From your visit
Contact lens safety: the habits that prevent infections
Reviewed October 2026 · Dr. Sam Khoury, Optometrist
This page is for contact lens wearers examined in this office.
A red, painful eye while wearing contact lenses is an emergency. Take the lens out immediately and do not put it back in. Call us the same day, even if the discomfort or redness is mild and only in one eye. Please bring the lens and the case with you to your appointment. If the office is closed, or you cannot reach us, go to a hospital emergency room — most have an ophthalmologist on call. (609) 246-0236
Serious contact lens infections are uncommon, and most of them come from how lenses are worn rather than from the lenses themselves. A handful of habits account for most of the risk.
Do not sleep in your lenses
Sleeping in contact lenses is the single biggest risk factor for a serious infection of the cornea (the clear front of the eye). The risk is several times higher than for people who remove them at night — and yes, naps count. If your lenses were specifically prescribed for overnight wear, strictly follow the wearing and replacement schedule you were given.
Keep water away from your lenses
Tap water, showers, pools, hot tubs and lakes can carry Acanthamoeba, an organism that causes a rare but very serious eye infection. Never rinse lenses or the case with water, and take lenses out before showering or swimming.
Look after the case
- Fresh solution every time. Never top up old solution.
- Rub and rinse the case with solution, never water, then leave it open and upside down to air-dry.
- Replace your contact lens case every three months. Cases build up bacteria over time, even with good cleaning.
Replace lenses on schedule
Daily lenses are worn once and thrown away. Two-week and monthly lenses are replaced on the date they are due, even if they still feel fine. Stretching the schedule saves little and adds risk.
Keep a current pair of glasses. When an eye is red or irritated, the lens has to come out, and you need something to see with.
Your next visit
Keep the interval set at your exam. If you do not have a date yet, call to book it.
Khoury Eye Care, Hamilton Mall, 4403 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing. Contact lens prescriptions need renewing every year, and the exam also checks the cornea for early problems you cannot feel.
Sources
The figures and recommendations on this page come from the following. Ask at your visit if you would like a copy of any of them.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthy contact lens wear and care. cdc.gov/contact-lenses.
- Stapleton F, Keay L, Edwards K, et al. The incidence of contact lens-related microbial keratitis in Australia. Ophthalmology. 2008;115(10):1655-1662.