One common problem experienced by many contact lens wearers is eye infections. These are often bacterial, viral or fungal in nature, with some infections being more serious than others. Infections can occur when users routinely wear their lenses overnight, employ poor cleaning habits and use the same lenses for a longer period than that for which they were designed. If you experience excessive tearing, eye pain or discomfort, blurry vision or red eyes, you may have an infection that requires prompt treatment.
Step 1
Remove your contact lens at the first sign of a problem. Put them in your regular cleaning solution and do not throw them away. You may need to take the lenses and all solutions you have been using to your ophthalmologist in order to determine if you have an infection and, if so, what type it is.
Step 2
Use a magnifying mirror to thoroughly check each eye for any foreign body or debris. Make note of any crusty or mucous-like material in either eye, and be ready to describe it to your physician.
Step 3
Wash your hands for several minutes with antibacterial soap and warm water. Rinse out your eyes with distilled water. You can use cotton balls soaked in the water to dab on your eyes, but make sure to use a new one for each application rather than reinserting the same cotton ball in your distilled water.
Step 4
Immerse a tea bag in boiling water for five minutes. Allow it to cool down from a hot temperature to a warm one. Place the bag on your infected eye for five minutes. This will help reduce inflammation and help the eye to heal. Call your physician for approval before using a tea bag or any other substance aside from distilled water in your eyes.
Step 5
Go in for a thorough eye examination. Take your used contact lens and solutions with you. Describe your symptoms to the doctor, who can then make a diagnosis and determine a treatment plan. This may include antibiotic eye drops, anti-fungal medicated drops, steroidal drops or some other treatment.
Tips and Warnings
- Take frequent breaks from wearing contact lens. Let your eyes rest a week or two at frequent intervals to help reduce the possibility of infection. Consider daily wear disposable lenses so you have a fresh set of lenses each day as this will help to prevent infection.
- Always clean and disinfect your contact lenses before putting them on unless you are getting a new pair from sterile packaging.
Things You'll Need
- Magnifying mirror
- Distilled water
- Cotton balls
- Tea bag
