Sept. 30, 2021 — Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, serious eye infections that can lead to blindness affect up to 1 out of every 500 contact lens users per year?

To help educate the public on the best ways to protect their eyes through proper CL care, volunteer nonprofit eye health organization Prevent Blindness has declared October as Contact Lens Safety Month.

“Contact lenses can be a great alternative to eyeglasses, as long as they are used under the direction of a licensed eyecare professional,” says Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness.  “It is important to practice healthy contact lens habits every day to protect eyes from serious, painful vision issues.”

Contact lenses are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as prescription medical devices, and it is illegal for anyone to sell CLs without a prescription from an ECP.

Prevent Blindness shares that with Halloween approaching, the FDA reminds consumers that they need a prescription for all contact lenses, including “decorative” or “cosmetic contacts,” regardless of if they need contact lenses for vision correction.

In addition, Prevent Blindness has released the following tips for safe CL use to share with consumers:

• Before handling contact lenses, wash hands with soap and water, then rinse and dry them with a lint-free towel.
• Minimize contact with water, including removing lenses before going swimming or in a hot tub.
• Contact lenses should not be rinsed with or stored in water (tap or sterile water).
• Wear and replace contact lenses according to the schedule prescribed by an ECP. 
• During cleaning, using fresh solution, rub your contact lenses with your fingers, then rinse the lenses with solution before soaking them – even if the solution you are using is a “no-rub” variety.
• Contact lens cases should always be cleaned with fresh solution, not water. Then leave the empty case open to air dry.
• Never put your lenses in your mouth or put saliva on your lenses as saliva is not sterile.
• Never share lenses with others.
• Do not reuse old solution or “top off” the solution in your lens case.
• Do not use cracked or damaged lens cases. Lens cases can be a source of contamination and infection.
• Remove contact lenses and contact your ECP immediately if you experience any eye or vision problems.

For more tips for Contact Lens Safety Month from Prevent Blindness: preventblindness.org/wearing-contact-lenses/.