When to Change Your Contact Lenses

Did you fall asleep wearing your contacts again? Do you know when you last started wearing a new set? If the answer is “yes’ to either of those questions, just know that you’re not the only one. Our optometrist in Humble, TX listen to patient concerns about this frequently. It can happen from time to time, but it’s best not to make a habit out of doing this on the daily. By continuously wearing the same old pair of contacts beyond their expiration date, you are putting your eyes at serious risk for infection. Overwear can often lead to incredible discomforts, the tearing of lenses, blurred vision, irritable eyes, and—worst case scenario—a nasty infection. Luckily, your google search results for “optometrist 77433” have landed you on this particular page to help answer these common questions such as, “How often does one need to change their contacts?” to help you learn a little more about healthy habits of contact wear. The frequency of changing your contacts isn’t a standard answer because not all contacts are created equal, so it depends on the type you wear. Some contacts are meant to be tossed daily, while others can allow for a little more flexible wear.

Daily Disposable

These contacts are only intended to be worn for a single day. This type of lens is made with this intention in mind, so when a person is wearing their dailies, they’ll be no need ever to protect these contact lenses with a case or to use cleaning solution. When you take them out of your eyes, they should immediately go straight into the trash can. Do NOT try to save them in solution as they are not made to be stored and reused.

Weekly Disposable

These contacts are better suited for long periods of wear, and typically you can get one to two weeks out of them, depending on the choice of brand. Each night, you should take them out and store them in a case with a little fresh solution, then after no more than two weeks of wear, you need to dispose of them.

Monthly Disposable

These contacts have been specially engineered to last longer and can be worn up to one month. Each night, take them out and store them in fresh solution then dispose of them after four weeks of wear.

Traditional Disposable

Although not as common anymore with corrective eye surgeries such as Lasik and Ortho K growing in popularity, conventional long-wear lenses can be prescribed to you by your doctor. Traditional lenses are suitable for anywhere from six months to year’s worth of wear. Your Precision Eye optometry professionals at Precision Eye Clinic will provide the right recommendations for how often you should open a fresh pair.

Regardless of which type of contact you’ve selected or have been prescribed by your Humble optometrist, it’s important to take into consideration that the prescribed wear schedules of these contacts are meant for a maximum amount of time. If you’ve worn your contacts past their expiration dates, you may encounter some contact lens irritability. This irritation can occur from debris that accumulates on the lens, or from lenses getting torn due to extensive wear and it’s important to find an optometrist nearby. If this happens, time to toss out the old lens and open up a new one after you’ve been checked out by your favorite optometrist in Humble, Tx., at Precision Eye Clinic.

Tips for Healthy Upkeep

• Consult with your Humble optometrist when deciding on which type of contact lens would be right for you.
• Always, always, always, wash your hands before handling your clean lenses.
• When you insert our contacts, make sure to empty the used solution and allow the case to air dry.
• Do NOT reuse the old solution.
• Make sure you follow your optometrist’s advice to remove your contacts every night.
• Don’t sleep in your contacts unless you plan on visiting your Humble, TX optometrist.
• Before storing your fresh new lenses in your lens case, make sure to rinse your contacts with fresh contact solution.
• Replace your lens case approximately every three months.