Contact lens wear is safe during COVID-19

Some of our patients in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Norfolk have asked us whether contact lenses are safe to use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The answer is yes, they are. With proper precautions, contact lenses remain an acceptable form of vision correction for healthy individuals during the pandemic.

Our eye doctors say that with proper hygiene practices, contact lenses can continue to be worn safely during the pandemic. However, we want to emphasize the importance of healthy contact lens hygiene practices in protecting against serious eye infections and other illnesses.

Now more than ever, it’s important for our patients in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Norfolk to wash your hands before handling your contact lenses. Handwashing is an essential first step in the fight against not just infections, but COVID-19 transmission.

Failure to wear, clean, and store lenses as directed by your eye doctor increases the chance of getting germs in your eyes and causing complications. Contact lens-related eye infections can lead to long-lasting damage but often are preventable.

Even minor infections can be painful and disrupt day-to-day life. Your contact lens wear and care habits, supplies, and eye doctor are all essential to keeping your eyes healthy.

Following are some tips from our eye doctors in Chesapeake to help ensure proper wear and care for contact lenses:

• Always practice good hygiene and follow proper safety precautions when handling lenses. It has been noted that contact lens wearers touch their faces and eyes when inserting and removing lenses, which can spread germs.
• Exercise proper hand washing. When using contact lenses or spectacles, wash your hands carefully and thoroughly with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds, followed by hand drying with unused paper towels. This should occur before every contact lens insertion and removal. People should avoid touching their face, including their eyes, nose and mouth, with unwashed hands.
• Disinfect contact lenses. Contact lens wearers should either dispose of their daily disposable lenses each evening, or regularly disinfect non-disposable lenses according to instructions from the manufacturer and one’s eye doctor.
• Discontinue lens wear if sick. Consistent with recommendations for other types of illness, those who feel ill with cold or flu-like symptoms should cease contact lens wear.

To recap, according to the American Optometric Association, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and our eye doctors in Chesapeake, there is currently no evidence to suggest contact lens wearers are more at risk for acquiring COVID-19 than eyeglass wearers.

To schedule an eye appointment, please contact us at (757) 966-2206 or click here.

ABOUT OUR EYE CARE CLINIC

Since 2010, our eye doctors have provided families in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake with the best eye care possible. Our eye clinic is rooted in the philosophy of good old fashioned honesty and customer service – and our patients appreciate that. Our eye doctors and staff can provide a comprehensive eye examination, vision therapy, eye exams, glasses, contacts, co-management of surgical patients, and more.