Contact lens care solutions are talking about them. In early December, the National Assembly voted to authorize the free sale of these products, which will therefore no longer be subject to regulations specific to medical products. And a few days ago, the monthly 60 million consumers published a survey pointing out the risks that the majority of these products pose to the cornea. All this commotion around the bottles of lens solutions has prompted the French Society of Ophthalmology (SFO) and the National Association for the Improvement of Sight (Asnav) to draw the attention of contact lens wearers to “l ‘importance of respecting certain key rules regarding the use and maintenance of lenses ”.
Rule # 1: follow the ophthalmologist’s advice for products
Ophthalmologists would like to point out that lens care products are not everyday consumer products but medical devices, just like the lenses themselves. They also advise lens wearers to follow the recommendations of their ophthalmologist, “because he will make sure to prescribe a solution compatible with their ocular physiology and which they will tolerate perfectly”.
Rule n ° 2: maintain the lenses according to the instructions given
We wash our hands before any handling, we renew the solution in the case daily, we also clean this case every day (and we change it regularly) and we close the bottle of sterile solution after use. “Failure to comply with these rules of hygiene and use can lead to various pathologies, some of which are very serious such as corneal abscesses” explains Professor Gilles Renard, scientific director of the SFO.
Rule n ° 3: do not exceed the wearing time of the lenses
Experts recommend not to exceed a daily wearing time of 12 hours. Beyond that, it is recommended to put on prescription glasses to rest the eyes. It is also recommended to respect the renewal period (daily, bimonthly or monthly) and not to try to “scratch” a few days to save money, if you want to preserve your visual health. “If you want to be sure you don’t have a corneal problem, the easiest way is to opt for daily lenses, which you throw away and replace every day. So we no longer ask ourselves the question of maintenance and the choice of a cleaning solution that will be sufficiently disinfectant without being toxic to the eye ”supports Professor Renard.
Rule n ° 4: be very careful with cosmetic lenses
Cosmetic lenses are colored or patterned contact lenses sold on the internet as beauty accessories. Very popular with teenagers, they are delivered non-sterile and young people who wear them without prior ophthalmological examination are exposed to serious eye problems because these lenses become the entry points for pathogenic germs. “They are particularly at risk of corneal abscesses, which can occur overnight and affect both eyes at the same time. “But this corneal abscess can degenerate and threaten visual acuity. It is therefore important that parents inform teens about cosmetic lenses. These are contact lenses like any other which meet the same rules of use and hygiene ”.
