While contact lenses provide a host of benefits over spectacles such as being relatively cheaper cost over corrective eye surgery, and providing the freedom to participate in certain sports, they can still be injurious if not handled with care.

Singaporeans on average replace their contact lenses every two to three years, but it is recommended that you should change them every six to 18 months, if you wear soft contact lenses.

Make sure you do not compromise your vision and the health of your eyes. Bausch + Lomb provides these useful reminders to keep your eyes in good shape:

1. Use a multipurpose solution that is gentle and provides long-lasting moisturising effects.

Our eyes produce protein and oil deposits that build up easily on the surface of contact lens. Without a proper cleansing procedure, these deposits become allergens. To prevent this, you can choose a multipurpose solution that is gentle and contains fewer chemical ingredients but also effectively disinfects the lenses.

2. Adopt correct lens cleansing habits
Other than choosing a gentle multipurpose solution, it is important to have a proper lens care regime. It takes less than 5 minutes to complete.

Step 1: Wash your hands for one minute
- Wash your hands with a fragrant free soap and dry them with a lint-free towel.

Step 2: Rub  for 20 seconds
- Place your lens in the centre of your palm. Rub both sides of the lenses carefully on the palm of  your hands for 20 seconds with a multipurpose solution. This step is essential, especially for those who have sensitive eyes, as rubbing the lens can effectively remove
deposits and allergens.

Step 3: Rinse for 10 seconds
- Rinse each side of the contact lens for 5 seconds with a multipurpose solution to remove any surface debris, rehydrate the lenses, as well as prepare them for disinfection.

Step 4: Soak for four hours
- Disinfect by placing your clean lenses in a lens case and fill it with a multipurpose solution. Soak for 4 hours. Remember not to use tap water.

3. Choose a suitable contact lens
Only certified optometrists are allowed to prescribe contact lenses. Choose cleaner and healthier contact lens material, such as non-ionic material, which reduces deposit uptake to provide better wearing comfort.

Contact lens do's and don'ts:
You can also maintain the health of your eyes by following these do's and don'ts to caring for your contact lenses.

- Visit a certified optometrist or optician for eye-check twice a year.

- Wash your lens case every week and change your lens case every month.

- If you're a required to wear contacts lens for long periods or you take short naps with your lenses on, it is recommended that you use contact lenses made by FDA, which has a higher oxygen permeability.

- If a foreign object enters your eyes, you should first remove your contact lens, then use saline of multipurpose solution to rinise your lenses. Do not rinse with tap water.

- Do not wear contact lens more than the recommended duration. Lack of oxygen to your eyes will cause an increase of red veins.

- Do not sleep with your contact lenses on. It causes water retention of your cornea, which will affect your eye sight.

- Do not wash or store your lenses with tap water.

- Do not mix your solution to avoid chemical reaction.