Top 10 Tips for caring for your contact lenses...

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=640 border=0><TD bgColor=#0080c0 height=14>Top 10 Tips for caring for your contact lenses...

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• Do NOT wear your contact lenses to sleep - this practice increases the chance of infection by 10 times.
• TAKE your lenses out of your eyes at night, after washing your hands. RINSE and RUB each one in the palm of your hand with a sterile multipurpose solution or hydrogen peroxide. This removes most of the microbes and particulate matter on your lens after wearing them so allowing the disinfectant to work.
• Place your lens in your storage case with FRESH multipurpose solution or peroxide.

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• In the morning, REMOVE your lens from the solution in your storage case and place it in your eye (if using peroxide remember to neutralize it).
• THROW AWAY the solution from your storage case (NEVER reuse it ) and shake the case until it is dry or allow it to air dry (a paper tissue may be needed to wipe it dry).
• Leave the storage case DRY all day. This kills many contaminating bacteria.
• CHANGE the storage case every month WHEN you change your ‘disposable’ contact lenses so that a FRESH new lens is used with each NEW storage case. Wearers of non-disposable contact lenses should CHANGE their storage case every month.
• NEVER wash your storage case or lenses with tap water - this predisposes them to contamination which can cause infection. Only wash the lens or storage case with STERILE solutions.
• NEVER store your lenses in fresh saline solution or tap water!
• If you develop a sore red eye, STOP wearing the contact lens at once! The inflammation usually resolves itself but if pain persists for more than 24 hours, visit a doctor or eye-care professional and advise them that you have been wearing a contact lens. TAKE your lens, storage case and cleaning solution with you - it will HELP them establish what has happened. CAREFULLY follow the instructions that you are given.

<TD vAlign=top colSpan=2>If you have any of the following:

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• an eye disease
• a dry eye
• are using regular drugs for your eyes
• diabetes
• suffer from repeated infections
• are aged under 15 or over 65

<TD vAlign=top colSpan=2>You must discuss your suitability for wearing contact lenses with your optician, optometrist or eye care doctor