The doctors and staff of Professional VisionCare want to ensure you have the clearest vision and healthiest eyes with your contact lenses. Therefore, we are reviewing the following important information to allow you to enjoy the benefits of successful contact lens wear.
Contact lenses are medical devices with a limited useful lifespan. The surface of a contact lens can become deposited with protein and lipid from the tears in the eye. This can lead to contamination of the lens with bacteria, viruses, or fungi that can result in a serious eye infection resulting in a permanent loss of vision.
To maintain proper eye health and avoid the risk of infection, inflammation, and damage to your eyes, proper care is necessary.
Always remember to:
1. Wash your hands and dry them with a lint-free towel prior to handling your lenses.
2. Rub, rinse, and disinfect your lenses with fresh solution (named above) each time you remove your lenses.
3. Insert your lenses prior to applying makeup and remove lenses prior to removing makeup. Remember: Your contacts always come first.
4. After inserting your lenses, completely empty the solution in your case and clean your contact lens case with fresh disinfecting solution, leaving it uncapped and upside down to air dry.
5. Replace your lens case every 3 months.
6. Keep your eyelids and eyelashes clean. Good hygiene helps to eliminate germs which can cause eye infections.
7. Replace your lenses according to your doctor’s recommendations stated above.
8. Remove your lenses immediately if you develop pain, redness, light sensitivity, excessive tearing or discharge, or a sudden loss of vision. If any of these symptoms persist after lens removal, contact the office for an evaluation.
9. Have spectacles in an up to date prescription to wear when you are not wearing your contact lenses.
10. Adhere to recommended follow up schedule for contact lens checks, eye health evaluations, and your annual examination.
11. Follow proper contact lens daily wear schedules. You should always have 1-2 hours of non contact lens wearing time during your waking hours of the day.
Contact lens “Don’ts”:
1. Never sleep or nap in your lenses. There is a significant increased risk for eye infection and inflammation secondary to
sleeping in lenses. Most lenses are not designed to be worn overnight and are not safe to do so.
2. Never shower or swim in your contact lenses.
3. Never wear a contact lens on a red, irritated, or painful eye.
4. Never use water to clean or store a contact lens. Never change disinfecting solutions without asking your eye doctor. Store brand or other “generic” solutions are not identical to name brands and contain chemicals that can cause irritation and allergic reactions. Never use saline to store your lenses as it does not provide any cleaning or disinfection.
5. Never reuse any disinfecting solution after soaking your lenses in it for one night, completely empty and clean your case after every lens insertion.
6. Never use a contact lens that has not been specifically prescribed for you.
7. Never clean your lenses in between your finger and thumb; and never clean lenses with a circular motion. To prevent contact lens rippage or warpage, the proper cleaning motion is a straight back and forth in the palm of your hand.
8. Never use hand lotion, cold creams, or other body oils prior to handling your contacts. Also avoid using hairspray or other aerosol products while your eyes are open with your contacts in.
9. Never put your lenses in your mouth or clean them with saliva.
When worn, cared for, and replaced properly, contact lenses provide healthy and comfortable vision correction. However, there are risks to eye health associated with noncompliant contact lens wear that can result in a permanent loss of vision.
If you experience eye pain, redness, light sensitivity, excessive tearing/discharge, or a loss of vision, contact the office @ (614)898-9989 to schedule an appointment. On evenings or weekends, call the office number and follow the prompts to page the on-call doctor. We are available 24 hours/day to handle eye emergencies.
For any office visit resulting in a medical diagnosis such as infection, inflammation, or allergy of the eye, the fees for that visit will not be covered by any fitting fee or continuing care plan and will be the responsibility of the patient. If we are a provider for your major medical plan, regular fees and co-pays apply. If we are not a provider for your major medical plan, the office visit fee must be paid in full and a fee slip will be provided for you to seek reimbursement.
Any office visit that occurs after normal office hours is subject to an additional after hours fee of up to $125 that is not covered as part of any major medical plan, our continuing care, or guaranteed fit plan.