If you’ve ever taken the time to look at your contact lens box, you may have noticed the expiration date on the side. Hopefully that date hasn’t passed, but if it has, what should you do? You may be tempted to continue wearing them, but doing so can have negative consequences for your vision and can lead to:
- An allergic reaction
- Increased risk of a dangerous eye infection
- Blurry vision
- Dry eyes
- General feeling of eye discomfort
We Are Now Open!
We would like to inform our patients that, in accordance with recent directions from the Alberta College of Optometrists, we have now reopened our Calgary clinic! We are currently rescheduling patients on a priority basis and are taking new safety and infection controls to keep our patients, staff, and doctors safe.
We are happy to be serving you once again and our goal is to give you the same quality care and attention, without fear or anxiety, in a safe and enjoyable health care environment.
Want to schedule an appointment or order contact lenses?
5 Signs It’s Time To Reorder Your Contact Lenses
Wearing contact lenses is a convenient way to correct your vision and they can provide many benefits as an alternative to traditional eyeglasses. However, it’s very important to practice proper hygiene and wearing schedules with contact lenses.
Contact lenses have expiration dates and ignoring this lifespan can cause serious problems for your eyes ranging from itchiness and irritation to serious eye diseases, infection, and dry eyes.
If you are wondering whether it’s time to reorder contact lenses, here are 5 sure-fire signs that they need to be replaced:
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The contact lens looks cloudy: You should examine your lens on a regular basis. If it seems cloudy, or it’s not as clear as the first time you bought it, then your lenses might already have bacteria in them. To check if they are cloudy, rinse your lenses with saline solution. If they don’t clear up, it could be time to replace them.
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The lens is damaged. If your contact lens is damaged in any way, then this could mean that bacteria have a portal to pass through. Instead of protecting your eyes, this means that the lens will only allow unwanted substances or material into your eye and this can lead to an infection.
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You have a feeling of irritation or discomfort. You shouldn’t be experiencing any irritation or discomfort with your lenses. If you are, check the lens for dirt and dust, and clean it with solution. If the feeling of discomfort doesn’t subside, you may have a tear or scratch in the lens, and this damage will require you to replace them.
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You’re wearing an old brand of contact lenses. Older brands of contact lenses don’t have UV protection and if you have had your pair for a fairly long time, chances are they aren’t protecting your eyes adequately. Moreover, your eyes might not be getting enough oxygen due to the material of the old contact lenses. Newer ones have been adjusted to allow the cornea to breathe and protect your eye from sun damage. This is important to protect your eye from cataracts, corneal diseases, and macular degeneration.
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Your lenses are reaching their expiration date. Before getting a pair of contact lenses, you should know that there are different expiration dates for the different types of lenses. For example, daily disposables should be discarded after a single day, while other types of lenses need to be replaced every 2 weeks, every month, or every 6 months. Before you reach this expiration date of your lenses, you must order new ones.
Our Calgary Eye Clinic Has Now Reopened
We are excited to announce that our Calgary eye clinic has now reopened! We are currently rescheduling patients on a priority basis and are taking new safety and infection controls to keep our patients, staff, and doctors safe.
To find out more, or to book an appointment, contact us at 403-286-4884 or fill in our online contact form.
