How long is the expiration period of the contact lens (contact lens)?

You are certainly familiar with contact lenses, aka soft lenses. For some people with vision problems, soft lenses are a more profitable choice than glasses because they are considered more practical and support the daily activities of the wearer. Well, knowing the type and how to use the right contact lens is very important so that the health of your eyes is always maintained. Check out the reviews below.

Types of contact lenses and their uses

A contact lens or contact lens is a thin, piece-shaped layer that is placed on the eye to improve the quality of vision. Like glasses, soft lenses can overcome eye refraction, or visual disturbances that include minus (myopia), plus (hypermetropy), and cylindrical eyes (astigmatism).

Currently, there are many contact lenses available on the market with varying types and periods of use.

So that you don't choose the wrong choice, you can follow some of the tips below to determine which contact lenses suit your needs:

1. Contact lenses soft

One of the most popular types of contact lenses for people is contact lenses soft, or better known as softlens. Yes, contact lenses are a term that refers to a type of contact lens.

Softlens made of plastic or silicone hydrogel combined with water. The water content in the contact lens will help oxygen pass through the lens to your cornea. Therefore, many like soft lenses because they are more comfortable to use, reduce the risk of dry eyes, and keep the corneas healthy.

Softlens themselves consist of various types, such as:

• daily lenses with a certain usage period, for example 1 day, 2 weeks, or 1 month
• Toric lens, used to treat astigmatism or cylinder eyes
• colored or decorative lenses, which are available in a variety of color options

2. Lens rigid gas permeable (RGP)

As the name implies, this type of lens is much stiffer (rigid) when compared with contact lenses. RGP lenses are usually made of plastic combined with other materials. They tend to be stiff, but these lenses can still let oxygen into your eyes.

RGP lenses are commonly used to treat certain eye problems, such as cylindrical eyes and keratoconus (changes in the shape of the cornea of ​​the eye). People who are prone to contact lens allergies are also more suited to wearing RGP lenses.

3. Bifocal contact lenses

Bifocal lenses are specifically for people who experience nearsightedness and farsighted vision problems. This condition is usually called presbyopia and is more common in people aged 40 years and over.

Bifocal lenses have the ability to help focus near and far images in a single lens. This lens is available in soft lens or RGP.

4. Sclera contact lenses

As the name suggests, this type of lens covers almost the entire surface of the eye to the white part (sclera). Unlike contact lenses in general, sclera lenses have a wider size.

Sclera lenses are usually reserved for certain conditions, such as keratoconus or dry eye syndrome.

If you are just starting to wear contact lenses and are confused about which one is suitable for your eyes, you should first consult with an ophthalmologist.

How to use the correct contact lens

In addition to choosing the appropriate type, you also need to know how to install a good and correct contact lens. This is important for you to understand, especially if you are just starting to use contact lenses for the first time.

According to the website of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, here are the steps for fitting contact lenses:

• Wash your hands, but avoid using soaps with added perfumes or essential oils.
• Gently shake the contact lens holder. Carefully pick up the lens using your fingertips.
• Rinse contact lenses with a special liquid soft lens cleaner. Avoid rinsing your lenses with tap water.
• Place the lens on the tip of your index or middle finger. Pay attention to whether there is a tear in your contact lens.
• Also make sure that your lens is not upside down. If the lens is curved downward like a bowl, it means that the lens is positioned correctly.
• Press your fingers on the upper and lower lids while looking in the mirror. We recommend that you use the fingers that you don't use to touch the contact lens, for example attaching the lens with your right hand, then pulling the eyelid with the index finger and thumb of your left hand.
• Place the contact lens on the surface of your eyeball. You can look straight ahead or upward when attaching the lens.
• Close your eyes slowly. With your eyes closed, rotate your eyeball to make sure the lens is in place. Next, blink slowly many times. Look again in the mirror to see if the lens is in the center of your eyeball.

Other tips when putting in contact lenses

If this is your first time using soft lenses, it's a good idea to trim your nails first. This is important to prevent tearing of the lens, or the risk of injuring your own eye.

In addition, make sure you attach each contact lens in the same eye area the next time you use it. You can label the lens storage case with the words “left” and “right”.

The main thing is to make sure your eyes are always moist and healthy. Lenses attached to dry eyes run the risk of causing unwanted problems. Use eye drops as directed by your doctor, drink lots of water, and don't forget to blink while using it gadget in a long time.

Resolving a stuck contact lens

Things that can cause the contact lens to be difficult to remove include accidentally falling asleep or falling asleep while still wearing it, using it too long so that the silicone dries out, and using lenses that are not the right size.

Contact lenses are in normal position

If it is positioned in the middle of the cornea, it is likely that the lens will be difficult to remove because it has dried. Wash your lenses and eyes using normal saline or all-purpose solutions for contact lenses.

The contact lens is torn or into small pieces

When torn, do not force it to keep wearing contact lenses and immediately replace them with new ones. Wash your hands first before trying to remove the lens piece. Eye drops with a special liquid or solution to keep it moist. Find the tear by hand, when you find it, push it to the outer corner of the eye.

Missing or lodged in the eyelid

When this happens to you, look for the mirror and then tilt your head back slightly. Raise the upper eyelid as high as possible to ensure the presence of the contact lens and not disappear by falling or coming out of the eye on its own.

Make sure the eyes are moist or have been dripped with special fluids. Try sliding the lens downwards and then grab it by pinching it out.

Pay attention to the expiration date of your contact lenses

Softlens that have exceeded their expiration date can no longer be used, even though they are still comfortable to wear. That is, if the expiration of your lenses is for example 1 or 3 months after opening, throw them away as soon as that time passes. The goal is that the amount of dirt that accumulates on the lens is not too much and eye health is maintained.

Even so, regardless of the maximum time limit for use, you must still pay attention to the symptoms when wearing contact lenses.

If you feel something strange when using contact lenses, such as sore eyes, blurred vision, and other signs of discomfort, you should immediately "retire" and replace the lenses with new ones. Even if the expiration period is not over.

Some of the problems that can arise as a result of using expired or problematic contact lenses are:

• red eyes and irritation due to contact lenses
• blurred vision
• eye infection

Compared to glasses, contact lens care requires more attention. You need to clean it regularly and store it properly. Having soft lenses that are kept clean will keep you from the risk of getting eye problems.

Wearing glasses or contact lenses is a personal choice. Keep in mind, even if you wear contact lenses, you also still need to have glasses according to a doctor's prescription. This is especially important if you need to temporarily take a break from wearing contact lenses due to eye irritation or infection, or you just want to give your eyes a break.