Hand sanitizers and plastic gloves with contacts?!
Question: Hand sanitizers and plastic gloves with contacts!?
I'm going on two school camps over the next two weeks for my Duke of Edinburgh's Award and I wear contacts!.
I was wondering if using hand sanitizers would be clean enough to handle contacts or to wear disposable gloves!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
I was wondering if using hand sanitizers would be clean enough to handle contacts or to wear disposable gloves!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I'll start off by saying, I'm an optometry student who has worn contacts for eight years or so!. I also just got back a couple months ago from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, which involves camping and a lot of less-than-sterile conditions, and I wore my contacts the whole time!.
I'd shy away from disposable gloves, although I can't put my finger on a specific reason for it!. A lot of them contain dust or chemicals, either visibly or not, and this stuff can be irritating to the eyes!. Plus, you've got to have a way of bringing along several pairs and keeping them sterile!.
Hand sanitizers, as mentioned, just kill off bacteria, but don't prevent anything else (like chunks of dirt) from getting either in your eye or in your lens case during storage!. That being said, if you take a good look at your hands before touching your eye or your lenses, you can be reasonably sure that you aren't getting any large chunks of anything in there; anything so small you can't see it is probably going to get washed off with your blinking!. If your hands are really dirty (a lot more brown than they usually are!) then you're going to have to wash them (or rinse them at least) with water and scrub a bit!. Make sure you've got at least a couple fingertips that are clear of debris!. Then disinfect with that alcoholy stuff, let your hands air-dry (important, or you'll dry out your eyes and lenses!), then do what you need to!.
What did I do on Kilimanjaro for a week!? Well, I slept in them -- I wear one of the brands of lenses that's approved for overnight wear, and since I'm in the field and know the signs of problems (and what to do -- "if in doubt, take it out!") I felt comfortable enough doing so!. I wouldn't recommend doing this in general, especially if you've never been told this is a possibility for the type of lenses you wear, and if you've never done it before!.
Regardless of what you end up doing, make sure you bring some artificial tear eyedrops (aka lubricating drops or rewetting drops) because you're bound to get sand or dust or something in your eye at some point in the trip, and glasses as a backup just in case!Www@Answer-Health@Com
I'd shy away from disposable gloves, although I can't put my finger on a specific reason for it!. A lot of them contain dust or chemicals, either visibly or not, and this stuff can be irritating to the eyes!. Plus, you've got to have a way of bringing along several pairs and keeping them sterile!.
Hand sanitizers, as mentioned, just kill off bacteria, but don't prevent anything else (like chunks of dirt) from getting either in your eye or in your lens case during storage!. That being said, if you take a good look at your hands before touching your eye or your lenses, you can be reasonably sure that you aren't getting any large chunks of anything in there; anything so small you can't see it is probably going to get washed off with your blinking!. If your hands are really dirty (a lot more brown than they usually are!) then you're going to have to wash them (or rinse them at least) with water and scrub a bit!. Make sure you've got at least a couple fingertips that are clear of debris!. Then disinfect with that alcoholy stuff, let your hands air-dry (important, or you'll dry out your eyes and lenses!), then do what you need to!.
What did I do on Kilimanjaro for a week!? Well, I slept in them -- I wear one of the brands of lenses that's approved for overnight wear, and since I'm in the field and know the signs of problems (and what to do -- "if in doubt, take it out!") I felt comfortable enough doing so!. I wouldn't recommend doing this in general, especially if you've never been told this is a possibility for the type of lenses you wear, and if you've never done it before!.
Regardless of what you end up doing, make sure you bring some artificial tear eyedrops (aka lubricating drops or rewetting drops) because you're bound to get sand or dust or something in your eye at some point in the trip, and glasses as a backup just in case!Www@Answer-Health@Com
No!. Hand sanitizer is alcohol based and does not get rid of debris!. You could get something on your lens while putting them in or removing them, which could lead to a nasty infection or damage to the eye!.
Wearing gloves is also not a good idea, as they can stick to the lenses and cause them to tear, plus it is hard to keep them sanitary when camping in the woods!.
Your best bet is to wear glasses if you have them, or make sure you'll be able to wash your hands before inserting and removing your lenses!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Wearing gloves is also not a good idea, as they can stick to the lenses and cause them to tear, plus it is hard to keep them sanitary when camping in the woods!.
Your best bet is to wear glasses if you have them, or make sure you'll be able to wash your hands before inserting and removing your lenses!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I don't think either would be recommended!. Definitely not hand sanitizer, it has chemicals, and such, in it that can be deposited on to your contacts!. As far as the gloves, I would check with your eye doctor and see if you can use them!. Some latex gloves come with baby powder on them!. The good ole hand washing is the best!Www@Answer-Health@Com