New to Contact Lenses?

Let Beach Eye Care teach you how to wear your lenses with ease.

Think you’re ready to try contact lenses, but you’re feeling hesitant? Beach Eye Care is not just a doctor’s office—it’s also a teaching facility. Learn everything you need to know about types of different types of contact lenses, placement, removal and maintenance here.

Contact Lens Maintenance

Your contact lenses require proper care for successful wear and to maintain healthy eyes. It is recommended that you remove your contact lenses each night at least 1 hour before going to bed. It is important that you replace lenses as advised, EVEN IF THEY FEEL OKAY. Your contact lenses should feel just as comfortable at the end of the cycle as they do at the beginning of the cycle.

Important Notes:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, rinse very thoroughly, and dry with a lint-free towel before touching your lenses.
• Handle your lenses with clean fingertips. Avoid lens contact with fingernails.
• Always keep your contact lens case and solution with you.
• Absolutely never use tap water, saliva or a hard lens solution on soft contact lenses.
• If you lose a lens and then find it after it has “dried up” and it is brittle, DO NOT re-hydrate the lens. It will be warped and can scratch your eye.
• The doctors at Beach Eye Care recommend that you never swim or shower in your contact lenses.
• If eyes become red, irritated, painful or if you have any discharge or reduced vision: REMOVE CONTACT LENSES IMMEDIATELY, AND CONTACT THE OFFICE AT: 757-425-5550. PLEASE DO NOT REINSERT CONTACT LENSES UNTIL SEEN BY ONE OF OUR DOCTORS.

Placing & Removing your Contact Lenses

Contact Lens Solutions

Depending on the types of contact lenses you use, our doctors recommend different solutions. The doctors DO NOT recommend using a generic solution as you can never be sure of the additives or changes made to the product. You should always be using products made and sold by the same company that provides your contact lenses. Beach Eye Care recommends the following solutions for caring for your eyes:

CLEAR CARE^® Solution

Our Doctor’s recommend this cleaner for any monthly wearer’s. It disinfects and breaks down build up the best giving the lens ability to provide the most oxygen to the cornea.

Blink RevitaLens® Multi-Purpose Disinfecting Solution(MPDS)

This solution delivers all day comfort and effective protection against harmful germs and bacteria that can develop during contact lens wear.

Biotrue Multi-Purpose Solution

This solution combines a dual disinfection system and pH equal to healthy tears and protein management to provide exceptional disinfection.

Opti-Free Pure Moist All Day Comfort Solution

This solution surrounds your lenses in a cushion of 
moisture, provides all-day comfort 
and creates a barrier that reduces 
deposits and debris.

Contact Lens FAQs

Are contacts right for me?

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There are a number of factors affecting your ability to wear contact lenses safely with minimal risk of infection or allergies.

Your eyes’ general health will be evaluated for:

• tear production
• eye shape
• blinking, eyelids
• specific prescription

Your general health and other factors will be assessed:

• current medications
• motivation to wear contacts
• work environment
• past history with contacts
• ability to properly care for your contacts

This complete evaluation enables us to select the appropriate contact lenses for you. Our doctors recommend an annual evaluation of your eye health to monitor for allergies, infections, dry eyes and other medical eye problems.

Contact lens fittings can be performed on the day of your initial complete eye exam by informing the receptionist of your desire when scheduling your appointment.

I can’t open my eye wide enough.

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We promise, you can! Use your thumb and index finger to gently pull the eyelids apart. Our contact lens assistants will teach you the easiest techniques to succeed.

My eyes are too small.

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They aren’t too small for contacts. Hold the top lid up and rest the edge of the lens inside the lower lid with the lens slanting out. If you look down, the lens usually moves right onto the eye.

What if I put the lens in the wrong place?

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You can’t put it in the wrong place. The lens won’t fit right unless it’s centered, but it has a natural tendency to move to the center of your eye. We can show you how to move it into position if you do get the lens off of your cornea.

Can the contact lens slide to the back of my eyeball?

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Don’t worry, this is completely impossible!

The lens won’t stick in place.

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When you’re putting in your contacts, the lens will want to adhere to the wettest surface, and your finger may be wetter than your eye. Dry your finger, and let your lens air-dry for a few seconds before insertion.

I think I put my lens on inside out.

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One benefit of gas permeable lenses is that they can’t flip inside-out. With soft contacts, if the edge is flared out, it’s probably inside-out. Some soft lenses have little marks to help you know if they’re inside out.

How do I get the lens out? Isn’t it stuck to my eye?

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If you’re wearing a GP contact lens, just pull your eyelid taut to the side and blink. It should pop right out. If you wear soft lenses, use a few drops of re-wetting or solution to keep the lens wet. Look up, touch the lens, and let it slide down and over to the outside corner of the eye. The lens will bunch up without pinching, so it’s easy to fold and take out.

Will touching the lenses lead to problems with my eye?

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No. As long as you wash your hands and handle your contact lenses as directed, you should not have any trouble.

Can anyone wear contact lenses?

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With all of the advances in technology in eye care almost, everyone can wear contact lenses. Today there are astigmatism-correcting, bifocal, daily disposable and extended wear lenses available.

Are contact lenses good for my eyes? Can they cause damage to the cornea?

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Over the years contacts have proven to be a healthy vision correction option, however it is important that you maintain regularly scheduled eye exams so that your prescription stay up to date and so that we can make sure you maintain a healthy cornea. Also, it is extremely important to follow all of the steps in the care, cleaning, insertion and removal of your contacts.

How old do you have to be to wear contact lenses?

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There is no set age at which contact lens wear can begin. With proper vision correction need identified, contact lens wear is a viable option as early as 10 years of age.

Is it okay to wear contacts while playing sports?

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Actually, sports vision care doctors support the use of contact lenses for athletes, due to contact lenses’ ability to enhance depth perception, peripheral vision and eye-hand coordination. They’re also comfortable and stay in place moreso than glasses. They are also easily worn beneath protective eyewear.

Can I wear contacts if I have astigmatism?

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Yes. There are several lenses available for those with astigmatism. There are both gas permeable and soft contact lens options. We encourage you to schedule a consultation or eye exam with Beach Eye Care to discuss the different treatment options for astigmatism.

Aren’t soft contacts better than gas permeable lenses (GP)?

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Not necessarily. Only through consultation with your optometrist, will you be able to determine the best lens for you. While soft contacts are a perfect option for many, there are eye conditions in which gas permeable lenses are the preferred option. Overall advances in contacts give wearers sharper vision, better corneal health and more ease in caring for lenses than in the past.

Can I get the contacts that will change my eye color?

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There are color altering contacts available, even if you don’t have a vision correction need. They are, however, still a prescribed medical device that must be fitted for by an eye care professional, and as such should never be shared with anyone. Sharing contact lenses can cause dangerous health problems.

Can I see an optometrist to get contacts or do I need to see an ophthalmologist?

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Either choice is appropriate. An Optometrist (Doctors of Optometry, or O.D.s) performs eye exams, prescribes vision corrections, treats eye disease, fits contacts and dispenses eyeglasses. Ophthalmologists are medical doctors (M.D.s) who specialize in eye conditions and concentrate on eye surgery and treatment of disease. Beach Eye Care’s staff includes Drs. Neatrour and Jain, both board certified ophthalmologists; Drs. Lipton and Tang, board certified optometrists, who perform our contact lens care.

Are contact lenses expensive?

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The cost of your lenses depends on the nature of your vision correction problem as well as the type of contact lens most appropriate for you. The range of costs vary greatly from fairly high-cost daily disposables to GP contacts though higher in initial cost, may actually last longer and yield the greatest value. We can explain in detail the difference in lenses and pricing and together determine what is best for you.

Can I sleep in contact lenses?

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Whether you can sleep in them depends on the type of lens you wear, your tear production, eye health, as well as other factors. GP contact lenses and certain soft lenses can be slept in, but again, Beach Eye Care can instruct you in all of the proper wear and care procedures when you are fitted for your lenses.

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Out of contacts? Need to make an appointment?

Text Beach Eye Care! Our primary phone number 757-425-5550 can also be used for texting. It’s an easy way for you to make an appointment on the fly or even reorder your contact lenses.

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