How to Adjust to New Contact Lenses

According to the Mayo Clinic, approximately 135 million people around the world wear contact lenses. For many people, contacts provide more precise vision correction and are more comfortable than glasses. It may take 10 to 12 days to adjust to new lenses, but there are some ways to make the transition easier and more comfortable.

Things You'll Need

• Cleaning solution
• Storage case
• Lens rewetting drops
• Protective eyewear (optional)

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Instructions

Preparation

• 1

  Visit your optometrist and have a complete vision exam annually to ensure that you get lenses with the correct prescription. Contact lenses with an inaccurate prescription will not properly correct your vision and can lead to vision problems such as eye strain and irritation.

• 2

  Choose the right type of lenses. There are a variety of lenses available, including soft lenses, hard gas-permeable lenses and hybrid lenses. Each type of lenses offers benefits and disadvantages, depending on an individual's needs.

• 3

  Choose the right brand of lenses. Within each type of lenses there are several brands and formulations available. Some lenses must be disposed of daily, weekly or monthly, while some can be worn for several months, and some brands can be worn while sleeping. Some brands offer special benefits, such as oxygen permeability or higher moisture content.

• 4

  Learn how to properly care for your lenses. Each type of contact lens requires specific care and cleaning. Speak with your optometrist and read the manufacturer's instruction to be sure that you use the right type of cleaning solution, eye drops and storage case. Individuals who play sports, especially water sports, or who are exposed to environmental pollutants may need to use special cleaning and lens storage procedures.

Inserting New Lenses

• 5

  Open the contact lens packaging and open the container for both lenses. If the packages are not labeled, check your prescription to be sure that you identify the right and left lenses. Many people have different prescriptions for each eye.

• 6

  Insert your right contact lens by opening your eye as wide as possible, and with the tip of your index finger, gently placing the contact lens in the center of your eye. Blink several times. Repeat with the left lens.

• 7

  Place several drops of a contact lens rewetting solution in each eye, then blink several times. Properly lubricating your lenses will help them adhere to your eye and stay in the right place on your cornea.

Wearing and Testing New Lenses

• 8

  Try your new lenses first thing in the morning. Wearing new lenses early in the day will help you determine whether your lenses fit and correct your vision properly, as your eyes will be fresh and able to focus more easily.

• 9

  Practice using your eyes at different distances, including close up, mid-distance and long distance, and test your eyes on different sized text and objects. If you can not clearly see different sized objects at all reasonable distances, your prescription may need to be adjusted.

• 10

  Wear your lenses for a few hours at a time for the first several days, gradually working up to wearing them all day. This will prevent eye strain and headaches as your eyes adjust.

• 11

  Be aware of any discomfort, such as dryness, irritation, excessive blinking, eye strain or any other unusual symptoms while testing your new lenses. If discomfort persists, remove your lenses and contact your optometrist. Discomfort could indicate a defective lens, and incorrect prescription or the wrong type or brand of lenses.