Are you in the one percent? Eight do's and don'ts for wearing contact lenses

8 Do's & Don'ts for wearing contact lenses

Follow these do's and don'ts to stay in the one percent.

Do: ALWAYS wash your hands with soap and water before handling your contacts.

Don't: SLEEP in contacts. The cornea may swell, allowing an opening for opportunistic organisms to invade and cause infection.

Don't: TOP OFF THE SOLUTION in your lens case. Reused solution creates a dirty stew of harmful ingredients, so ALWAYS REPLACE the solution after every use.

Don't: TOP OFF THE SOLUTION in your lens case. Reused solution creates a dirty stew of harmful ingredients, so ALWAYS REPLACE the solution after every use.

Don't: EVER wear someone else's contact lenses. Infections are easily transmitted.

Do: DISINFECT you contacts when you take them out. Contacts easily absorb damaging organisms that won't evict themselves, so you need to.

Do: REPLACE monthly-wear lenses monthly and weekly-wear lenses weekly. They build up protein, bacteria and mucus, which can lead to infection.

Do: ASK FOR HIGHER-OXYGEN contact lenses. Your cornea regenerates itself weekly and it's able to do so more efficiently if it receives more oxygen.

Don't: WAIT longer than a year for your regular eye exam. Your doctor can often spot early signs of disease long before you notice.

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