by Edward James

Created on: July 31, 2010

Although glasses and spectacles are exceptionally useful, living with them can be a chore. Glasses are cumbersome and often get in the way, glasses can be easily knocked off and damaged, glasses can be removed and ‘left’ in the strangest of places meaning you waste time whilst trying to locate them again, glasses make choosing a motorcycle helmet more awkward and glasses hinder the use of a viewfinder on a camera amongst many other small annoyances. Fortunately, there is an alternative for us spectacle wearers and that it is the contact lens, which is a great invention.

With long term lenses, monthly lenses, daily disposable lenses, overnight lenses and colored lenses of all different strengths the range of contact lenses available is vast and there should be something suitable for all those wanting to wear lenses.

Inserting lenses involves putting the lens on the tip of a clean finger, opening the eyelids as wide as they can go with the spare hand and then gently placing the lens in the centre of the eyeball. A few blinks later, allowing the lens to settle in to place, and you’re done. Inserting lenses for the first time is awkward and will take a bit of getting used to. Early attempts often result in many fumbles and accidental (and painful) pokes to the eye however it is worth persevering with as you will get there in the end. The thought of touching an eyeball appears to make some people cringe, and if you are one of these contact lenses are unsuitable for you.

Putting lenses in should always be done with clean hands to reduce the chances of infection. The lenses should always be put in wet to ensure they stick to the eyeball quickly. Wetting the lenses involves giving them a quick squirt of the cleaning solution. Tap water should never be used as there are micro bacteria in tap water that may cause infection. The most effective way of inserting lenses is to have dry hands and wet lenses. If your hands are moist, even just a little bit, putting lenses in can be more tricky as they tend to slide about on the finger and prefer to remain on your finger rather than transferring on to the eyeball. A mirror is a must have accessory when inserting lenses, although one is not needed for removal.

Unless the lenses are specifically designed for 24 hour use or night lenses you should not sleep in them for any reason. The lenses will dry out and stick to your eyeballs, which is likely to cause irritation. In addition, they are a right pain to remove

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