Self-care is Maintaining My Two Pairs of Eyes

Usually when you hear the word self-care  images of someone meditating,  eating a healthy meal or getting rest may come to mind. Those images are accurate yet not complete. Self-care is also caring for your eyes. This essential part of the body   can easily be taken for granted  or neglected especially if they no longer work .

Self-care is Getting Regular Eye Exams 

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I have been blind for many years. Logic would say  there is little to no need for me to see an eye doctor anymore. After all what are they going to do? How would they help me  when my vision is totally gone? Yes, that is easy to think  but I don’t agree. Because of the specific way I loss my vision.

I still make routine  eye appointments about every 2 years. The eye doctor checks for any new flare ups of my eye disease. That it has remained  quiet  and there is no additional damage. This is important for my eye health. After all I have both of my eyeballs  and even though they don’t work anymore I still want them around.

Self-care is Preserving Ocular Lenses

Self-care is also preserving my ocular lenses.  These lightweight pieces of plastic  are also called artificial eyes, prosthetics or overlays. I’ve  been wearing them for about 10 years. I made this decision because I wanted my face to have a more natural look and I wanted to feel better about my appearance.  My decision had nothing really to do with any medical eye problems. It was strictly cosmetic.

I got instructions from my ocularist on how to properly clean, wear and maintain my lenses.  These guidelines were important to follow not only so that my lenses could last but to keep my natural eyes safe and free from damage or complications.

Since my ocular lenses were custom designed to fit my eyeballs, I wear them all the time. Only removing them for proper cleaning. I was advised the less handling of the prosthesis the better.

Steps to Cleaning Lenses

I clean my ocular lenses once a week. However, it can vary depending on the amounts of tear, mucus and protein deposits and debris. Cleaning and caring for my lenses will not only keep them looking natural but increase their longevity.

First I wash my hands thoroughly then remove the lenses with my fingers. Next, I softly wash them with warm water and baby shampoo. I don’t clean the lenses with any solvents, hand sanitizer or alcohol because these chemicals may damage the lenses, my eyes and eye sockets.

I gently rub  and rinse the lenses thoroughly. Then dry with a soft towel.  Before inserting, I    clean my eye lashes  and area around my eyeballs. The last step is to give my lenses a light coat of moisturizing  or lubricating eyedrops. This step is important to conserve the health of my eyeballs  because dry eyes are more common among women. So, keeping them lubricated  on a regular basis  sustains good healthy eyes.

Polishing and Replacing Lenses

Even with proper cleaning, over time heavy surface deposits formed by tears, protein and mucus, can present a dull film. This dull film can cause irritation and is a sign it is time for polishing. I get my ocular lenses polished about once a year. During this appointment my ocularist polishes the lenses, checks for adjustments and answers my questions about continuing care and maintenance.

Although, I properly care and maintain my lenses they don’t last forever. I had them replaced a couple of times  because my natural eyeball had shrank causing the lens to no longer fit snuggly. Also, the natural plastic deterioration and pigmentation prompted replacement.

September is National Self-care Awareness Month. In what ways can you  use this time to care for your eyes? Have you scheduled  an eye doctor appointment for a routine checkup? If you wear  ocular lenses  are you maintaining them properly? For those wearing glasses, are you keeping them clean and well-maintained?