Singapore - Simple and useful tips for contact lens care

Whether you are a contact lens wearer or not, your eyes should be bright, clear and white to represent optimal eye health.

Adopting good habits - such as going for regular eye examinations, eating healthy and protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays - will go a long way to ensuring good eye health.

If you experience redness around the iris, it may be a sign that your eyes lack oxygen.

A healthy pair of contact lenses should provide enough oxygen flow and moisture to last all day.

There could be several other causes of red eyes, including poor hygiene when handling contact lenses, overuse of lenses or even the lens material.

Many users experience dry eyes as the contact lenses they are wearing do not have sufficient moisture.

Some of the signs of dry eyes include blurred vision and redness. A lens with increased wettability should work with your eyes' natural tears to keep eyes moist and comfortable even after hours of wearing lenses.

These symptoms are easily avoidable with proper contact lens care.

On average, contact lens wearers spend about 10 to 12 hours day wearing their lenses, so it is important to find a lens that is suitable for your lifestyle, and provides health benefits beyond just being a vision correction tool.

Some useful tips for healthy contact lens wear:

1) Get contact lenses that fit

Always consult your eye care professional before purchasing contact lenses.

A lens-fitting consultation will ensure that your lenses fit perfectly, as everybody's eyes are different.

In fact, even your left eye is different from your right eye.

2) Choose the right lens material

Lens material also plays a part in ensuring good eye health.

It is important that your contact lenses are able to deliver oxygen to the eyes for clear and healthy vision.

Enough oxygen flow is essential as it maintains the integrity of eye health.

Furthermore, the right lens material will also keep your eyes moist throughout the day.

3) Wear a fresh, new pair of contact lenses each time

Whether you use lenses on a daily basis, or whether you use it occasionally for functions and events, daily disposable contact lenses are recommended.

Daily disposable lenses reduce the chance of protein deposits accumulating on the lens surface.

4) Your eyes need as much UV protection as your skin does

So much has been said about UV protection for your skin, but did you know that it is just as important for your eyes to be protected from harmful UV rays?

Those who wear contact lenses can get added protection from the sun beyond just wearing a pair of sunglasses.

So make sure your contact lenses offer UV protection.

5) Always consult your eye care professional

Besides recommending contact lenses that are suitable for your lifestyle and eye health needs, your optometrist is there to address any of your other eye health concerns.

If something doesn't feel right, speak to them and they will be able to advise you and help you maintain optimal eye health.

This article was contributed by Donald Chong Tze Hui who holds a Diploma in Optometry and has 15 years of experience in the field of eye care.

YourHealth, AsiaOne