Estimated reading time: 5 minutes. Contact lenses turn dry when they are left to dehydrate. Depending on the water content some lenses may turn dry sooner than others. The more the water content, the more moisture they need to stay flexible. Having to forget them sealed in cases for long risk dehydration. These are the simple steps to prolong the life of your contact lenses to prevent them to dry out. It is also recommended to do it before you have no choice to reuse dried-out lens.
Try to avoid placing the contact cases and solutions in the toilet or near the toilet bowl. It is because a toilet flush can spread germs into the air with the likelihood of them landing in your contact solutions or contact cases.
It is recommended to change the solution every night so that they get fresh supply of moisture every day to rehydrate the contact lenses. Never toss off the solution, instead, refill cases every time you take off your contacts from eyes for storage to reuse contacts the following morning. However, you may be appalled to still find some of your contacts drying out way too quickly. It seems like the solution is evaporating fast whereas in reality to keep their structure soft , the lenses absorb water from their surroundings.
Hence the process is not of evaporation but absorption. Time needed: 1 day and 20 minutes. Considering the circumstances, you can still make an attempt to reuse your contact lens. In the meantime, you may want to change the solution every week or two to be on the safe side. The expiration date on soft contact lenses is typically about four years from the date of manufacture. After that time, the seal on the package can degrade, potentially exposing the sterile lens to contamination.
If you wear contact lenses, you may need contact lens solution to rinse, clean and disinfect your lenses. However, if you have sensitive eyes, you may want to buy FDA-approved saline solution to rinse the lenses before putting them in your eyes.
Daily disposable lenses should not be cleaned or disinfected. If you wear other types of soft contact lenses, or gas permeable contact lenses , you may need an FDA-approved multi-purpose solution for rinsing, disinfection and storage.
You may also use an enzymatic cleaner to remove buildup. The only safe way to store contact lenses is in a contact case fully covered by fresh contact lens disinfecting solution. You should never store contact lenses in water neither bottled, distilled nor tap , homemade saline solution, saline nasal spray, eye drops or any other liquid not expressly intended for disinfecting and storing contact lenses. It should go without saying, but most contact lens patient instruction booklets also warn against using saliva yes, really!
Also, never store your contacts in a drinking glass, a jar or anything other than a clean contact lenses case which needs to be replaced every three months. Storing your contacts incorrectly can lead to serious corneal infections and even blindness.
Can I use a dried-out contact lens? JUL 02, Question: One of my day lenses fell on the counter and dried out for about an hour.
Answer: I am sure somebody, somewhere has done this and gotten away with it, but I certainly would not even think about it for my eyes. Ask an Ophthalmologist. Browse Answers. Medical disclaimer By submitting your question, you agree to be answered by email. Question Required. Email address Required. Enter a Valid email address. Close Submit. Related What is the difference between no-line bifocals, progressive bifocals and trifocals?
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