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Soft Lens Insertion

Always wash your hands before handling your contact lenses. Avoid soaps with creams, deodorants or perfumes, as they may leave a film on you hand and cause eye irritation. Keep your fingernails trimmed and smooth to avoid damaging the lens or scratching your eye.
Take the right lens and rinse thoroughly with saline or rinsing solution. Check for any debris or tears in the lens before inserting. Always insert and remove the right lens first to avoid switching the lenses.
Determine if the lens is right side out. Hold the lens on your finger and notice the edges of the lens. If the edges appear almost straight up and appears to be bowl shaped, it is correct. If the edges of the lens are flared out, it is inside out. Your lens may have an inversion mark on it to help determine the right side. If the letter or mark can be read by looking at the lens, it is correct. If the mark is reversed, the lens in inside out.

Another method to tell if the lens in inside out is called the "taco test". Fold the lens gently in the palm of your hand. If it is correct, the edges will point inward. If it is inside out, the edges will roll out rather than in.
Hold the upper lashes to prevent blinking with the hand not holding the lens. Hold the lower eyelid with the middle finger of the hand holding the lens. Slowly bring the lens toward the eye while looking "through" the lens and finger and place it on the cornea. Slowly release the lower lid first and then the upper lid. Close your eyes gently to center the lens.
Use lubricating or re-wetting drops if your lenses feel dry or prior to removal if the lenses feel sticky.

Removal
Wash your hands. Pull down the lower lid with the middle finger of your inserting hand. Gently pull the lens downward onto the white part of your eye (sclera) as you look up. Pinch the lens between your thumb and forefinger to remove.
If the edges of the lens stick together after removal, place it in the palm of your hand and soak it thoroughly. Gently rub back and forth until edges get separated being careful not to rip the lens.
Follow lens cleaning and storage instructions given to you by the dispenser.


General Information

When first starting out, insert and remove your lenses over a cloth or towel spread on the counter, to avoid losing or damaging the lens.
You may want to use a mirror at first, but practice so you can do it without, in case you are somewhere without a mirror.
Fingernails should be trimmed to avoid damaging the lens and the eye.
Lenses must always be in a hydrated (wet) form. They must either be in your eye or in a proper soaking solution. If you drop a lens and do not find it until it has dried out, it may not be ruined. Soak the lens in solution for one hour and check to see if it returns to a soft, flexible state. If it becomes too dried out it will become brittle and break.

Checklist

If your lenses do not feel comfortable or your vision is blurred after you have inserted your lenses, check the following:
Check and see if your lenses have been properly cleaned and thoroughly rinsed. If not, remove the lens and clean and rinse as necessary.
Check to see if there is a foreign particle trapped between the lens and the eye. If so, remove the lens and rinse thoroughly.
Check to see if the lens in inside out. Refer to steps three and four in the insertion section on the previous page to determine if the lens was inserted correctly.
Check to see if the lens is torn or ripped. Remove the lens and inspect the edges for missing pieces. Sometimes what appears to be a scratch in the center of the lens is often a tear. If you do discover a rip, do not wear the lens, as it could cause damage to the eye. Call and order a new replacement lens.

Gas Perm Information

How to insert your lenses Wash hands with a mild soap, rinse completely and dry with a lint-free towel. Keep fingernails short and smooth to avoid damaging your lenses or scratching your eye.
If you’re working near a sink, close the drain.
Get in the habit of always working with the right lens first to avoid mix-ups.
Remove the lens from its case and inspect it for cleanliness, chips and scratches.
Place the lens, cup side up, on the tip of your index finger.
Apply a few drops of wetting solution, which is designed to make the lens surface more compatible with your tears and increase comfort. (Never use saliva. It contains bacteria that can cause infection.)
Insert. Tilt your head forward and bring the lens toward your eye.
Using the middle finger of the same hand, gently pull down your lower lid.
Lift the upper lid with your other hand.
Look at the lens.
Place the lens on your eye, release your lids, lower lid first, then top, and close your eyes.
Follow the same steps to insert the left lens.

How to remove your lenses


Wash and dry your hands and close any nearby drains.
Use your finger to separate your lids at the outer corner, making sure that they are above and below the contact lens.
Staring wide, use the finger to pull the lids outwards and slightly upwards, towards the top of your ear. If the lens has not fallen out once you have pulled your lids as far as possible, blink.
Cup the other hand under your eye to catch the lens as it falls out.


How to clean your lenses

Clean and store your lenses properly and you will be rewarded with healthier eyes and more comfortable lens wear.

Your Lens Care System - is the group of cleaning and disinfecting products we recommend at the time you are fitted for contact lenses -- it has been selected based on the type of lenses prescribed and your lifestyle. Since the solutions within the system are designed to work together, it is critical to use only the recommended products -- and to use them as directed

Each time you remove your contacts:
Wash and dry your hands.
Place the lens in the palm of your hand.
Squeeze several drops of cleaning solution into your palm.
Rub both sides of the lens in the cleaner in a straight back-and-forth motion for 20 to 30 seconds. Or, put several drops of cleaning solution on the lens and rub it between your thumb and forefinger for 20 to 30 seconds.
Rinse the cleaning solution off the lens with sterile saline or wetting solution


Using enzyme cleaning solutions


We will be able to tell you if you need to use enzyme cleaner. This cleaner helps remove protein deposits from the lenses.
Soak your lenses in the enzyme solution for the appropriate length of time.
Clean and disinfect the lenses before wearing them again.

Storing your lenses

If a lens dries out, clean and rinse it with fresh wetting solution before putting it in your eye.
Rinse and air-dry your storage case daily and replace it every six months or so.

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP)
Contact Lens Care Systems

RGP lenses must be cleaned and disinfected for safe and comfortable wear. We will recommend a lens care system designed to work well with your eyes, your lenses and your lifestyle.

The lens care system suggested by us will include a group of products designed to work together to clean, rinse, disinfect and remove protein deposits and to re-wet your eyes if they become dry during contact lens wear.

It is important to use only those systems designed specifically for rigid gas permeable lenses. They are formulated with disinfectants and preservatives proven to work best with the material of which your lenses are made.

If you wish to change your lens care regimen or to try new lens care products, it is wise to talk with us first, even if only by telephone, to ensure that you select products that are compatible with your eyes and will work well.

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