What Happens When You Put Contacts in Water?

Every contact lens wearer has been in a situation where she must remove her contacts but has no cleaning solution handy. What happens if you just drop your contacts in water? Probably nothing, but there's a chance that your lenses could pick up a microorganism called Acanthamoeba which can cause a serious eye infection.

Eye Infections

• Using ordinary water for your contact lenses on a regular basis can lead to eye infections that can cause irritation or even blindness. Keratitis is caused by bacteria infecting the cornea of the eye. A minor infection can cause a great deal of pain and blurred vision but can be treated with antibiotic eye drops. A major infection, untreated long enough, will lead to blindness.

Cleaning Solution

• To prevent such conditions as Keratitis, use cleaning solution regularly. Cleaning solutions use different methods for killing off bacteria on the lens. Multipurpose solution contains ingredients which allow for both disinfection and storage. Hydrogen peroxide is used in some cleaners to kill bacteria, but if you use this type of cleaner, rinse thoroughly with saline solution before wearing your lenses. Hydrogen peroxide can burn your eyes.

Remove Protein

• Enzymatic cleaners remove protein from your lenses. Not all protein removers will kill bacteria but they can remove the protein deposits from your lenses which interfere with cleaners and disinfectants. If the enzyme solution calls for disinfecting with another product, be sure to perform that step before wearing your contacts.

Rehydrating Contacts

• If you don't have proper storage solution, it is best to put your contacts in water rather than letting them just dry out on a shelf. But if your contacts become dried out, they can be rehydrated by letting them soak in a proper cleaning or storage solution for two to three hours. If, after soaking, they feel uncomfortable, take them out and consult your eye doctor before using them again.

Cleaning Solution and Allergies

• A few contact lens wearers are allergic to the chemicals used in lens cleaning solutions. For these people another disinfecting method, such as heat, can be employed.