The recent rash of solution recalls have confused many patients about the proper care of their lenses. To help ease this confusion I created this section to demonstrate the proper care with various solutions.
All solution regimens clean and disinfect lenses when they are not being worn. Although most multipurpose solutions increase the convenience of wearing contact lenses they also increase the likelihood of eye irritation. A solution that cleans a lens of mucus and oils will tend to clear the eye of mucus and oils. This often leads to lens drying and blurred vision. If you use a multipurpose solution for soft or rigid contact lenses, you should expect to compromise comfort and vision for convenience. A system that uses a separate cleaning solution, soaking and rinsing with tend to cause the least irritation providing you with cleaner lenses.
ClearCare by CIBA Vision uses hydrogen peroxide to disinfect lenses. The solution reacts with a metal catalyst in the case producing cleaning and disinfection with minimal chemicals. Similar to a product called AOSept it is one of the best systems for caring for soft contact lenses because it causes fewer irritations while keeping lenses cleaner for a longer period of use. Ultracare by AMO also uses hydrogen peroxide but uses a time-released tablet to neutralize the hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide systems can be inconvenient because they require a minimum 6-hour soak to neutralize the hydrogen peroxide. This can place a damper on lens wear if you have a late night followed by an early wake-up.
Multipurpose solutions for soft lenses include: Optifree by Alcon, Renu Multipurpose Solution by Bausch & Lomb, Complete Multipurpose Solution by AMO in a new easy rub formulation and Aquify by CIBA Vision. As mentioned earlier on this page multipurpose solutions provide greater convenience but can lead to greater irritation especially if lenses are replaced less frequently. Although some of these solutions may be "No-Rub," rubbing the lenses with solution in the palm of your hand always cleans your lenses better. If you replace your lenses every two weeks or less, using a multipurpose solution may be fine. If you do experience irritation or repeated lens fogging, switch to a hydrogen peroxide system.
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