Questions & Answers

- How do I tell if a lens is inside-out?
- What if a lens goes in my eye inside-out?
- Can I wear the contact lenses when I go swimming?
- Can a contact lens get lost behind my eye?
- Can I rub my eyes while wearing contacts?
- Can I wear my prescription sunglasses over the contact lenses?
- Should I wear a lens that's been accidentally left out of solution?
- Can I sleep in my lenses?
- What if the lenses go into the wrong eyes?
- What if the lens doesn't feel comfortable when it goes in?
- What if a disposable lens is torn before I even touch it?
- I use medicated eye drops. Can I still wear soft contact lenses?
- What sort of deposits get onto contact lenses?
- Do the days I don't wear the lenses "count"?
- Why do I have to throw away the lenses? Can't I stretch them out a bit longer?
- What To Do If There's A Problem?

How do I tell if a lens is inside-out?
Place the lens onto your inserting finger. Look at its profile. If it looks cup-shaped (spherical), then it's the right way around. If its edges stick outwards a little, like a plate, it's inside-out. Often the difference can be subtle. Some lenses have words etched on them, which make it easier. If you're unsure if a lens is inside-out, flip it over and have a look the other way. Most of the time, contact lenses "like" to be the right way around, and will often show signs of resisting being made to go the wrong way.

What if a lens goes in my eye inside-out?
Sometimes it doesn't make any difference. Theoretically, your vision should be no different, and a lot of the time, the lens will also feel just as comfortable. Often though, an inside-out lens will feel uncomfortable and will be unstable. It may move around more on your eye and perhaps fall out. In a nutshell, if on some days you just can't tell which way is which (and we all have those days), pop it in and see how it feels. If it's fine, leave it in.

Can I wear the contact lenses when I go swimming?
We recommend that you wear goggles for swimming. This is to minimize the risk of your lenses becoming lost, and also to minimize the risk of microorganisms (bacteria and amoebae) becoming trapped underneath your contact lenses. Some of these can have devastating consequences (including blindness), so if you don't wear goggles for swimming, at least remove your lenses after the swim and give them a rinse with your disinfecting solution.

Can a contact lens get lost behind my eye?
No. They can go for a wander sometimes, usually when your eyes are overly wet or when you give your eyes a hard rub. Sometimes this results in your lenses moving just off to the side - usually this is easily resolved - simply cast your gaze in the direction of the lens, perhaps giving it a helping hand with your finger (through your lower eyelid if your hands aren't clean). Sometimes a wandering lens will move up underneath your upper eyelid. Look down as far as you can go and give it a gentle shove through the upper eyelid. If you can't see it, ask a friend to look at the top of your eyeball while you look as far down as you can. Feel free to pop in to the practice if you're concerned.

Can I rub my eyes while wearing contacts?
Yes, but it's best not to do it hard, or with the heel of your hand. Simply close your eye and rub gently through the upper eyelid.

Can I wear my prescription sunglasses over the contact lenses?
No. You'll need to wear non-prescription sunglasses. Contact lens wearers are usually a bit more sensitive to glare than when they're not wearing their contacts.

Should I wear a lens that's been accidentally left out of solution?
Sometimes people think they've put a contact lens into its solution, only to discover it sitting, dried up, beside the case the next morning. This does tend to change the way it fits, and increases the risk of contamination. We would recommend throwing the lens away and starting afresh with a new one.

Can I sleep in my lenses?
Only if they've been specifically designed for overnight wear. Up to 1 hour (a "cat nap") is OK for most other lenses. If in doubt, call me at any time on 3368 3644.

What if the lenses go into the wrong eyes?
Sometimes it makes no difference. If your vision is blurry in one or both eyes though, you may have done this. Everybody does! Switch them over and see if this helps. If you wear monovision, check if you can see your watch with your "reading" (usually left) eye.

What if the lens doesn't feel comfortable when it goes in?
It's either inside-out, it's damaged, deposited, or it's got a bit of fluff underneath it. The tiniest bit of dust can feel like a brick when it's trapped under a contact lens.
If your lens is uncomfortable upon insertion, first look towards your nose with that eye, so that a whole pile of the white of your eye is showing on the "ear" side. With one finger, drag the lens towards your ear, then look towards the lens. This will recentre the lens, usually having dislodged the particle. If this doesn't work, do it again. If it fails to work the second time, take the lens out, check that it's not inside-out, rinse it and start again.
If the problem continues, let me know.

What if a disposable lens is torn before I even touch it?
Disposable lenses are manufactured in vast quantities. Some of them slip through the quality assurance net. If you come across a lens that's "just not right" - either torn while it's still in the sachet, or just never felt right or never gave you good vision, you have what we call a Dodgy Lens. Chuck it out, wear your next one and let us know. We'll replace it with a complimentary lens from our trial stock.

I use medicated eye drops. Can I still wear soft contact lenses?
Yes. Just ensure that when you're putting your eye drops in, your contact lenses are out of your eyes, and stay out for at least 5—10 minutes. Medications can soak into contact lenses and some can then cause continual stinging.
The same applies to certain over-the-counter eye drops (such as Visine), but lubricating drops (artificial tears, eg Refresh) are usually designed to be perfectly safe for use with contact lenses.
If you wear rigid lenses, you don't have to remove them when using any eye drops. Rigid lenses will not absorb medications.

What sort of deposits get onto contact lenses?
The main deposit we see on contact lenses is protein. This is a natural substance, which acts as an antibiotic in our tears. When it sticks to a contact lens, it goes hazy. It can be uncomfortable and blurry if it's significant, and sometimes people develop an inflammatory reaction in the lining of their upper eyelids if they have chronic protein deposition.
Oils from our hands, face and tears, and mucus from our tears, can both deposit on contact lenses. Occasionally calcium from our tears will deposit on contact lenses. The occasional rust speck happens too, as well as the odd bit of makeup.
Any deposit can cause irritation and blurriness. Keeping your eyes and lenses moist is one of the best ways of avoiding too much deposit formation. If deposits are a real problem, often the way we address them is to improve the moisture levels on the surface of your eyes - deposits find it harder to stick to wet contact lenses.

Do the days I don't wear the lenses "count"?
No. If you wear lenses every second day, "monthly" lenses will last for 2 months. If you wear the lenses for less than a full day though, it should be counted as a full day, as handling still accounts for lens degradation.

Why do I have to throw away the lenses? Can't I stretch them out a bit longer?
People who try to save a few dollars by wearing their monthly or fortnightly lenses for longer than they should are increasing their risk of sight-threatening complications. You can never get all of the deposits off contact lenses, which is why they must be discarded according to the manufacturer's directions. The invisible "biofilm" which builds up on even the cleanest-looking lenses can harbour sight-threatening bacteria.

What To Do If There's A Problem
Contact lenses are terrific and can really make a positive difference to your lifestyle. When they're looked after properly, your chances of suffering any complications are quite low. Complications (such as infections) can still happen to the most careful people though, and some of these have the potential to leave you with permanent sight problems. It's absolutely vital that you follow all instructions carefully, know how to recognize a problem, & know what to do about it.

If your eye is ever sore, red, light-sensitive or producing a discharge, remove the lens/es immediately and call us on 3368 3644.

If you have a complication such as an early ulceration, quick diagnosis and appropriate management is essential to maintaining good sight. Some complications can result in permanent vision problems, and immediate attention is your best defence against serious ulceration and scarring. Julie is qualified to prescribe eye medications and can address infections immediately for you.

After hours, phone calls are diverted to Julie's mobile phone and you are always welcome to call. If your eye is hurting at 3am, call at 3am.