April 21 - 2016 | This is a great question from a patient this week "When you say monthly pairs. do they expire? Or is there a recommended number of uses? I don't intend on wearing them that often." I thought the answer would be useful for all... When sealed in their sterile, blister packaging contact lenses have a long shelf life. This date will be stamped on the foil and is usually one-to-two years from date of purchase. However, once a lens is opened the rules change and how long it will last depends greatly on how the lens is stored and worn. For part time wearers, I always recommend a multi-purpose solution like Opti-free or Biotrue. These solutions will keep lenses clean and sterile (when fresh and used properly) for up to three weeks in the case. So good rules-of-thumb for part time wearers using lenses infrequently [1] use a multi-purpose solution (not clear-care) and [2] If it has been more than two weeks since last wear... re-clean the lenses with fresh solution before wear (min four hours soak). Note - Probably the best option for the occasional wearer is single use contact lenses such as MOIST or Trueye. For the second part of the question... how many uses? A monthly product is approved for ~30 uses. Those uses could be over two or three or more months but do not wear lenses more than their FDA/Health Canada approved wear schedule or you risk contact lens complications. Tracking is always a challenge - so - if in doubt, throw it out! Dr.j Studioeyecare.com
