Contact lenses: More than just a fashion statement
Jul 24, 2011
WASH your hands thoroughly with antiseptic soap or a gel before touching the lens. Clean your hands with a cotton-free towel because cotton threads can cause eye irritation. Avoid using moisturising soap.
Contact lens hygiene
DO not wash contact lenses with water.
Wash your hands thoroughly with antiseptic soap or a gel before touching the lens. Clean your hands with a cotton-free towel because cotton threads can cause eye irritation. Avoid using moisturising soap.
Clear the lens only with the solution prescribed by a doctor.
Place the lens in its holder and fill it with a disinfectant solution. Soak the extra lenses in the medical solution if you are about to use them.
Replace contact lenses at least every month to minimise infections.
Dos and don’ts
Never sleep with the lenses on unless they are dual purpose.
Do not swim with the lenses on. This might cause eye irritation.
Never share contact lenses.
Do not use disposable lenses more than once.
l Consult an eye specialist before buying contact lens, and inquire about the side effects.
By Viqué-Ocean Kahinju
There comes a time when we want to change the way we look. For some people, it is about their eyes. While some wear contact lenses to make a fashion statement, others substitute them for spectacles.
Stylish and tinted contact lenses are in vogue and more people are using them to change the colour of their pupils.
Though they can be worn to make a fashion statement, the primary role of contact lenses is to correct eye defects, for example astigmatism, says Simon Muwangunzi, an optometrist at Light for the World in Kampala.
“Astigmatism is a refractive error that causes the cornea (front of the eye surface) to become irregular in shape,†Muwanguzi says. This deformation, he says, prevents focus of light on the retina. When neglected, this defect can cause a blurred (distorted) vision.
Contact lenses are so far the best refractive sight error corrector, explains Dr. Anne Ampaire, an ophthalmologist. But wearing contact lenses without prescription is dangerous, she cautions.
Enhancement tint contacts are designed to enrich the natural hue of one’s eyes but if one already has dark eye balls, this type of lenses will not work.
One will, therefore, need lenses with a strong tint. But Ampaire insists one should have their contact lenses examined and fixed by eye specialists lest they infect or irritate the eyes.
“Different colours of contact lenses can also have an effect on one’s sight .The colour, therefore, needs to be discussed with a specialist,†she advises.
Tints such as black, red, purple or dark green can affect the amount of light entering the eyes, thus causing partial blindness.
Choose your contact lenses carefully because some of them are disposable, while others are meant to correct vision or simply for style.
“Poorly fixed contact lenses can cause the eyes to pop, redden and itch,†she adds.
Such irritation is usually caused by spitting on the lens or trying to clean them with a solution other than the recommended disinfectant.
DO not wash contact lenses with water.
Wash your hands thoroughly with antiseptic soap or a gel before touching the lens. Clean your hands with a cotton-free towel because cotton threads can cause eye irritation. Avoid using moisturising soap.
Clear the lens only with the solution prescribed by a doctor.
Place the lens in its holder and fill it with a disinfectant solution. Soak the extra lenses in the medical solution if you are about to use them.
Replace contact lenses at least every month to minimise infections.
Dos and don’ts
Never sleep with the lenses on unless they are dual purpose.
Do not swim with the lenses on. This might cause eye irritation.
Never share contact lenses.
Do not use disposable lenses more than once.
l Consult an eye specialist before buying contact lens, and inquire about the side effects.
By Viqué-Ocean Kahinju
There comes a time when we want to change the way we look. For some people, it is about their eyes. While some wear contact lenses to make a fashion statement, others substitute them for spectacles.
Stylish and tinted contact lenses are in vogue and more people are using them to change the colour of their pupils.
Though they can be worn to make a fashion statement, the primary role of contact lenses is to correct eye defects, for example astigmatism, says Simon Muwangunzi, an optometrist at Light for the World in Kampala.
“Astigmatism is a refractive error that causes the cornea (front of the eye surface) to become irregular in shape,†Muwanguzi says. This deformation, he says, prevents focus of light on the retina. When neglected, this defect can cause a blurred (distorted) vision.
Contact lenses are so far the best refractive sight error corrector, explains Dr. Anne Ampaire, an ophthalmologist. But wearing contact lenses without prescription is dangerous, she cautions.
Enhancement tint contacts are designed to enrich the natural hue of one’s eyes but if one already has dark eye balls, this type of lenses will not work.
One will, therefore, need lenses with a strong tint. But Ampaire insists one should have their contact lenses examined and fixed by eye specialists lest they infect or irritate the eyes.
“Different colours of contact lenses can also have an effect on one’s sight .The colour, therefore, needs to be discussed with a specialist,†she advises.
Tints such as black, red, purple or dark green can affect the amount of light entering the eyes, thus causing partial blindness.
Choose your contact lenses carefully because some of them are disposable, while others are meant to correct vision or simply for style.
“Poorly fixed contact lenses can cause the eyes to pop, redden and itch,†she adds.
Such irritation is usually caused by spitting on the lens or trying to clean them with a solution other than the recommended disinfectant.