Would it be okay to use purified water for my contacts for the night?

Question

I forgot my solution at home and i'm quite a ways away. Was wondering if i can use purified water for just one night, then soak my contacts in solution when i get home.

-Thanks

Answer 1

Yeah, use distilled water, and make sure whatever you put them in (bowl or what not) is covered, to make sure no dust particles get in there!

Answer 2

Yeah, using purified water is the only way to keep your contacts from drying out temporary, but be sure that you are not wearing it again the next day without disinfection using the solution. Doing so may cause severe infection as the purified water is still not considered as sterile due to possible presence of microbes.

Answer 3

How are you planning on purifying the water? I don't think its such a good idea you can never know if it is completely purified and believe me acanthamoeba's(little one cell organisms that live in water) loves eating corneas. If you can get solution within a day you can sleep with the lenses for one night it shouldn't give you too much trouble, just take it out as soon as possible and don't wear it for a few days.

A good idea if you go camping or on short trips is to use disposable one day lenses or extended wear (put in leave for a week take out and clean put in for another week and throw away after a month) lense but with both mentioned option you might have the need to take it out and rinse so try not to forget the solution. You do get it in handy little travel bottles.

Answer 4

this is almost identical to another question that was asked previously, i will re-post my answer from that thread:

"while of course filtered water is cleaner than unpurified water there could still be microbial pathogens in the water that you may be unaware of. additionally, even pure water does not match the correct composition of a contact lens solution which has been formulated to be compatible with your eyes while at the same time cleaning and disinfecting your lenses. the contact lens solution also creates a stable storage environment for the lens and storing it in pure water may damage the lens and also it will feel rather uncomfortable upon re-insertion to your eye.

stop by your local pharmacy as soon as possible to pick up a new bottle of multi-purpose contact lens solution. a couple dollars is much worth the hassle instead of endangering the health of your eye. if you're not sure which type to get (there are a lot of brands and it can be confusing), definitely ask the pharmacist for assistance.

for a little more information, there are some do's and dont's related to contact lens care listed here on the American Optometric Association's website http://www.aoa.org/x5235.xml "

just please remember, you only have one pair of eyes, take care of them.  are wearing your contact lenses under inadequate conditions for a couple days really worth compromising the health of your eyes?