Contact Lens Wearers Urged not to Cut Corners on Contact Lens Care during Recession
Both the General Optical Council (GOC) and the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) issued a notice, 18 May 2009, that urges contact lens wearers to not endanger their eye health during the recession by not following good contact lens practices. There are over 35 million contact lens wearers today looking for ways to make it through the current global recession. At Lens-Saver.com we understand this and work hard to find you the best possible deals on your Contact Lenses. Lens-Saver.com helps you uncover the hidden handling fee’s, find the best coupon deals, possible rebates, volume discounts available, and looks into shipping costs. Browse our Popular Contact Lens section to find the best deals on your contact lenses. Also check out our Contact Lens Best Price page for great deals on contact lenses.
Professor Roger Buckley, clinical adviser to the GOC, commented: ‘In the current economic climate, it’s understandable that contact lens wearers are looking to save money. But without a proper fitting, patients could be putting not only their comfort but also the health of their eyes at risk. It’s essential that patients follow the advice of their eyecare practitioner when it comes to contact lens care.’
This warning to follow good contact lens practices followed a poll by YouGov showing the following:
- Almost 25% of the contact lens wearers polled where looking to make a switch from their current contact lenses to a cheaper alternative
- Over 10% of the contact lens wearers polled would consider having less frequent check-ups
- 20% of the contact lens wearers polled would consider wearing the lenses for longer than recommended (for example using monthly lenses for more than a month to cut costs)
By law all contact lens wearers can only be given contact lenses following a fitting by a registered medical or eye care practitioner. However recent reports have shown that many people switching to a cheaper contact lens have not got them properly fitted. If your contact lens has not been properly fitted you can experience a large number of side-effects including blurred vision and discomfort all the way to inflamed red eyes.
Some additional examples of poor contact lens practices include:
- Wearing a torn or damaged contact lens instead of replacing it.
- Using less contact lens solution to save money.
- Switching to a cheaper contact lens solution without seeing if it is compatible with your eyes or with your contact lenses.
- Avoiding the need to buy contact lens cleaning solutions by sleeping in your contact lenses even if they are not suitable for overnight wear.