Do you wear glasses or contacts every day? Are you worried that your contacts could give you an infection?
Glasses and contact lenses are two of the most common ways to correct your vision. But most people rarely think about the possibility that you could get an eye infection from them.
Like anything we touch, our hands and objects can have bacteria on them. This includes our contact lenses and glasses.
Keep reading to learn more about if wearing contacts and glasses makes you more vulnerable to infections!
Contacts
Contact lenses are a great way to have clearer vision and not have to worry about breaking your glasses. But contacts do come with some risks.
You need to take care of them properly. The way to do this is to follow the instructions and keep your hands clean whenever you touch them.
Most of the infections caused by contact lenses are bacterial. Some bacterias are more intense than others.
Infections can cause holes to form in your cornea, leading to scarring and vision loss. Also, you can get fungal infections from contacts that could affect your vision.
If you want to prevent bacterial or fungal infections forming on your contact lenses, you need to take care of them. Proper care of your contacts should start with not sleeping in them.
You should also avoid showering or swimming in them. Contacts shouldn’t be worn in any body of water without goggles.
Another aspect of your contacts to keep in mind is making sure you store and clean them the right way. Replace your contact solution daily and always replace your contacts as recommended.
A hydrogen peroxide-based solution is a great way to clean your contact lenses and kill bacteria. Ask your ophthalmologist for recommendations if you don’t feel like your contacts are getting clean enough in your current solution.
Glasses
While we may clean our glasses for smudges, we may not think about cleaning them to remove bacteria. It is important to think about keeping anything that comes into contact with our faces clean.
Keeping your glasses free of bacteria is key to preventing eye infections. Oils from your face, hands, and eyelashes can build up on your glasses.
Your glasses can carry different bacterias. Common bacterias include pink eye, blepharitis, bacterial keratitis, and sties.
These bacterias can cause inflammation, cornea infections, and bumps near the eyelid.
Cleaning your glasses is necessary for preventing bacteria, as well as any infections. When cleaning your glasses, don’t use your shirt or a paper towel.
These surfaces can transfer dust onto your glasses and scratch the lenses. If you are cleaning your glasses, you should not breathe on them. Breathing on your glasses only transfers bacteria onto them.
Cleaning your glasses daily is the best way to prevent infection. You should wash the entire frame and lenses.
The frame can have a buildup of oil and makeup. To wash your glasses, run them under warm water and use your fingers to apply some soap.
When they are clean, use a lint-free cloth to dry them. If you don’t have a lint-free cloth, a coffee filter can dry your glasses too.
Proper care is the best way to prevent infections if you wear glasses or contacts. If you’re tired of wearing contacts or glasses, there are other options as well, like LASIK.
LASIK is a great option if you are looking for visual freedom, or no longer want to deal with wearing glasses or contacts anymore.
Have questions about your eyecare? Stahl Eyecare Experts is here to help! Schedule an appointment with us in Manhattan, NY now!
