There are several methods you can use to avoid blinking when inserting a soft contact lens. A contact lens is a medical device and should not be used unless done so under the supervision of an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. Your eye doctor will instruct you on the proper techniques of contact lens use, but there are some tips that will help you put your lenses in without frustration.
Step 1
Become comfortable touching your eye before attempting to insert a contact lens. Most people have a blink reflex that is a natural defense mechanism designed to protect the eye from injury. By touching the eye repeatedly, you can learn to suppress the blink reflex. After washing your hands, sit down in front of a flat workspace with a mirror in front of you. Look directly into the mirror and, with your dominant hand, touch the tip of your middle finger to the edge of the lower eyelid margin located at the base of the eyelashes. Pull down on the eyelid with your middle finger, ensuring that it stays firmly pressed against the eyelid margin with a portion of the fingertip resting against the inferior white tissue of the eye. You can achieve a larger opening of the eyelids by tilting your chin down towards your chest and looking up into the mirror. Use your index finger on the same hand to lightly and repeatedly tap the white tissue on the inferior portion of the eye. It is important to remember not to touch the cornea, which is the clear tissue overlying the colored iris and black pupil, because this could cause significant eye irritation.
Step 2
Use your non-dominant hand to hold your upper eyelid to help prevent blinking. The correct way of doing this task is to raise the elbow of your non-dominant hand over your head, then grasp your upper eyelid with the middle finger of that hand. Rather than simply touching the front of the upper eyelid, the middle finger should use a hooking motion, with the tip of the finger resting on the eyelid margin at the base of the eyelashes. Once the middle finger elevates the upper eyelid, you should be able to rest that finger on the superior white surface of the eye. Use the middle finger to firmly press it against the bony eyebrow ridge to give you more stability of the upper eyelid. Once you are comfortable keeping the eye open using your non-dominant hand on the upper eyelid and your dominant hand on the lower eyelid, you can attempt to insert a contact lens.
Step 3
Place a lint-free paper towel on the flat workspace in front of you, then remove the contact lens from the contact lens case. Orient the contact lens so that it is resting on the tip of the index finger of your dominant hand. The contact lens should be shaped like a bowl, with the edges pointing up towards the ceiling to ensure that it is not inside-out. The contact lens is likely oriented incorrectly if the edges appear to be extending outward diagonally, with a sharper appearance the edge of the lens. Most contact lenses have markings of letters or numbers that are legible when looking at the outside, convex surface of the contact lens. When the lens is inside-out, these markings will be backwards when viewing the outside of the lens.
Step 4
Wet the lens with contact lens solution by dipping it into the solution or by spraying the solution directly onto the lens. For the contact lens to adhere to the eye, your finger should be dry and the lens should be moist. Dry the tip of the index finger of your dominant hand by grasping the contact lens with your other hand and dab your fingertip against the lint-free paper towel. Once the lens is moist and your fingertip is dry, use the same method of grasping your eyelids to initiate the contact lens insertion.
Step 5
Lift your upper eyelid with the non-dominant middle finger and pull down the lower eyelid with the dominant middle finger. Tilt your chin down toward your chest to widen the eyelid opening and look upward into the mirror. Bring the contact lens close to the inferior front surface of the eye. The lens should be moist and your finger should be dry. Similar to when you were touching the inferior portion of the eye, lightly touch the contact lens to the inferior ocular surface. Be sure that the edges of the contact lens do not fold back by rubbing against the upper or lower eyelashes. If you press firmly against the eye then the contact lens will have a tendency to flip back on the finger. Instead, lightly touch the contact to the inferior portion of the eye's surface without actually feeling the surface of the eye with your fingertip. Once all of the edges of the lens adhere to the eye, slowly move your finger away without blinking. Now let go of your lower eyelid and look downward so that your lower eyelid flattens the lens against the surface of the eye and removes any excess air bubbles from under the lens. At this point you can slowly close your eye and then blink freely.
Tips and Warnings
- Common mistakes include not properly drying your fingertips or properly wetting the lens. Remember to hold the eyelid at the base of the eyelashes, so you don't lose your grasp on the eyelids. Don't try to force the lens against the eye, as this will only cause the eye to blink and the lens to fold. Move your eye very close to the mirror so that you can easily see your eye while inserting the lens. Removal of soft contact lenses is performed by grasping the eyelids in the same manner as with insertion, then sliding the lens downward on the eye and grasping it between the fleshy portions of your thumb and index finger. Rigid gas permeable contact lens insertion and removal is a different procedure.
- Contact lenses are medical devices and should not be inserted unless prescribed and monitored by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. Every lens material and lens solution is different and not all types are suitable for everyone. Your contact lens wearing schedule must be determined by your eye doctor to avoid eye injury or infection. Care should always be taken not to touch or scratch the cornea.
Things You'll Need
- Mirror
- Contact lens solution
- Contact lens case
- Lint-free paper towel
- Hand soap
- Spectacles or magnifying mirror (optional)
