There are 3.4 million contact lens wearers in the UK however a shocking 70% are guilty of poor contact lens care and these bad habits can have a serious effect on their eye health. The eye care experts at Alcon are here to give their tips and advice on how to look after your eyes.

Did you know that one in five people lick their contact lenses before putting them in their eyes? Two out of five people put their lenses in with dirty hands and 15% of wearers will pick a contact lens off the floor and put it straight in their eye without cleaning it.

Research has also found that 70% of people keep their lenses in for far too long every day with more than half of men sleeping in their contact lenses and 44% don’t wash their hands before inserting their lenses

Women’s worst habits are licking their lenses before putting them in their eyes, with nearly a quarter admitting to this and a further 16% will put a dirty lens they have dropped on the floor in their eyes

Anna Sulley, Optometrist, comments: "It’s amazing how many patients I see who are unaware of the basic rules of hygiene for their contact lenses. If you dropped your toothbrush on the bathroom floor, you wouldn’t put it back in your mouth before cleaning it and it should be the same principle for your lenses."

"Cleaning and soaking lenses in solutions such as OPTI-FREE RepleniSH help to kill harmful bacteria which might lead to eye infections." Alcon has these tips for looking after your lenses from eyecare experts: - Always wash, rinse and dry your hands before handling your lenses

- Never bring your lenses into contact with tap water as it contains bacteria which may lead to eye infection

- Never wet your lenses with saliva

- After removing your lenses, it is essential that you clean and disinfect them in a suitable solution such as OPTI-FREE® RepleniSH®. This prevents harmful organisms building up on the lens, which can help reduce the risk of an eye infection

- Rinse and replace your storage case regularly as a dirty case is a major source of infection

- Don’t share or wear anybody else’s contact lenses

- Only wear contact lenses for the maximum time recommended and do not sleep in your lenses unless advised to do so by your practitioner

- Never wear your lenses for swimming (unless you use goggles), or when showering

- Have regular check-ups with your practitioner. Unless your optometrist tells you otherwise, you should have your contact lenses checked at least once a year as this will ensure that the lenses you are wearing are still suitable for your eyes

- Insert your lenses before applying make-up and remove your lenses before you take-off your make-up

-Avoid using hair spray whilst wearing your lenses

-Keep an up-to-date pair of glasses available for when you need to remove your lenses