POINTS TO PONDER

When Opticians relate to consumers as customers,
it often has an adverse impact on the relationship.
When consumers order their prescription eyewear, they
should invariably be served as Patients, never customers.
Customers purchase merchandise. Patients receive health care.
The consequences of relating one way over the other is quite marked.

THE RULES
Clean, Rinse, and Disinfect

Eyecare Providers need to strongly emphasize
the consequences of Patient non-compliance
with any and all of the following procedures.

Wash your hands so that you minimize the transfer of foreign objects and germs into your eyes. Avoid moisturizing soaps. They should not be used with contact lenses. Dry your hands with a lint-free towel.

Remove a lens and clean it with the recommended solution. Cleaning removes eye-produced-protein buildup, cosmetics and other debris that impairs lens comfort. The FDA recommends that you rub the lens in the palm of your hand with a few drops of solution, EVEN if you are using a "no-rub" product.

Rinse the lenses again to remove the loosened debris, making sure to take as long as the package directs. NOTE: Rinsing is an important step, almost as important as cleaning.

Place the lens in your CLEAN lens case or lens holder and fill with fresh sterile solution. DO NOT "top off" your OLD SOLUTION. Disinfecting kills microorganisms on the lens. Disinfecting time varies from product to product; check the package for details.

Repeat steps two through four for your other lens.

All contact lens wearers are urged to remove their contact lenses during time of sleep in order to minimize eye-produced-protein buildup and the risk of infections.

Beyond Clean, Rinse and Disinfect

Protein. Depending on what kind of contact lenses you wear and how much protein your eyes deposit on your contacts, your doctor may recommend you use a product for protein removal.

While cleaning them does remove some protein, it can still build up on your lenses and make them uncomfortable. That's why the longer you wear lenses before replacing them, the more likely you are to need a protein remover.

For example, if you wear disposable lenses, you probably won't need one; but if you wear the kind of lenses that are replaced only once or twice a year, you definitely will. Products for removing protein include enzymatic cleaner and daily protein removal liquids.

Eye dryness and irritation. Use contact lens eye drops to lubricate your eyes and re-wet your lenses.

Eye sensitivity and allergies. A small percentage of lens wearers develop an eye allergy to the chemicals present in contact lens solutions. If this is the case with you, you don't need an additional product: You just need to switch products to those marked "preservative-free."

THE PRODUCTS
Cleaning, Rinsing and Disinfecting Solutions

Saline Solution is for rinsing and storing contact lenses, when you're using a heat or UV disinfection system. You may also need it for use with enzymatic cleaning tablets or cleaning/disinfecting devices. Never use saline products for cleaning and disinfection.
Daily cleaner is for cleaning your contact lenses. Place a few drops in the palm of your hand and carefully rub the lens for as long as directed, usually around 20 seconds, making sure to clean both sides. Use other products for rinsing and disinfection.

Multipurpose Solution is for cleaning, rinsing, disinfecting and storing your contact lenses. Clean your lenses as you would with daily cleaner, then rinse (as long as directed) and disinfect, all with the same solution; or rinse the lenses twice, then place them in a CLEAN lens case with solution to clean and disinfect. When you are ready to wear the lenses, rinse them again. With multipurpose solutions, no other lens care products are necessary.

Hydrogen Peroxide Systems may help wearers who are sensitive to the preservatives in multipurpose solutions. Hydrogen peroxide solution is for cleaning, disinfecting, rinsing and storing your contact lenses. With this product, you place your lenses in the provided basket and rinse them, then place the basket in its cup and fill the cup with solution to clean and disinfect your lenses.

Some lens holders for hydrogen peroxide systems have a built-in neutralizer (to convert the hydrogen peroxide to water, so it doesn't sting your eyes), but with others you need to add a neutralizing tablet.

After the disinfection and neutralizing step is completed, you can remove the lenses from the case and put them on.

IMPORTANT: Never rinse your contacts with hydrogen peroxide solution and apply them directly to your eyes without completing the entire disinfecting and neutralizing step. Doing so can cause a painful chemical injury to the eye.

Trouble-free contact lens wear requires
Patient compliance and attention to detail.

"The most perfect lens prescriptions can be compromised if your
contact lenses do not provide comfort and long-term wear-ability.
The best vision and eye health require compliance with the rules."