The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Optometry have joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its other partners to promote Contact Lens Health Week, August 21-25. This year’s campaign theme is “Healthy Habits Mean Healthy Eyes.” These organizations are encouraging youth to start healthy habits early to help ensure a lifetime of healthy vision.
Eye care providers encourage patients to follow these guidelines for healthy contact lens wear:
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- Don’t sleep in your contact lenses.
- Keep water away from your contact lenses.
- Don’t “top off” solution.
- Replace your contact lens case at least once every three months.
- Give your eyes a rest.
- Sterilize the night before planned wear, if you wear contact lenses sporadically.
- Decorative lenses must be prescribed and fitted by an eye care professional.
“While we focus on Contact Lens Health Week, it is important to remember that both patients and prescribers alike should maintain a year-round vigilance regarding eye health. Nothing improves the safety of contact lens wear like the continual reinforcement of and compliance with proper lens wear, proper lens care, and proper patient follow up,” says Clarke D. Newman, OD, FAAO, Chair of the American Academy ofOptometry’s Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies.
Click HERE for the full press release.
