Eye Contact Lens: a beginner’s guide

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An eye contact lens is a round, transparent disc that rests on your cornea in order to provide clear, crisp vision. Moisture in your eye acts as an adhesive, holding the contact lens in place with some help from your eyelids. In addition, your eyelids help keeping your contact lens clean every time you blink. The shape of the eye contact lens is determined by the shape of your eye. The inner surface of the contact lens fits perfectly the shape if your eye, with the shape of the outer surface depending on the type of vision correction needed.

To understand how an eye contact lens works, understanding the eye and perfect vision is key. The perfect eye creates clear images when light rays enter the eye and meet exactly on the retina at the back of the eyeball. In cases where contact lenses are needed for vision correction, it is because light rays fail to focus at the right point of the retina due to the shape of the eye. An eye contact lens is then used to refocus the light rays so that they converge at the right point.

There are a number of different eye conditions in which light fails to focus correctly and the result is blurred vision. Most common eye conditions can be helped by contact lens wear. If you are new to contact lenses, you may still be struggling to find the best way to look after your lenses and the routines of inserting and taking out the lenses which will suit you best.

Inserting your eye contact lens – step by step:

First and foremost, make sure that you are prepared. Roll up your sleeves, and thoroughly clean and disinfect the area around you. Many contact lens wearers find the bathroom a good place for their contact lens routine – not because of the closeness to the tap, as tap water is in fact a no-no in contact lens care, but because some spillage might occur. A mirror can be helpful, too. Wash your hands with hot, soapy water, and use a clean towel. If you make an effort to be perfectly hygienic at all times, very little can go wrong.

Open the lens case and remove the eye contact lens with your index finger. It happens occasionally that a contact lens will adhere itself to the packaging foil cover, but this does not affect its sterility. Balance the contact lens on the tip of your finger, and apply some rinsing solution. Get used to always starting with the same lens, right or left, so that you don’t get confused and get them mixed up.

Take a close look at the eye contact lens. Ensure that it looks clean and free of debris; never insert a contact lens into your eye if you suspect that it might be damaged. The edges of your contact lens should be pointing upwards and look ready to cup your eye. If they appear to point outwards, the contact lens is inside out and needs to be flipped over.

With your free hand, lift your upper eyelid and control your blinking. With the other hand, use your middle finger to pull down the lower eyelid slightly, and extend the index finger with the eye contact lens resting on it. Look right into the contact lens, and place it gently onto the centre of your eye. When you let go of your eyelids and blink, the contact lens will automatically move into place.

If you are wearing soft lenses, your contact lens may turn itself inside out as you try to insert it. Just be patient and gentle, and try again. There may also be a brief moment of irritation as the contact lens touches the eye. This is just a matter of acclimatisation, and there is no need to worry. Keeping your eye closed for five seconds once the contact lens has been inserted can sometimes help the eye getting used to the contact lens. A few drops of rewetting solution can also help.

Repeat the routine for your other eye, and then clean and disinfect your lens case and leave open to dry.

Removing your eye contact lens

Just like when inserting your eye contact lenses, hygiene is crucial when removing them. Start with the same cleaning and hand washing ritual as in the morning.

Looking into a mirror, open your eye wide and draw your eyelids away from the contact lens. If you are wearing a soft eye contact lens, simply grasp the lens from the sides or try to push it off the cornea and blink so that it buckles up. With rigid contact lenses, pull the lens to the side and blink to make it lose adhesion. In this case, make sure to cup your other hand underneath your eye, in case the lens falls out by itself before you catch it.

Some people find the removal of an eye contact lens somewhat difficult even when they have learned to insert their lenses without hassle. Try to be patient and start over if you fail – it will all come to you with time.

Unless you are wearing daily disposables, rinse and clean your contact lens and store it in a disinfected case. Repeat the process for the other eye.

If you are finding the insertion and removal of your new eye contact lens difficult, visit your Optician and ask them for a training session. They will watch you and give you advice on how your routine can be improved and whether there are any obvious reasons for your problems. With a bit of time most people find their contact lens care both easy and quick, and it generally fits in naturally with the overall morning and evening routines in the bathroom.

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