Contact lens care tips for patients: an optometrist's perspective

Contact lens (CL) wear has been a viable alternative to spectacle wear for several decades. The interest and desire to wear CLs have been stable in recent years, evidenced by the consistency of new wearers into this category of refractive correction. CLs have become one of the most commonly used medical devices in the market, with more than 40 million wearers in the US. There are many activities in which patients report a preference of CL wear over spectacles (athletics for example). Nearly all patients (even presbyopic patients) have the option of contact lenses today given the expansion of powers and parameters in recent years. Patients eyes are getting dryer as factors of age and the environment. CL materials have improved in recent years in an attempt to meet the challenges of dryer eyes. Despite the improvements in CLs and their care, challenges persist. Patient education, handwashing, compliance with care, and wearing schedule are some of the challenges that providers face in the care of CL patients even today.