So you’ve had contacts for a while and you’re wondering whether you have to stick with the same solution or not. Well under most circumstances it is safe to assume that you can in fact change the solution you’re using to try some other brands out there. The same solution that you’ve tried for years might not actually be the best for you. There are two main types of solution that you can buy:
Multipurpose Contact Lens Solutions
These solutions are basically used to clean and disinfect your contacts. With your multipurpose solution you can store your contact lenses overnight or for and extended period of time. The solution will kill the germs and remove dust and debris from the surface of the lens. This ensures that the next time you go to pop your lens in, the lens is clean and ready to keep your eye healthy. Multipurpose solutions are designed so you don’t have to rub your contacts to get them clean. However, you can rub the contact lenses a bit with this solution on them and it help remove extra grim from the lens. Just bear in mind, though, that rubbing the lenses can actually scratch the lens by having unclean fingers. It pays to wash your hands before handling.
Hydrogen Peroxide Solutions
The Hydrogen Peroxide solution’s main benefit is that they don’t use the preservatives that Multipurpose solutions do. Therefore, they are often referred to people who have quite sensitive eyes. The hydrogen peroxide has to be neutralised before you can put the lens in your eye however. Most Hydrogen Peroxide solutions are a one-step process whereby the user puts their lens into a special case and leaves it there for about 6 hours while the lenses are cleaned and then the hydrogen peroxide is neutralised. However due to the neutralising occurring simultaneously with the cleaning, the lens may not be exposed to the hydrogen peroxide for long enough to give it a decent clean. Two step cleaners are not as good as one-step processes because you have to take the time to neutralise the hydrogen peroxide in another step. Some users see this as being a hassle. However the advantage here is that the lens can be exposed to the cleaning solution for longer, giving a better clean. You mustn’t forget to neutralise the hydrogen peroxide solution before you put the contacts in your eyes, though. If you do, you are likely to get very very sore eyes from the unneutralised solution.
So which should you use?
Well, if your optometrist has prescribed you with the hydrogen peroxide solution, it’s probably because you have fairly sensitive eyes and therefore it mightn’t be a good thing to start trying multipurpose solutions. However it shouldn’t be a problem to try other Hydrogen peroxide solutions that are out there. If you’ve been told to buy multipurpose solutions, then your eyes are most likely going to handle any solution that the market offers, so scope out what’s available, give it a go and you might be able to save yourself some coin and get a fresher, cleaner contact to put in each time.
Published: Tue, July 31, 2018
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