The answer is No! You cannot put your contact lenses in water because it could lead to eye damage. Contact lenses are built with silicone hydrogel, a substance that is not strong enough to withstand water’s pressure. You can use saline solution, but it will take time for your contacts to become moist again, and any leftover bacteria will be left behind when you wear them again.
Water can also result in an increased risk of developing an infection. Such as conjunctivitis, which means that bacteria from the water supply can get on both your hands and your lens case. This may cause an infection after you’ve used the lens case again on a different day or transfer it to another person who uses them on their eyes.
Table of Contents
Dropped Contact Lens in Water?
Here are a few helpful suggestions to avoid the common panic and stress that may go hand in hand with this situation!
Often dried out or contaminated, your contacts can lead to serious eye problems. But worry not: we have some ideas on getting it back and keeping it dried up and safe! Please continue reading our top tips on how to get that lost contact lens out of the water.
1. Think before you act.
So you dropped your contact in water – now what? Stop, make sure to take a deep breath, and think before you take action. Water itself is not a hazard to your eyes, but getting the lens out of the water and drying it properly. Don’t be tempted to try any risky maneuvers (like using tweezers to flick the lens out of the water). You may inadvertently scratch your eye or press too hard on your eyeball, which can lead to infection.
2. Find someone else who wears contacts and quick!
If you wear contacts yourself, try asking a friend or family member for help with retrieving the lens in question. If you don’t have any assistance , try calling up local eye care professional or even your optometrist. They have heard it all and can give you some advice over the phone. By far, the easiest solution is to let your eye doctor do it for you. If there isn’t an eye doctor available or they aren’t answering their phone, move on to the next step.
3. Carefully remove water from around the lens with a paper towel
If you cannot reach help over the phone, carefully remove any excess water from around the lens without pressing too hard on your eyeball (or touching it directly). Don’t forget to look underneath the contact lens, as it may have slid down the side of the container. Don’t worry if the water is murky – you can wipe it gently with a clean paper towel or cloth. This step is crucial, as allowing any bacteria or germs to contaminate your eye will only lead to infection.
4. Leave your lens in a saline solution
Next, find a small bowl, fill it with sterile saline solution, and let your lens soak for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, take your contacts out.
5. Consult with your eye care professional
Your eyes are delicate and cause all kinds of problems. If you suspect that you have a problem (like redness, irritation, or itchiness) or if your contact feels moist after removing the lens from water, consult with your eye care professional before removing anything else from the eye (eye drops, makeup, or other contacts). Your eye doctor will be able to tell you whether it’s safe to remove the lens or if you should remove another item along with it.
How to Store Contact Lenses without Solution
If you have contact lenses, you know they’re pretty fragile. If they’re not stored properly and at the right temperature, they may be ruined or even lost. It’s important to remember that solutions aren’t very good for storing your lenses when there might be a risk of cross-contamination with other non-water-soluble products such as eye drops or toners. You also want to make sure your contact lens case is dry and free from dust if you’re going to store it or carry it out in public.
1. Choose the right storage case. If you’re not using your contact lenses at the moment, you can keep them in their case but clean the case thoroughly before storing it in a clean place. One great place to store your lenses is a plastic zipper bag or an old prescription bottle if you have one around. This will help protect the contacts from contamination or drying out too quickly.
2. Clean and dry the lens case with saline solution. Wash your hands very well and rinse off any soap that’s left on your fingers in tepid saline water (you can use tap water if it’s completely free of harmful chlorine and chemicals). Let the case dry completely. You may want to rinse your fingers off a few times while you’re letting the case dry.
3. Put your lenses in a safe, clean place and make sure they stay cool. Keep them in a plastic bag or old prescription bottle, and store them somewhere that’s out of reach from pets or children and not too close to any sources of heat such as radiators or open windows. The best temperature to store your lenses at is around 68 degrees Fahrenheit (or 20 degrees Celsius).
4. Clean the contact lens case once per week with saline solution. Put few drops of saline solution into the case and swirl it around to clean off any dust or dried-up residue. If the saline water becomes dirty or cloudy, change it immediately and wash your hands before continuing.
5. Don’t put your contact lens case near a direct source of heat. Heat along with dryness are two of the biggest factors that can ruin contact lenses, so you want to store them somewhere where they’re not subject to these elements at all.
Yellowing is another common sign that something has gone wrong with your contacts because fluid from tears can turn clear plastic yellowish if it’s exposed to too much light for too long. If you notice this happening to your case, take it out of the direct sunlight and store it somewhere away from sources of heat.
6. Keep your lenses clean and dry. When cleaning your lenses, swish them around in the saline solution to wash off any dirt or dried-up residue. Dry them with a paper towel to keep them dust-free and prevent them from spoiling quickly, and store them back in their case once they’re dry again.
7. Keep track of when your lenses are due for replacement. Though the expiry dates on many brands of contact lenses are not very precise, they’re still a good guideline and can help you figure out how often you need to order new ones.
8. Don’t ever use non-contact lens solutions to store your lenses. As mentioned before, these products aren’t made for that purpose and might lead to cross-contamination with harmful products, so if you have a bottle at home and no lens case, don’t put your contacts in it. You may be tempted to fill the bottle with saline solution, but this will cause them to dry out quickly or spoil even faster because the saline solution won’t evaporate as quickly.
9. Disinfect your contact lens case using a special solution. Your lenses can be contaminated by foreign matter such as germs and dandruff, so you also want to make sure your cases are clean. You can buy a disinfecting solution at any pharmacy, and cleaning your case with one of these solutions will kill the germs and prevent the spread of eye infections. Make sure you wash your hands before handling the lenses again afterward.
10. Never put dirty lenses back in their case without cleaning them first. If you’re unsure whether they’re clean or dry, then it’s best to replace them altogether or disinfect them before putting them away in a clean lens case or container.
Can I Wear My Contact Lenses in The Water?
One of the most common misconceptions is that if you wear your contact lenses in the water, they will fall out. The truth is that in most circumstances, you can wear them in water without them falling out. When in doubt, though, it’s always best to take them off before swimming or showering to avoid irritation or infection.
If you must wear your contacts while in water, it is recommended that you wear your contacts for a maximum of 15 minutes at a time. It is also recommended not to go underwater with your contacts.
There are certain circumstances where you should never wear your contact lenses in the water, such as if you have an eye infection or a lens that has been cut to fit your eyes. You should also never leave them in for longer than the recommended time limit and avoid letting the lenses touch the water when swimming or showering.
It would be best if you avoid swimming with contacts in your eyes without having a contact lens in your eye before swimming. Otherwise, you may damage your cornea and seriously damage or destroy your vision.
Can I Put My Contact Lenses in Hydrogen Peroxide?
No, it would always be better if you didn’t put your contact lenses in hydrogen peroxide. While the chemical may clean your hands, it will likely not be safe to use on your contact lenses. It may dry out the lenses or cause them to break down faster than they should.
Safer options for lens cleaning include commercially available solutions designed specifically for cleaning contacts and are available at any local drugstore or pharmacy. These solutions are formulated to clean contact lenses without stripping them of essential moisture.
If you must clean your lenses with hydrogen peroxide, make sure that you read the directions carefully first. Some types of hydrogen peroxide can turn a light blue when they contact lens surfaces. This indicates that the hydrogen peroxide may be too strong for use with contacts, so it should not be used if this happens or if you do not want to risk using it at all.
To avoid wearing a pair of glasses when you know that you will need to clean your contacts, consider changing to daily disposables or another kind of lens material. These lenses are designed to be disposed of every day and are usually packaged in one daily dose.
They may cost more than other contact lens materials, but they come with the added benefit of easy cleaning and convenience.
Make sure to always consult with your eye care professional before using any new contact lens.
Can I Put My Contact Lenses in Eye Drops?
Eye care professionals often recommend that patients with dry eyes or other eye health problems put their contacts in eyedrops. But what if you want to put your contact lenses in your eyes instead? When doing this, the most important thing is not to use water, as the two liquids can be very corrosive for your lenses.
Instead, use eyedrop lubricants such as Visine or Lacrilube Lubricant Plus Relief Eye Drops, both of which are safe for contact lens users.
Depending on the type of eye care professional you have, different lubricants might be necessary. Some professionals will even recommend putting your contact lenses in eyedrops for a certain amount of time before putting them in your eyes.
Other professionals will not recommend putting them in your eyes at all, though most will still allow you to use your lenses if you wish.
It’s important to remember that the easiest way to get healthy eyes is to make sure you wear your contact lenses daily and take them out when they feel uncomfortable or dirty. Also, if you’ve had problems with your eyes before, you must discuss any new symptoms or concerns with your eye doctor.
So we believe that you got a clear answer to the question of can I put my contacts in the water
