Contact Lenses

Before putting in your lenses, wash your hands with soap and water and rinse them thoroughly. Place the lens on your index finger so that the bottom of the bowl-like shape is resting on your finger. Look for any rips or tears in the lens. Don't use a lens that is damaged in any way. To insert the lens, use the index finger on your other had to pull your upper eyelid up. With the hand that's holding the lens, pull down on your lower lid with your middle finger. Then, slowly touch the lens to your eye. Release your eyelids and gently blink once or twice.

Wash your hands with soap and water and rinse them well. While looking up, pull down on your lower lid with the middle finger of your dominant hand. Use your index finger to gently slide the lens toward the bottom of your eye. Pinch the lens gently with your thumb and index fingers and gently lift it away from your eye. Follow up with the cleaning and storage steps recommended by your eye doctor.

Contact lenses should never be stored in plain water. Even distilled water can contain germs that pose a risk for infection. You should use a sterilized saline solution designed specifically for storing contact lenses.

It is not a good idea to swim with contact lenses in, as you should keep your contacts out of contact with water as much as possible. The chemicals used in swimming pools can also leave behind residues on lenses that could irritate your eyes.

If you have perfect vision, light focuses on the light-sensing structure in your eye called the retina in exactly the right location. Contact lenses improve vision in near-sighted and far-sighted people by altering how light focuses on the retina when it passes through the eye. The lenses are kept in place by the natural tears that lubricate your eyes.

Some daily-wear contacts can typically last for up to one year when cared for properly. Disposable contacts are worn for shorter lengths of time, such as one day, one week or one month. The packaging for disposable contact lenses will have an expiration date printed on them, and the lenses should be used before that date for best results.

Artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci produced sketches for a very basic type of contact lens in 1508, but the first wearable contact lenses weren't produced until the late 19th century. F.E. Muller is often credited with creating the first glass lenses in 1887. Others credit Adolf E. Fick and Edouard Kalt for creating the first glass contact lenses in 1888. The first glass and plastic lenses were invented by William Feinbloom in 1936.

The length of time that you can safely wear contacts depends on their type. Most lenses should be removed prior to bed; however, extended-wear contacts can be worn continuously for a set length of time, usually for up to 30 days. Your eye doctor can provide you with specific advice regarding how long you can wear your lenses on a daily basis.

There is no specific minimum age requirement for wearing contact lenses. As long as a child or teen can handle and care for contacts appropriately and a doctor prescribes the lenses, they can be worn safely. Most eye doctors recommend that kids start wearing contacts between 8 and 11 years of age.

To get contact lenses, you need to visit an optometrist to undergo an eye exam. The doctor will determine your prescription and measure your eyes to decide what size lenses you require. You can then use your prescription to order contact lenses online.

° Contact lenses automatically ship for free. Free Standard Shipping also applies to general store merchandise, contact lens solutions and accessories under 10 lbs when part of a contact lens order. Items ship separately.