contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of eye.
a contact lens is a thin, curved lens placed on the film of tears that covers the surface of eyes.
contact lenses are ocular Prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct vision or for cosmetics and therapeutic reasons.
TYPES OF CONTACT LENS
1) SOFT CONTACT LENS
2) RIGID GAS PERMEABLE (RGP)
SOFT CONTACT LENS
Soft contact lenses are the most commonly prescribed contact lenses .
Soft contact lenses are extremely comfortable and easy to apply.
This type Of contact lens stay in place and is easier to adjust than hard or rigid gas permeable contact lenses.
They are made of soft, flexible plastics that allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea.
INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF SOFT CONTACT LENS :
If you Wear contact lenses insert and removing them might be an action you perform daily, but are you following the proper protocol?
INSERTION :
To put in your soft contact lens
Wash your hand with soap and water. Don’t use soap that contain artificial colouring , perfume or cream.
Dry your hands with lint free towel to avoid any debris.
Peel away the foil of the contact lens blister pack or open a contact lens case. remove a lens from its case and gently spill out the lens into the palm of your hand.
Check to make sure the lens is clean and does not have any damage. Place the lens on the tip of your index finger and hold it at eye level. It should face up like the shape of a bowl. If it is not in the correction formation, it will look more like a saucer where the edges overt outward. Examine the lens carefully to be sure that it does not have any damages, defects, debris or tears.
Place the lens on your finger tip on your dominant hand with edges faces outward.
Use your free hand to pull up your upper eyelid. Pull down the lower eyelid with the middle or ring finger of your dominant hand.
Bring your index finger that is balancing the lens up to the front of your eye.
While looking straight into a mirror with your head turned slightly to the side.
Place the lens on the lower white part of your eye.
Look down and then close your eyes. This will canter the lens on your eyes.
If you feel air bubbles, close your eyes and move it to side to side or gently massage over the lens.
Repeat the steps above to place the other contact lens in your eye.
REMOVAL :
To take out soft contact lens follow these steps
wash your hands with soap and water.
dry your hands with clean and lint-free towel.
look straight ahead and pull down the lower eyelid with your second finger.
Place your index finger on the lens and slide it onto the white part of the eye. Pinch it off between thumb and index finger. Gently remove the lens from your eye.
RIGID GAS PERMEABLE (RGP)
GAS PERMEABLE (GP) contact lenses also known as Rigid gas permeable (RGP) Lenses, are hard contact lenses made of silicone-containing compounds that allow more oxygen to reach front surface of the eye.
Rigid gas permeable contact lenses are Rigid lenses that float over on a layer of tears.
RGP lenses are made from a firm, oxygen-permeable material and offer numerous advantages over regular soft contact lenses.
GP lenses are smaller in diameter than soft contact lenses that cover about 75% of cornea.
INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF RIGID GAS PERMEABLE :
PRECAUTIONS :—–
1. Ensure your finger nails are short and clean.
2. Work over a flat surface. If working over a sink put the plug in.
3. Alcohol based sanitizers are not recommended.
4. Fragrance-free towels are recommended.
INSERTION :
wash your hands with soap and water. Don’t use soap that contain artificial colouring, lotion, cream etc.
dry your hands with clean and lint-free towel.
remove a lens from its case and ensuring you select the correct for each eye.
make sure it is positioned the right way around.
when handling the lens, use your fingertips. Avoid touching it with your nails.
check the lens for defects, tears and debris. Rinse the lens with fresh, clean solution if required or discard if the lens is defective.
place the lens on the tip of the index finger of the dominant hand.
always insert or remove the same lens first, usually the right lens first, to avoid the confusion between left or right.
use the middle finger of your right hand to hold down your lower eyelid. With your left hand, firmly hold the upper eyelid close to the base of your eyelashes.
look directly at the contact lens and place it directly onto the cornea or by looking up, place the lens onto the lower part of the white of your eyes.
Look towards the lens to position it correctly.
Slowly release the lower lid first and then the upper eyelid. Blink gently a few times to allow the lens to settle on the eye.
follow the same instructions for your left eye.
LENS CENTERING :
1. Locate your contact lens by looking into the mirror or feel for the lens outline through your closed eyelid.
2. Look in the opposite direction i.e. if the lens is under the upper eyelid, look down.
3. Use the fingertip to place edge of your eyelid next to the edge of the lens and nudge it back into its position as you shift your gaze towards the lens.
REMOVAL :
There are two common methods of removing RGP lenses ____
blink method
two-finger method
Blink methods :—-
wash your hands with soap and water and dry your hands with clean and lint-free towel.
look straight ahead.
using middle finger firmly pull the skin on the outer corner of your eyelids.
blink hard until your lens pops out.
catch the lens with your other hand or a clean towel. If you are removing your lens over the sink, cover the drain of the sink with a clean towel to ensure it doesn’t get loss or contaminated.
Two-finger method :—–
with the middle finger of the non dominant hand, gently hold your upper eyelid toward your eyebrow to ensure that your eyelashes doesn’t get in the way.
using your middle finger on your dominant hand pull your lower eyelid down.
gently push your eyelid from outer corner of the eye toward your nose, bringing your eyelids together and causing the lens to pop out.
