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The information below includes additional instructions
relevant for all lens wearers, as well as warnings and precautions related
to lens wear. Please read the information carefully. If you have further
queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Personal Cleanliness For Lens Handling.
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Always wash your hands thoroughly with a mild soap, rinse completely,
and dry with a lint-free towel before touching your lenses.
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Avoid the use of soaps containing perfumes, cold cream,
lotion, or oily cosmetics before handling your lenses, since these
substances may come into contact with the lenses and interfere with the
successful wearing. For the same reason, avoid handling of spicy food
such as chillies before handling your lenses.
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Never rinse your lenses with water
from the tap. Tap water contains many impurities that can
contaminate or damage your lenses and may lead to eye infection or
injury. You might also lose the lens down the drain!
Lens Insertion/Removal.
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Remove the lens from its package or container and examine it to be
sure it is clean, clear, and not damaged.
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To check that the lens is not inside out before insertion, place
your lens on your forefinger and inspect the side view of the lens. The
lens should have a natural, curved bowl-like shape. If the edges tend to
point outwards in a saucer-like shape, the lens is inside out. Another
method is to gently squeeze the lens between the thumb and the
forefinger, and the edges should turn inwards if the lens is the correct
way round.
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Place the lens on the tip of the index finger of one of your hands.
Ensure that the lens is not too wet, and your forefinger that you are
inserting with is also dry.
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With your other hand resting on your forehead, use the middle
finger to pull on the upper eyelid. Now use the middle finger of the
hand holding the lens to pull down the lower lid.
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Look straight ahead in the mirror and place the lens over the
coloured part of your eye and let the lens wrap on to the cornea. Gently
release your eyelids.
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NB: if after placement of the lens, your vision is blurred; check
the positioning of the lens on the eye. If the lens is centred
correctly, remove the lens and check for the following:
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Re-check that the lens is not inside out.
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Cosmetics or oils on the lens: If a planned
replacement/conventional lens - clean the lens, following
instructions provided with your lens care system. If a daily
disposable lens - discard and insert a new lens.
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The lens is on the wrong eye: If a planned
replacement/conventional lens - clean the lens, following
instructions provided with your lens care system and then insert
into the correct eye. If a daily disposable lens, rinse with saline
and insert into the correct eye, or discard and insert new lens.
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If your vision is still blurred after checking these
possibilities remove both lenses. Check your vision with your
spectacles and then consult us about the situation.
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Before attempting to remove the lens, make sure you can see the lens on
your eye.
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To remove your lens, restrain your upper and lower eyelids. First slide
the lens towards the lower lid so it folds slightly and then, using your
index fingertip and thumb tip gently fold the lens off the eye. If this
method of removing your lens is too difficult for you, contact us and
will help you with an alternative method.
Emergencies:
If chemicals of any kind (household products, gardening
solutions, laboratory chemicals, etc.) are splashed into the eyes, you
should: FLUSH YOUR EYES IMMEDIATELY WITH COPIUS AMOUNTS OF TAP WATER AND
IMMEDIATELY CONTACT US OR VISIT A HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WITHOUT
DELAY.
IMPORTANT: In the event that you experience
any difficulty wearing your lenses or you do not understand the instructions
given to you. DO NOT WAIT for your next appointment. TELEPHONE US
IMMEDIATELY and DO NOT wear your lenses until you have spoken with Mr. Kerr
and the problem has been resolved.
It is advisable to build up your wear time for your lenses, starting with
2 hours the first day, leading up to 10 hours, doing one extra hour each
day. Mr. Kerr will advise you further what is best for your own contact lens
wear. We also advise that you only wear your lenses within practice hours
for the first couple of days, whilst you are getting use to the lenses, so
we can be of help if there should be any problems.
Warnings and Precautions:
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The contact lenses described in this instruction sheet should be
removed from your eyes every day. Planned replacement/conventional daily
wear lenses should be removed from your eyes and disinfected every day
by following the instruction leaflet of your lens care solution. Daily
disposable lenses should be removed from your eyes and discarded at the
end of each day. Never wear lenses beyond the period recommended by Mr.
Kerr. DO NOT WEAR YOUR DAILY WEAR CONTACT LENSES WHILE SLEEPING.
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Problems with contact lenses could result in serious injury to the eye. It
is essential that you follow the instructions and directions given to
you by Mr. Kerr, those on this leaflet, and those on all labels to do
with the cleaning and care of your lenses.
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If you experience eye discomfort, excessive
tearing, vision changes, redness or irritation of the eye, you should
immediately remove lenses and promptly contact Mr. Kerr.
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Do not drive whilst wearing the lenses or operate heavy machinery if you
find your vision is poor or significantly compromised.
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Do not use saliva, tap water or anything other than the recommended
solutions for lubricating or rewetting your lenses. Do not put lenses in
your mouth.
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If aerosol products such as hair spray are used while wearing lenses,
exercise caution and keep eyes closed until the spray has settled.
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Avoid all harmful or irritating vapours and fumes while wearing your
lenses.
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Never use tweezers or other tools to remove the lens from the lens
container.
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Ask Mr. Kerr about wearing lenses during sporting activities, especially
during swimming.
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Always inform your doctor (general health care practitioner) that you wear
contact lenses.
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Always consult Mr. Kerr before using any medication in your eyes.
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Always inform your employer of being a contact lens wearer. Some jobs may
require use of eye protection equipment or may rarely require that you
do not wear contact lenses.
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Avoid air travel in your lenses.
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Do not wear lenses if you have coughs, colds or flu.
Adverse Reactions:
The following adverse effects have been recognised as potential problems
with the use of the soft contact lenses:
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Eyes stinging, burning, or itching (irritation), dry eyes or eye pain.
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Comfort is unexpectedly less than when lens was first placed on the eye.
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Feeling of something in the eye such as foreign body or scratched area.
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Excessive watering (tearing) of the eyes/unusual eye secretions.
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Unusual general or localised redness of the eyes.
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Reduced sharpness of the vision (poor visual acuity).
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Blurred vision, rainbows, or halos around objects.
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Sensitivity to light (photophobia).
If you notice any of the above, you should immediately remove your
lenses.
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If the discomfort or problem stops after lens removal, then look closely
at your lens. If the lens has dirt, an eyelash, or other foreign body on
it, rinse with the solution advised by Mr. Kerr. After reinsertion, if
the problem continues, you should immediately remove the lens
and contact the practice.
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If the problem continues after the lens removal, contact the practice.
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Christopher Kerr FSMC, FBOA, FAAO, FC.Optom. Cert. in Ocular Therapeutics (City University)
 Combines
teaching and research with private practice. Clinical consultant to major
industrial and contact lens companies, Health Authorities and many
professional bodies. Chairman, Croydon Local Optometric Committee, President
British contact Lens Association and previously Senior Optometrist and Director of Contact Lens Services at Mayday University Hospital. Editor: Contact Lens Yearbook. International speaker, broadcaster and author on general
optometric and contact lens-related topics. Mayday Healthcare Trust
accredited paediatric optometrist.
You can
read a recent lecture by given by Christopher at the The Royal Society of
Medicine here. |
