Contact Lenses & Eye Health ~ The Do's and Don'ts of Eye Care Safety

I wrote this review while participating in an Influencer campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. and received a promotional item from Mom Central to thank me for participating.

My son came to me one day towards the end of his 5th grade year and told me that he was having trouble seeing what the teacher was writing on the board.  To be totally honest, I thought he was saying this because his best friend had recently got glasses.  About a week later, he voiced his concerns again.  At that point I decided to make him an appointment with the eye doctor.  After all, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

At his appointment, his concerns were verified, he did indeed need glasses.  After trying on a few pairs of frames - he was begging me for contact lenses.  Saying that he looked stupid in glasses and people would make fun of him.  Another reason he had was the fact that he was active in sports, mostly wrestling, and you can't compete with glasses on.  

While they were valid concerns for a 5th grade boy, I wasn't ready for him to put contact lenses in his eyes.  I didn't think he was old enough.  However, I told him that we would re-visit the idea of contact lenses at a future date, maybe when he began junior high.

The summer before starting junior high, he reminded me of our previous conversation about contact lenses.  I decided that he was responsible enough and that we would talk to the eye doctor at his eye appointment the following month.  

I also reminded him that wearing contact lenses wasn't going to be as simple as putting on a pair of glasses each morning.  There were more steps involved to ensure the health and safety of his eyes.  If he was going to get contacts, he was going to have to follow all of the rules!

With Halloween coming up, many retailers sell colored contact lenses to complete certain costumes.  Did you know that contacts purchased over the counter without proper fitting and oversight by your eye doctor can cause serious risk and/or permanent damage to the health of eyes?

The Do's and Don'ts of Eye Care Safety:   

DO:

• Wash and rinse your hands thoroughly with a mild soap and dry with a lint‐free towel before handling your contact lenses
• Remove contact lenses immediately if you experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, and redness of the eye or other problems and promptly   contact your eye care professional
• Always remove, clean and disinfect your lenses according to the schedule recommended by your eye doctor

DON'T:

• Wear another person's contact lenses
• Wear contact lenses longer than the time frame recommended by your eye doctor
• Rinse your contact lenses in water from the tap or expose them to any water — such   as swimming or showering — while wearing them
• Use anything aside from the recommended solution by your eye doctor, such as   saliva, to lubricate your contact lenses  
• Use a lens if it is damaged or torn
   

My son has been wearing daily disposable contacts for 14 months now.  He hasn't had any issues and has proven himself to be responsible and safe with his contact lenses and eye health.

Be sure to visit  “Healthy Vision & Contact Lenses,” a resource with additional tips and information from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

You can also keep track of your individual contact lens replacement schedule with the ACUMINDER® Tool, a free service that sends an automatic reminder via email and/or cell phone text message on when to replace contact lenses, when to order new lenses and when to schedule an eye exam. Registration is free and open to all contact lens wearers.

Does anyone in your family wear contact lenses?