Contact lenses are used by approximately 50 million Americans. They correct their vision and allow them to be more active. Adults and teens sometimes have trouble remembering to take good care of their eyes.

“People who love their contacts often have the best intentions to follow instructions from eye- care professionals. With so much else happening in their lives, it is possible to forget at times. That’s human nature,”Dr. Rick Weisbarth (optometrist, chairperson, Washington, D.C.’s Contact Lens Institute) said this.

These behaviors match the results of recent YouGov research involving 705 adults in America. The research shows that although three out of four people will read instructions for a new product, problems can arise if the instructions are not clear, unclear, or misplaced, and users have to be in a hurry. Another shocking finding is that 58 percent of respondents admitted to trying to figure out how to use a product through trial-and-error.

These insights led to The EASY Way by the Contact Lens Institute (Eyes, Awareness, Safety and You), which was created to simplify and simplify often confusing contact lens care and wear. The program’s core consists of three simple steps that anyone should remember for comfortable and healthy contact lens wear.

1. Keep Your Hands Clean. Before touching your eyes, wash and dry your hands. You should always disinfect your reusable lenses after every use. Keep your lenses and case out of reach from water. Water can be harmful to microorganisms.

2. Remember that Fresher is Always Better. You can wear your contacts as long as your eye-care professional recommends, but you should replace them on a regular basis with new lenses. Wear disposable lenses only once per day. Always use a new solution to disinfect and store your contacts. You should replace your case every three months.

3. Trust your eye doctor. Pay attention to your eye doctor, who has undergone specialized training. Contact their office if you have any questions. They care about your vision and health.

Contact lens wearers can find more information at EASYwayprogram.org/MyEyes/

“Taking care of your contacts doesn’t have to be hard; it can be easy. That’s why thousands of optometrists and ophthalmologists across the U.S. and Canada will be sharing The EASY Way with patients in the coming months,” says Dr. Weisbarth.

The Contact Lens Institute’s members include Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision.

Full-size image available here.