Can I use a dried-out contact lens?
JUL 02, 2014
Question:
One of my 30-day lenses fell on the counter and dried out for about an hour. Can I still use this after putting it back in solution in the case?
Answer:
I am sure somebody, somewhere has done this and gotten away with it, but I certainly would not even think about it for my eyes. The lens will certainly have been in contact with environmental germs. No one knows which germs and whether they could be harmful to the eye. The cleaning solution is a cleaning solution, not a sterilizing solution and does not kill all germs. Additionally, the structure of the lens may have been compromised — edges torn, curvature changed, and have rips in the central zone of the lens.