and to avoid using steam rooms and saunas.
If contact lenses will be stored in a container without being used for a long time, they should be used regularly, in accordance with the periods specified by the contact lens and solution manufacturer. They should be cleaned at intervals and the solution in the container should be changed. In any case, soft contact lenses that have not been used for more than 30 days should not be used. Disposable daily disposable lenses for people who plan to use lenses for long periods of time (1-day Acuvue TruEye, 1 Day Acuvue Moist, 1 day Acuvue Define, Dailies Total, Biotrue Oneday, Soflens Daily Dispose, Proclear 1 day, Dailies AquaComfort Plus, Clariti It would be a more rational approach to prefer 1 day, Focus Dailies, etc.
Ophthalmologists who apply contact lenses often complain of burning, stinging and itching during lens use. encounters patients with decreased tolerance. In addition to these patients, there is also a group of patients who experience these complaints, but are hesitant to express their problems for fear of being told by their doctor to take a break from contact lenses.
Dry eye disease associated with contact lens use International Dry Eye Workshop (International Dry Eye) According to the Workshop-DEWS report, it is a condition that can be caused by both aqueous production deficiency and excess evaporation, and it has been revealed that one in every two contact lens wearers has symptoms of dryness. This rate is 12 times that of the patient population that does not use glasses and approximately 5 times that of glasses users.
The higher frequency of dryness symptoms in female contact lens users suggests that hormonal effects may play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Other risk factors known to worsen symptoms include decreased corneal sensitivity due to long-term contact lens use, use of contact lenses with high water content, improper lens care, systemic and ocular diseases and medications that may cause dry eye, and decreased blinking rate, which is common in people who work intensively in front of a screen.
An important point to know is that not every dry eye patient will be symptomatic. Contact lenses can sometimes act like a bandage, making it difficult to notice complications that may develop due to dry eye. For this reason, it is important for contact lens users to be checked by an ophthalmologist at routine intervals, and during the examination, the physician should check not only the lens of the patient, but also the eyelids, the inside of the eyelids, the cornea, and the amount of tears in front and behind the lens.
What may develop during contact lens use In case of dry eye disease, the first thing to do is to raise the patient's awareness and organize the environment. It would be useful to explain small points to the young professional patient group, who are office workers, such as not being directly exposed to air conditioning, placing the computer screen below eye level, remembering to blink in front of the screen, and resting the eyes for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. Patients' underlying ocular surface, eyelid and eyelash problems should be treated. All these factors are There are various lubricant drops, gels, and supplements that can be used topically and systemically in patients who are treated with it. Although there are many types abroad, the number of tear drops specific to remoistening contact lenses is limited in our country. Opti free Pro Lens drops are drops released for this purpose, and in addition to preservative-free drops such as Optive Advanced SE, Systane UD, Blink SE, Tears Naturale Free, Xailin Fresh SE, Artelact Advanced, etc., they are also suitable for use with contact lenses. Nevertheless, an ophthalmologist examination is essential to determine whether the condition is due to dry eye or another contact lens-related complication.
In this article, we briefly tried to answer some questions we frequently hear in our practice regarding contact lens care and use. . We wish all our patients healthy and good days.
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