Caring for your hard contact lenses.

You should not have any discomfort when wearing hard contact lenses. You'll be aware of their presence when you initially start to wear them, but should quickly become used to them. Contact lenses require continual care and ongoing treatment and you should follow up with your optometrist every six months.

Follow the recommended wearing schedule - it may only be 2 to 4 hours at first. You will gradually increase wearing time as tolerated. You could experience episodes of excessive eye-watering, which will cause the lenses to move around. Do not rub your eyes. Hard lenses have a tendency at first to cause some mild burning and itching. This will gradually disappear as you adapt. Maintain a regular wearing pattern. If you wear them normally only 10 hours, it might cause irritation to wear them for 18 hours.

Always wash your hands before handling your lenses. Hard lenses need cleaning and sterilization - follow recommended care instructions. The surfaces of the lenses should remain moist to be comfortable. If dirt or soot gets between the lens and the cornea, remove the contact lens, rinse it and replace it.

Excessive dryness may be caused by: 

• Insufficient tear supply in your eye.
• Dry atmospheric conditions, such as a heated room in winter or air-conditioning in summer.
• Medications - especially antihistamines.
• Prolonged reading or staring, which reduces the blink rate. 

Eye drops may be helpful in relieving these symptoms. Your Henry Ford OptimEyes doctor can make the proper recommendation.

There should not be pain. If pain persists after a lens is removed, it could be due to an abrasion of the cornea or an infection. Symptoms of severe pain, intolerance to light or copious tearing are a signal that you should call your optometrist.

Be careful when inserting your lens over a sink. Place a towel over the opening or a stopper for the drain. If a lens is dropped, wet your finger and touch the lens. Lift straight up so as not to scratch the surface. If it lands dome side down, it might stick like a suction cup. Pour a little water on the area to make it float and use a piece of paper to slide under the lens. Never use a sharp object to pry it loose.

When applying make-up, put the lens in first. Eye make-up should be water-soluble. When using sprays, close your eyes. Sprays can accumulate on the surface and cause irritation.