Spectacles or Contact Lenses- What is Safer During these times?

We all know the novel Corona Virus can spread through the mouth and nose. But did you know that the eyes can be a carrier too? Your eyes contain a thin mucous membrane called the conjunctiva. Which means, if your hands have touched a surface which might be contaminated and you rub your eyes - you can possibly get infected through the eyes.

We constantly touch our glasses , leaving behind smudges, dirt from our hands and particles from all over.

When you remove your eyeglasses casually, where do you keep them? On your table? on your car seat? The vanity top in your washroom? All sources of germs that you could be then carrying along with you . Imagine this - you wear your glasses after having put them down just about anywhere - and your hands are then touching your nose, your mouth ..

Wearing someone else's reading glasses just because your "numbers are almost the same ". Sure, its not as bad as sharing a toothbrush but imagine the risk of those pair of glasses on you!

Glasses will tend to fog up when you are wearing a mask because of the trapped moisture from your breathing. It can be very unsafe while driving.

When you wear contact lenses, you are put something in your eyes with your hands. If those hands are not clean- what are you risking?

The conjunctiva of the eye is a very gracious host for all sorts of bacteria and viruses. When you wear a contact lens- specially one which has been re-used, it can attract protein deposits which provide a very warm bed for bacteria and viruses to come and rest.

Touching the tips of solution bottles can transfer the micr-organisms from your hands to the bottle and then on to the lens.

Safety First !

While wearing Spectacles - please follow these simple steps

Clean your glasses as thoroughly as you are cleaning your hands- Repeatedly !.

You can use either of the following :
-Lukewarm Soapy water in a mug . Let the Glasses lie in it for about 3 minutes.
-Alcohol based cleansing sprays

-Alcohol based Wet wipes .

Super Tip #1
Washing your glasses with soapy water also prevents them from fogging up while wearing a mask !

Wash your hands ( yeah, yeah, yet again !) before you touch your glasses before wearing them.

Make sure you are keeping them inside a case or even a soft pouch that only you have been using.

Do not leave them out in the open . Any surface can be contaminated, you do not want to make your glasses a carrier for the germs.

Avoid touching your glasses too often , if you must, keep a hand sanitiser handy and clean your hands before you touch anything else.

Do not use anyone else's glasses or even sunglasses . If you have a dire emergency, clean them with the soap water or alcohol based sanitisers thoroughly . Avoid using anyone else's glasses if you can.

If you must use Contact Lenses , please follow these instructions very carefully !

Yep, you guessed it - Clean Your hands vigorously ! Remember , you putting something inside your eyes , so your hands must not carry anything into the eyes!

After cleaning your hands, use your contact lens solution to clean both surfaces of your lenses with a gentle rubbing action for at least 2 minutes. Do the same when you remove your lenses at the end of the day. The deposits on the lens which have accumulated during the day can become stubborn and attract more germs if you don't rub them thoroughly.

Clean your contact lens case every day with mild lukewarm water ( it is a plastic case , please do not use boiling water !)

Change your lens case more often ( once in two weeks is not a bad idea )

Wear a protective eye shield glass when you are out, these will help you to not just protect your eyes from any cough or sneezes oriented risks but also save you from rubbing or touching your eyes sub-consciously.

Do not exceed the prescribed wearing schedule for your lenses .The lenses can become less permeable to oxygen as they get older and the lesser the oxygen supply to your cornea, the more vulnerable it is to infections.

Avoid using eye liners and soluble mascaras, or any make up which makes you rub your eyes.

Super Tip # 2

Switch to Daily Disposable Contact lenses for a while. These are more expensive for sure, but you will be wearing a sterile pair all the time.

So- whats better Spectacles or Contact Lenses?

In our opinion - Spectacles with the highest level of safety followed and Daily disposable contact lenses .

Wish you all a Safe Time !

You can reach out to us with any query regarding your eyewear safety or any doubts related to your vision and glasses . We will reach out to you by your preferred mode of communication .