You’ve run out of lens care products for your monthly or bi-weekly lenses and you’re wondering how to store them until you can buy more at a pharmacy?
While using the right lens care solution is essential for your eye health and visual comfort, this article will show you several temporary alternatives to deal with this emergency.
The importance of using the right solutions for your lenses
Before listing these alternatives, it’s important to remember that these solutions should only be used in extreme emergencies.
For your daily routine, you must use solutions designed for your contact lenses. Products from brands EasySept or Opti-Free clean, disinfect, and hydrate your lenses, ensuring their safety and comfort.
Failure to use a suitable product can lead to irritation, lens deterioration and potentially serious eye infections.
Temporary solutions when you run out of lens solution
1. Using saline solution
In an emergency, you can use sterile saline solution. It allows you to rinse and temporarily store your lenses without them drying out. However, it’s important to note that saline does not disinfect your lenses. If you choose this option, make sure the saline solution is sterile and has not expired.
2. Using distilled water
If you don’t have a saline solution, another option is to use distilled water. To achieve this, follow these steps:
-
Boil water for at least 5 minutes to kill any microorganisms present.
-
Let the water cool down completely.
-
Use the cold water to store your contact lenses.
Caution: This method should be considered as a temporary emergency solution as it does not provide adequate disinfection.
3. Storing your lenses dry
As a last resort, you can store your lenses dry. To achieve this, clean your lenses thoroughly with any remaining solution (if you have any left) and let them dry in a clean, open case.
Once you have a new supply of cleaning solution, rehydrate your lenses by soaking them in a multi-purpose solution for at least 4 hours before wearing them again. This method should be used with caution and only in extreme emergencies.
What you should never do with your contact lenses
Never use tap water
Although it might seem like a simple solution, you should never use tap water to rinse or store your contact lenses. Tap water contains microorganisms and impurities that can cause serious infections, such as keratitis.
Do not sleep with your contact lenses
Another seemingly simple solution might be to just keep your contact lenses while you sleep. However, most lenses are not designed to be worn for extended periods unceasingly. Wearing them while sleeping reduces the oxygen supply to the cornea, increasing the risk of infections and irritations.
Tips to avoid running out of cleaning solution
To avoid being caught unprepared next time, consider buying packs of cleaning products and using reminders to track your supplies.
Also, consider getting travel kits with smaller bottles that are ideal for on-the-go use.
Finally, Linsenmax’s AboMax subscription is also an excellent option to receive regular supplies of products that guarantee you’ll never run out of a cleaning solution.