More than 4 million English people wear contacts every day. Contacts can be tricky to use, however. Especially when it comes to hygiene, because our eyes are sensitive and prone to infections.

Publication Optical Center, written by Manu Gosselinois 13.03.2019 - 15h27

Choosing contacts

Contrary to popular belief, contacts correct vision problems just as well as eyeglasses. Your field of vision is also better without the frame of your glasses in the way, since your view is not distorted or limited to the surface area of your lenses. Some of the most frequent vision problemscorrected with contacts are near-sightedness, far-sightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. There are two types of contact lenses: soft contacts, which are the most commonly used, and hard contacts, reserved for very strong corrections. There are also daily disposable lenses, which are thrown out at the end of the day. Those are great for occasional use, for example when you’re playing sports. The most frequently used contacts are biweekly or monthly disposable lenses, which can correct most vision problems. Finally, there are quarterly disposables and bespoke contacts, for unusual corrections and corneas.

Tips for daily contact use

It is very important to give your eyes time to rest and breathe by switching to your glasses. You should not wear your contacts too long, and remember to take them out before going to bed. Do you practice any sports? There are different rules to follow depending on the sport. 
Although it is possible to do sports while wearing contacts, which can sometimes be more convenient than wearing glasses, it is generally recommended not to wear them in the pool due to higher risk of fungal infection. For the same reason, it’s better to remove them before taking a shower. Another good tip: you can wear make-up while wearing contacts but remember to put them in before starting your make-up routine.

What are the risks of wearing contact lenses?

Proper hygiene is the main risk. It is absolutely critical to clean your contacts using a special contact solution prescribed by your ophthalmologist in order to avoid infections. Your hands should always be clean when handling your contacts. Also good to know: contact lenses can slide upwards a bit and - less frequently - can fold over, however they cannot slip behind the eye. If they start to feel uncomfortable, it may be because the air is cold and dry from air conditioning or because you’ve spent too much time working at a computer screen. If that happens, just use some artificial tears and drink more water. Finally, coloured contacts are not dangerous as long as they are properly cleaned. Be careful with novelty contacts to get that zombie or cat eye effect, though: poor quality or poorly used lenses can lead to inflammation. To avoid those kinds of problems, always speak to an eye car professional.