Inserting contact lenses is not a skill that most people naturally possess. It takes a little practice before you feel confident about the process. Just as “they” say, “Practice makes perfect.” Don’t you just love “them”? “They” have an answer to everything. But in this case it is true. And it doesn’t take very much practice before you will know how to insert your contact lenses.
Contact lenses are medical equipment that must pass FDA requirements. When your contact lenses are brand new, they are sterile and free of any bacteria or germs. Eye infections are the greatest risk for contact lens wearers. While there is no way you will be able to keep them as clean as the first day you opened them, there are precautions you can take to keep your contact lenses as clean and germ free as possible.
First, wash your hands before you insert your contact lenses. Never handle your contact lenses with dirty hands. That is the surest way of transferring bacteria from your hands to your eyes. And always take the precaution of laying a clean, lint free towel or a clean paper towel down in the area you will be inserting your contact lenses. Do not let your contact fall into the sink where it can collect any number of germs and bacteria. On the same note, even in a pinch, do not “wash” your contact in your mouth. Saliva is full of bacteria and this practice can lead to a very serious eye infection that can be very hard to treat.
Once you are working with clean hands and in a clean environment, gently shake your contact case to loosen the contact lenses in case they have slightly adhered themselves to the bottom or sides of the case. Do not try to pull a stuck lens out with your fingers. The tugging action may tear the lens.
Place the contact into the palm of your hand. Squirt some of the recommended cleaning and disinfecting solution on it to rinse it. Balance the lens on the tip of either your index or middle finger. It is best to have dry fingers, since the contact won’t let go as easily if your fingers are very wet.
Now, with your other hand pull up on your eyelid to open your eye very wide. If your are not squeamish and you have no problem putting something in your eye, you can insert the contact lenses directly over your cornea. If you have a very strong blink reflex or you don’t like the idea of inserting contact lenses directly on your eye, you can either look up or to the side and place the lens on the white area of your eye. Either way, once the contact is adhering to your eye and not your finger, blink gently a couple times and the contact lens will adjust itself directly over your cornea. Then do the same with the other eye. It will take a bit of practice but, before you know it, you will know everything about how to insert contact lenses.