Wear expired contact lenses? this is the effect on the eye

Are you one of those who like to use contact lenses? Contact lenses can enhance your appearance as well as help your vision (for those who have eye problems). However, have you used contact lenses properly? Be careful, pay attention to the expiration date of contact lenses before you wear them. Using expired contact lenses may harm your eyes.

The shelf life of contact lenses

Contact lenses should be used with care, this is no ordinary cosmetic device. Why? Because contact lenses are in direct contact with your eyes. Use and storage must be considered carefully.

Contact lenses should be placed in an airtight container and in a sterile saline solution. The airtight container keeps the contact lenses from being contaminated with air that contains dust, germs, or other small particles. Meanwhile, a sterile salt solution can keep contact lenses hydrated so they don't dry out. Contact lenses that are slightly dry may make your eyes sore or irritate when using them.

To maintain the safety of wearing contact lenses, the expiration date is usually listed on each package of contact lenses. The expiration date is the safe limit for how long these contact lenses can be worn without harming your eyes. If your contact lenses are past their expiration date, they should be thrown away and don't use them again.

Why is there an expiration date? Even though the contact lenses have been stored in good condition, prolonged storage may make the sterile saline solution contaminated and damage the contact lenses. To prevent this from happening, every contact lens must have an expiration date.

Usually the expiration period of contact lenses from the time they are manufactured and packaged is 1 year and the longest can be up to 4 years. The expiration date on contact lenses is usually listed in month and year format.

What happens if you wear expired contact lenses?

Expired contact lenses allow bacterial and fungal contamination in a sterile saline solution. This makes the contact lenses you wear in your eyes coated with various dust or other small particles. As a result, contact lenses become uncomfortable to wear and can cause severe eye infections again.

Research published by The South African Optometrist in 2008 found that expired contact lenses were contaminated. This research is supported by research from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Optometric Association. This study suggests that expired contact lenses can become more acidic or more alkaline. This occurs because of a change in pH in the sterile saline solution. As a result, contact lenses are uncomfortable to wear, can cause eye irritation, and even cause eye damage.

Tips for staying safe wearing contact lenses

• Read the instructions for use and important information on the packaging of contact lenses
• Don't share contact lenses with other people
• Use the eye drops recommended by your eye doctor
• If your eyes are red, you should not wear contact lenses at this time. Instead, you can use glasses.
• Never rub your eyes when you use contact lenses
• Remove contact lenses from your eyes before swimming or before taking a hot shower.
• Do not use contact lenses in the wrong eye because the strength of the lenses between contact lenses may be different in each eye.
• Wear contact lenses before applying makeup. And, remove contact lenses gently before you remove makeup.
• Wash your hands with soap and dry them before you use or remove contact lenses from your eyes.
• If contact lenses are damaged or torn, it's best to throw them away and not wear them.
• Never dry your contact lenses. If your contact lenses dry out, it's best to throw them away and don't use them.
• Do not use expired contact lenses.