Not using the right contact lens solution can be very damaging to your eyes
Baby oil, beer, coke, petroleum, jelly, lemonade, fruit juice and butter are just some of the alternatives people have used in place of contact lens solution, according to new research.
The study, carried out on behalf of Biotrue, revealed that a shocking 20 per cent of people have tried bizarre and possibly damaging alternatives to contact lens solution. Many of which are in no way designed for use in the human eye and may cause pain or even result in serious eye health problems.
"Although the numbers for the more extreme examples such as beer and baby oil were low, it is most concerning to see the risks people are willing to take when it comes to their eye health.
"Alcohol, found in beer, is corrosive on the cornea and can cause serious lasting damage, while baby oil can irritate the eye and cause severe blurring," explains Nick Dash, an Optometerist from Visual Edge Optometrists.
Spit, or saliva, featured highly on the list of alternatives people have tried, but with the average adult mouth containing 500 to 1,000 different types of bacteria, it is not a recommended form of eye lubrication.
The same could be said of water, of which 16 per cent of contact lens wearers surveryed listed. Tap and distilled water may contain bacteria that can cause damage to the eye and have been associated with Acanthamoeba keratitis, a corneal infection that is resistant to treatment. Water also does not disinfect lenses or remove proteins that could buil-up on the lens as they are worn, which may cause discomfort.
"It's really important for contact lens wearers to follow proper contact lens hygiene to maintain eye health and to keep their lenses clean and comfortable. There is good reason mulit-purpose lens solutions are so carefully developed.
"Modern lens solutions have been designed to protect your eyes in many different ways: from cleaning and disinfecting the lenses, to conditioning the lenses making them more comfortable to wear. The potential problems caused by poor lens hygiene are many, including symptoms such as itchy, red or tired eyes, to more serious issues such as infection that can cause loss of vision," adds Nick.