Healthy Contact Lens Wear

You only have one pair of eyes, so take care of them! Taking proper care of your contact lenses can help you see better and keep your eyes healthy.

When cared for properly, contact lenses can provide a safe and effective way to correct vision. More than 45 million Americans wear contact lenses. However, contact lenses can increase your chance of getting an eye infection—especially if you do not care for them the right way.

Healthy Habits = Healthy Eyes

You can enjoy the comfort and benefits of contact lenses while lowering your chance of an eye infection. Follow your eye doctor’s instructions for how to wear, clean, and store your lenses to lower the chance of getting germs in your eyes that could cause infections. Contact lens-related eye infections can lead to long-lasting damage to your eyesight. Even minor infections can be painful and disrupt day-to-day life. Your contact lens wear and care habits, supplies, and eye doctor are all essential to keeping your eyes healthy.

What You Can Do

If you wear contact lenses, take simple steps to protect your eyes.

1. Don’t wear contact lenses while sleeping unless directed to do so by your eye doctor.

• Studies have shown that wearing contact lenses while sleeping increases the chance of an eye infection by 6 to 8 times.

2. Replace your contact lens case regularly.

• Contact lens cases can be contaminated with microscopic germs that can cause infections when they come into contact with the eye.

3. Don’t swim or shower while wearing contact lenses.

• Contact lenses can carry germs from the water into the eye.

Visit CDC’s Healthy Contact Lens website to learn more tips and recommendations you can follow to protect your eyes.

What CDC Is Doing

CDC works to increase awareness of behaviors and risk factors that can affect the eye health of people who wear contact lens. As part of that work, CDC provides clear and consistent recommendations about properly wearing, caring, and maintaining your contact lens.

Real Stories

CDC is sharing the stories of three people with serious eye infections related to contact lenses. These new videos show why it is important to properly wear and care for contact lenses. Watch the stories of Whitney, Te’, and Ryan to learn how their eye infections affected their lives, and how they have changed the way they wear and care for their contact lenses.

Contact Lens Health Week

August 21-25, 2017, marks the fourth annual Contact Lens Health Week. CDC organized Contact Lens Health Week as a strategy to increase public awareness and encourage contact lens wearers to adopt healthy habits that can reduce their chances of getting an eye infection.

A number of tools and materials are available to help promote Contact Lens Health Week and healthy contact lens wear and care throughout the year.