If You Wear Contact Lenses Proper contact lens care is important to good eye health and success in wearing contact lenses. The basic care for soft or rigid contact lenses is very much the same, only the products may be different. Daily Contact Lens Care ξ The first step is to wash and dry your hands using a mild soap. Stand over a flat surface. ξ Clean both sides of the contact lens in the palm of your hand with a surfactant cleaner. ξ Rinse the lens thoroughly with saline or a multi-purpose solution. This makes sure the lens is clean. ξ Disinfect the lens in the proper solution for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Weekly Lens Care For non-disposable contact lenses, an extra step may be needed. Lenses form a filmy protein build-up that should be removed weekly using an enzymatic cleaner. Remember: Cleaning is not a substitute for disinfecting and disinfecting is not a substitute for cleaning. Contact Lens Care Tips DO ξ Clean and disinfect your contact lenses daily. ξ Handle your contact lenses with care. ξ Inspect your lenses before putting them in. ξ If you wear make-up, apply it after putting your lenses in. ξ Solutions are sterile until opened. Keep the cap closed when not in use. DON’T ξ Never reuse contact lens solution. Change daily. Don’t just top off. ξ Do not wear your contact lenses when you are around irritating vapors or fumes. ξ Do not touch the tip of your contact lens solution vial to any surface. This may cause contamination. If you have any of these symptoms, remove your contact lenses right away. If symptoms persist, contact the clinic. ξ Redness ξ Eye stinging, burning. or itching ξ Excessive tearing ξ Unusual eye secretions ξ Cloudy or foggy vision or a decrease in vision that does not clear up quickly ξ Increased sensitivity to light ξ Suspect something is wrong Remember: Contact lenses should be comfortable and a pleasant experience. Regular exams by your doctor are needed to assess your eyes' tolerance for contact lenses. Phone Numbers University Station Eye Clinic, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (608) 263-7171 When the clinic is closed, your call will be forwarded to the hospital paging operator. Ask for the “Eye Resident on Call”. Give the operator your name and phone number with area code. The doctor will call you back. If you live out of the area, call 1-800-323-8942 and ask to be transferred to the above number. Please call if you have any questions or concerns. Your health care team may have given you this information as part of your care. If so, please use it and call if you have any questions. If this information was not given to you as part of your care, please check with your doctor. This is not medical advice. This is not to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Because each person’s health needs are different, you should talk with your doctor or others on your health care team when using this information. If you have an emergency, please call 911. Copyright ©1/2016 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. HF#5011