Contact Lens Queries

I started using contacts about a month back. Anyway, I had many queries related to the usage of contacts. Hence I mailed these queries to Customer Care (Bausch & Lomb). I use traditional daily wear (soft) contact lenses for astigmatism. But I think the below response applies to any soft contact lens. Below you can find the questions I have asked and the responses I have received. The below responses are by Neeraj Dabral, Professional Services Manager, Bausch & Lomb. Also Bausch and Lomb has a FAQ reg. contact lenses at http://www.bausch.in/faq.html.

Q) While travelling in the bus from office to home and vice-versa, I fall asleep daily for about 20-30 mins. Is this harmful to the lens/eyes ?
A) While wearing your lenses, kindly avoid sleeping with them. Reason being that the oxygen reaching the eye goes down drastically when contact lenses are worn and the wearer closes the eye. Please restrain from sleeping even for 15-20 minutes if possible.

Q) About once in 2 days, I may need to remove the lens in order to take a nap. But I don't have the solution to clean my lens at office. So I remove the lens, keep it in the case (which has some solution) and later take it back and put it on. Is this harmful to the lens/eyes?
A) If you have to remove the lenses in the office, then please keep a small size bottle of ReNu Multiplus Solution for cleaning ,rinsing, storage etc otherwise what you are currently following may also work. Kindly ensure that lens cases is filled with solution whenever you move out so that you can use that solution in case you have to remove lenses. Another recommendation is that kindly change your contact lens solution after every usage.

Q) Lastly, once in a blue moon (3 months or so), I may need to travel to other places. Then if I sleep overnite with my lens on, is it harmful to the eyes/lens?
A) Sleeping with these lenses overnight even on an occasional basis is not at all recommended. Kindly do not attempt it and it may lead to complications. Some of these complications can be sight threatening too.

Q) Can I put on contact lenses while taking a shower ?
A) Lenses can be used while taking shower however care must be taken that soap water doesn't enter the eye. This is possible with lenses worn on Continuous Wear basis but not applicable to your lenses. Since you should not sleep with your lenses, it will be a good idea to wear them post you have taken shower.

Q) Sometimes I rub my eyes with my contact lens put on. Can that hurt the iris/cornea ?
A) Rubbing the eyes with lenses is again not recommended, reason being that if there is a foreign body then it can hurt your cornea and other fragile structures of the eyes.Incase you think something has fallen into the eye then best thing is to flush it off with a lot of water and then remove the lenses. If irritation still persists, kindly consult an ophthalmologist or your eye care practitioner.

Q) Also was just wondering if an occasional (once in a week) nap of 10-15 mins could actually cause any serious eye damage ?
A) Sleeping with contact lenses is not recommended as in closed eye condition the oxygen transmission to the eye drastically reduced. It may cause subsequent complications like lens getting stuck to the eye,Acute red eye etc.These complication may not happen all the time but sleeping with lenses even for a shorted duration like 15-20 minutes increase your risk of complications.

Q) Can I use the contact lens if they are exposed to air for a very long time like more than an hour? (the response to this was given by my ophthalmologist)
A) When exposed to air for a long duration, the contact lens become brittle. Upon putting it back in the solution they again become soft. You can use it then provided no scratches were formed on it. Also sometimes the lens become folded when exposed to air and does not unfold. In such a scenario, soaking it in the solution for a few hours will generally unfold it.