Question CONTACT LENSES?

Question

okay so my mom brought me home "salene" solution, but it was the wrong kind. its the one for cuts (has a ton of salt in it), shes a nurse so i listened to her and used it for my contact lenses. i didnt know it was the wrong kind. anyways, i had them in earlier and they dried my eyes up so bad i had to take them out my eye was killing me i couldnt open it and it was hurting very badley. i took them out and all, 8 hours later that eye is still blood shot. now i dont know what to do. and i dont know what to put my contact lenses in. the eye drops contain salt and burn as well but for now is it safe to use water untill i can get eyedrops without salt and the correct salene solution?

if i use water, will my contacts be damaged?

Answer 1

if you use water, your contacts won't be damaged, but they won't be disinfected. and just give your eye time it'll get better

Answer 2

I'm unsure if they will be damaged, but you need to use a backup pair of glasses tomorrow if you have them and flush your eyes with eye drops. The saline irritated your eyes and they should have some time to recoup and heal. I would only use bottled and filtered water as regular tap water can make the bacteria flourish.

Answer 3

don't use water. I don't know if it actually can, but when i get water in them they seem like they get really dry

Answer 4

As a contact lens wearer, you really shouldn't put water in your eyes or on your lenses.  Unless it's sterile, which bottled water still isn't, water has bacteria in it that our stomach and skin can handle fine but our eyes cannot.  An infection with acanthamoeba or pseudomonas can be blinding.  These can bind to your contacts and grown in microscopic cracks in the surface.  

Honestly, if it's just short term (like overnight), you're better off putting your lenses in their case with no fluid at all.  They'll shrivel up and get hard.  Then when you get the proper solution, fill the case and let them soak overnight again and there's a very good chance they'll rehydrate and go back to the normal size and shape.  

Your eyes will feel better tomorrow.  But just to note, you should not be using ONLY a saline solution on your contacts anyway.  You need a multi-purpose solution, which is different in that it has ingredients to clean, lubricate and disinfect your lenses.  Saline is just sterile water.