Always wash your hands before inserting or removing contact lenses. Use a non-moisturizing hand soap.
Clean your storage case daily, rinse out your storage case with warm to hot water (including the lids) after you insert your lenses. Even with good care, you should replace your storage case every three (3) months. Most eye infections come from a dirty/old storage case.
Always close the top of the solution bottle after using and don't touch the tip of the bottle to anything.
Do not transfer solutions from one bottle to another.
Do not sleep with your lenses, unless you have been told otherwise.
Do not rinse soft lenses with tap water.
Use lubricating/re-wetting drops before you remove soft lenses. This helps prevent tearing of the lens. Soft lenses are very strong when they are wet but very brittle when they are dry.
When you are ready to remove your lenses, open the right or left side of the case first. Get into the habit of inserting your right lens first and removing your right lens first (or visa-versa). This helps you from switching your lenses.
Do not swim or use a hot tub with your soft lenses on, especially in a lake, river or the ocean. Soft lenses are roughly 50% water (or more) and they will absorb anything that it comes into contact with it, good or bad. If you swim in a pool, make sure that you wear goggles to keep the lens from washing out. Do not wear your lenses in a hot tub or sauna.
Upon lens removal, rub the lens between your fingertips or on your palm with the prescribed solution. Place the lens in the case and fill it up with solution. Before screwing on the lid, make sure the lens is covered with solution and away from the edges, make sure you don't over fill the storage case with solution.
Always remove your contact lenses and call your eye doctor if:
* You develop unusual eye redness or pain.
* You are sensitive to light, more than usual.
* You develop unusually foggy or cloudy vision.
The newest soft lens material is silicone based. Silicone is very oxygen permeable, therefore it is healthier for your eyes. Three companies are making silicone based disposable soft lenses, and it is sure that most companies will be coming out with similar lenses soon. Another advantage of these lenses is that they don't dehydrate as quickly, so they feel more comfortable later in the day.
Keratoconus patients have new options. Soft lenses are now made especially for keratoconus patients and correct most slight to mild cases. Newer rigid gas-permeable materials (the lens of choice for keratoconus patients) and improved designs are also available.