Using contact lenses safely

If you are new to wearing contact lenses, or are an experienced wearer, you may have questions about your contact lenses and how to properly take care of and use them.


You should seek medical advice immediately if you have:

- Blurred vision
- Painful, red or swollen eyes
- A white or yellow spot over the coloured part of your eye

Proper cleaning and use of your contact lenses will help keep your eyes healthy and avoid unnecessary infections.

Optometrist and Association of Optometrists spokesperson, Ceri Smith-Jaynes, emphasised the need to keep contact lenses clean: “Simple steps will help ensure eye infections and more serious corneal infections – which can cause pain and scarring of the eye, permanently impairing vision – are avoided.”

Always make sure that you have a pair of glasses, with your up-to-date prescription, for when you take your lenses out

We’ve put together some tips to help you safely and correctly use your contact lenses:

- Ensure that you only wear your contact lenses for the recommended time period
- Always make sure that you have a pair of glasses, with your up-to-date prescription, for when you take your lenses out
- Make sure that you have regular contact lens check ups

To ensure that you use your contact lens safely, it is important that you are aware of things that you should avoid doing, including:

- Using a contact lens that looks damaged
- Using any kind of water on your contact lenses or inside your lens case
- Going to sleep wearing your contact lenses. Your optician will advise whether your lenses are suitable for overnight wear.
- Re-using daily disposable contact lenses
- Putting a contact lens into your eye that is dirty or dusty
- Putting a contact lens into your eye that has been dropped and not properly cleaned
- Wearing contact lenses when swimming or playing water sports
- Continuing to wear contact lenses that do not look okay, do not feel okay or your vision is blurry
- Wearing any contact lenses that haven’t been properly fitted into your eyes

If you have any questions about your contact lenses, or other questions relating to your overall eye health, visit Clare Griffin Optometrists at the Morrisons Centre, Hatherley or give us a call on 01242 504 800. A member of our team will be on hand to offer you friendly, professional advice and answer your questions.