How to Store Contact Lenses Without Solution or Case: Emergency Tips
Are you looking for an effective means of vision correction? Contact lenses are your best choice. However, they demand proper handling and storage to prevent eye infections and increase longevity.
Emergencies and accidents can happen. You can find yourself without your contact lens solution or case. In such a situation, you don’t need to panic. A good knowledge of how to safely store your contacts can help avoid any eye health risks. In this guide, we’ll share tips on handling contact lenses when you don’t have the proper supplies, cover alternative storage methods, and emphasize the importance of proper hygiene.
Understanding Contact Lenses
For many individuals, contact lenses are one of the most essential tools for vision correction, making them the best alternative to glasses. Handling contact lenses demands extreme care and attention. Your inadequate care can pose a risk to your eye health. Contact lens solutions are a key aspect of contact lenses. The solutions help keep your lenses safe and clean. The contact lens case is also vital because you need a storage device after removing your lenses. You can’t just keep them anywhere.
Another crucial part of handling lenses is the proper care routine. For example, you must wash your hands before touching your lenses. If you forget to wash your hands or even mistakenly drop your lenses, eye infections await you.
Forgetting your contact lens essential pack kit can happen to anyone. Don’t judge yourself. The concern is knowing how to handle such a situation. You must learn other methods for storing your contacts.
Importance of Proper Care for Contact Lenses
There are several benefits attached to proper contact care. They include,
- Proper care allows for the passage of adequate oxygen supply to your cornea leading to good eye health.
- Adequate care prevents the buildup of bacteria and other diseases.
- Following recommended cleaning and care routines extends the lens’s life.
- Proper care removes dust particles and other debris from the lenses.
Contact Lens Solution Alternatives
Ever heard of temporary alternatives for contact lens solutions? Ever come back from a stressful day at work, and you just want to remove your contacts and allow your eyes to breathe? Unfortunately, you discover there’s no contact lens solution left. In such a situation, you can use a homemade solution and buy a proper contact solution the next day Let’s look at a few substitutes for your contact lens solution.
Distilled Water as a Temporary Substitute
Distilled water makes for a homemade solution for your contact lenses. Remember, it is only for short-term use. You can use distilled water as opposed to tap water because the tap contains the virus acanthamoeba keratitis.
To make your solution at home, start by boiling water on the gas. Notably, every water contains bacteria, but you kill them when you boil them. Once you have the homemade contact solution, you can rinse your contact lenses before placing them in the water.
Saline as an Alternative to Contact Solution
Another substitute for contact lens solution is saline solution. Most homes have saline solutions for cleaning babies’ eyes or from a nasal spray. It is a safe cleaning solution because it poses no danger to your eyes. However, it doesn’t kill all the bacteria in the lenses. To make a saline solution at home, add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a pot of water and boil for 15 minutes. Once done, allow to cool.
Note: You can also use a hydrogen peroxide solution. However, use it only with guidance from an eye doctor. It is mainly ideal for those with sensitive eyes.
Emergency Storage Methods
What do you do when you’re far away from home and need to take your lenses out but discover your contact lens case is not with you? There are emergency options that can help keep your lenses clean.
Using a Small Container or Cup
The most convenient way to store your lenses is in a small container or cup. Make sure the container is clean and dry before putting your lenses inside. You can add fresh solution to the container to keep your lens moist.
Storing Contact Lenses Without a Case
Say you misplaced a part of your contact lens case, the other lens case is not entirely useless. You can use the remaining lid as a temporary storage solution. Just ensure it is dry, then add your lenses inside with some solution. You can use tweezers when you don’t have the lids. Place your lenses on the tip of a clean tweezer before putting them in a clean and dry container.
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Risks of Improper Storage
Do not rely entirely on the emergency solution process. While they can save the day, a total reliance on them is inappropriate. Always have a fresh pair of contact lens solutions alongside. There are so many risks associated with improper storage of contacts. Keeping your eyes healthy starts with carefulness.
- Infections are a common risk. When you store lenses improperly, they harbor bacteria. Placing the lenses in your eyes introduces those bacteria directly and can cause infections like keratitis.
- Having contaminated lenses leads to discomfort and irritation.
- Using an old solution or an unclean contact case can cloud your lenses. It hinders oxygen flow to your cornea causing discomfort.
Storing your lenses properly can minimize these risks. Do the following:
- Use clean water to wash your contact lens cases. Air dry with the case open.
- Always fill your case with fresh solutions. Do not top-up the solution.
- Avoid sleeping in your contact lenses, unless your eye doctor recommends it.
- Consider daily lenses if you’re prone to forgetting care routines.
Dangers of Not Using Contact Lens Solution
Contact lens solutions are a good cleaning solution for your lenses. Without them, you can’t remove the debris that gets stuck to your lenses during the day. Overnight soaking of your lenses keeps them soft. When you don’t clean and disinfect your lenses with a new solution, you risk having vision problems and infections. Also, when you store lenses without a contact solution, they can crack and dry out leading to discomfort and damage to your cornea. Soft contact lenses and silicone hydrogel lenses rely on contact solutions for hydration. Without the solution, they can’t allow oxygen to reach your cornea.
Conclusion
While it may seem harmless, skipping your contact lens solution even for one night can have serious consequences. Though temporary recommendations exist, always use a contact lens solution. Some individuals use tap water and eye drops for their lenses but they are not recommended and are not safe substitutes. To maintain healthy eyes, you need proper care. Though tasking, it is better than returning to glasses. The answer to the age-long question of – are contact lens solutions that important. Yes, they are extremely important. Finally, don’t forget to engage the services of your eye doctor when in doubt.