This time we will talk about whether eye drops can be used with contact lenses.
The confirmation order of whether eye drops can be used with contact lenses are as follows.
- ① Doctor’s instructions
Check the doctor’s instructions first. If there are any instructions, such as eye drops that can be used with contact lenses, please follow the instructions. Doctors judge whether eye drops can be used with contact lenses according to the patients’ eye condition and compliance※. - ②Type of contact lenses
If there is no doctor’s instruction, in principle, whether it is hard contact lenses (including oxygen permeable contact lenses) or soft contact lenses, it is recommended to use eye drops after taking off the lenses and reinstall them at least 5-10 minutes apart. In addition, if there is no disease on the surface of the eye and contact lenses can be worn, water-based eye drops can be used with hard contact lenses (including oxygen permeable contact lenses), and it is recommended to use them without soft contact lenses (with exceptions).
※For the treatment methods, patients should fully understand and agree the eye drop types and taking methods.
Whether eye drops can be used with contact lenses is not a general point. It is necessary to consider the state of disease and compliance. At present, because there is no test standard to judge whether eye drops can be used with contact lenses, ophthalmologists, pharmaceutical companies and contact lens companies have different opinions.
Why pay attention to the use of eye drops with contact lenses?
When using eye drops with contact lenses, we must consider the influence and side effects of additives such as main drug components and preservatives in eye drops on contact lenses. In soft contact lenses, these components are thought to be stuck in the lenses, so they may have greater influence and side effects on the lenses. Especially for the preservatives, if the concentration gets higher, it may cause changes in physical properties (deformation, coloring, etc.) of the lens itself and damage to the corneal conjunctival epithelium.
It is recommended to pay full attention to the use of eye drops when wearing contact lenses.
Since ICL is inserted into the eye, there is no worry for patients about this problem. Patients who feel troublesome dealing with contact lenses may consider ICL surgery.
If you are interested in ICL surgery, please feel free to make an appointment for the initial eye examination or the free briefing.