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Core Insights:
- Scleral lenses require strict hygiene because they fully cover the cornea and can trap harmful bacteria against the eye.
- Tap water contains dangerous microorganisms and must never be used to rinse, clean, or store contact lenses.
- Hydrogen peroxide solution requires a 4- to 6-hour soak to neutralize and disinfect the lenses before safe reinsertion.
- Gently rubbing the lenses with fresh solution is necessary to remove stubborn oil and protein deposits.
- Scleral lenses treat severe dry eye, keratoconus, and corneal scarring by vaulting a moisture reservoir over irregularities.
Scleral lenses are one of the most advanced types of contact lenses available today. They help patients with conditions like keratoconus, severe dry eye, corneal scarring, and other complex eye conditions achieve clearer, more comfortable vision when traditional contact lenses aren't enough.
Because scleral lenses rest on the white part of the eye and hold a reservoir of preservative-free saline over the cornea, proper cleaning and daily care are essential. A simple routine helps keep your lenses comfortable, protects your eye health, and allows your lenses to last as long as possible.
Here are our top tips for caring for your scleral lenses.
Your Daily Scleral Lens Care Routine in 6 Simple Steps
Scleral lens care may seem overwhelming at first. Yet, you can boil it down to simple steps that prevent infections that can cause permanent damage. Good lens hygiene is one of the most important parts of wearing scleral lenses safely. After a full day of wear, use the following steps to make sure you’ve correctly cleaned and disinfected your lenses:
1. Always Wash Your Hands First
Your hands are the first thing that comes into contact with your lenses, so keeping them clean is one of the easiest ways to prevent irritation and infection. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, rinse away any residue, and dry them with a clean, lint-free towel before handling your lenses.
2. Clean Your Lenses With the Right Solution
Once you've removed your lenses, clean them using the solution recommended by your eye doctor. This removes proteins, oils, and debris that naturally build up throughout the day.
Never use tap water, distilled water, or homemade saline to clean or store your lenses. Even clear-looking water can contain microorganisms that may cause serious eye infections.
3. Fill the Lens Case
Fill your clean, disinfected lens case with fresh cleaning solution recommended by your eye doctor. If you're using a hydrogen peroxide cleaning system, allow the lenses to soak in the special case for the full neutralization time (usually 4–6 hours) before wearing them again.
4. Rub the Lenses
After the lenses have soaked, remove them from the case with clean hands and gently rub them between your thumb and forefinger. Gently rubbing the lenses helps remove oils, proteins, and other deposits that may still be on the surface. You can then rinse the lenses again with fresh saline. Never use soap to clean contact lenses, as the ingredients in most soaps are incompatible with scleral lenses and may harm your eyes.
5. Fill and Insert the Lenses
Now that the lenses have been cleaned and properly disinfected, you can fill the fluid reservoir with the solution provided by your doctor and insert them as instructed. Insertion and removal may take some practice to master. Your eye care specialist will walk you through every step before you leave your appointment. There are also tools, like miniature plungers, that can make inserting and removing your lenses easier.
6. Clean the Lens Case
You must also clean the lens case. First, rinse it with saline solution and wash it thoroughly with the recommended cleanser. After cleaning, allow the case to air dry upside down with the caps off before storing your lenses. Replace your lens case monthly to help reduce the risk of contamination.
What Conditions Can Scleral Lenses Help to Treat?
Scleral lenses do much more than correct vision. They can also help protect the surface of the eye and improve comfort for patients with a variety of complex eye conditions. At Weston Contact Lens Institute, we use scleral lenses in various ways because they are exceptionally versatile. Some of the conditions that we treat with scleral lenses include:
- Keratoconus is a condition that causes the cornea to thin and bulge, distorting vision. Scleral lenses vault over the irregular cornea to create a smooth optical surface, improving both vision and comfort.
- Corneal irregularities resulting from corneal dystrophies, scarring, surgeries like LASIK, and trauma can cause vision problems. Scleral lenses provide a smooth, stable corneal surface and crucial protection for injured eyes.
- Dry eye syndrome is a condition in which the patient doesn’t produce enough tears or the tears produced are of poor quality. The fluid reservoir beneath the scleral lens continuously bathes the surface of the eye in preservative-free saline, helping keep the eyes comfortable, hydrated, and protected throughout the day.High prescriptions can be difficult for people whose vision cannot be adequately corrected by traditional glasses or soft contact lenses. Scleral lenses can be customized to suit each patient’s specific needs and, thanks to their stability, effectively correct vision for patients with challenging eyes.
Find Out if Scleral Lenses Are Right for You With Weston Contact Lens Institute
Whether you're new to scleral lenses or looking for a more comfortable solution for conditions like keratoconus, severe dry eye, or corneal scarring, our team can help. At Weston Contact Lens Institute, we specialize in custom scleral lens fittings and will determine whether they're the right option for your eyes, lifestyle, and vision goals.
Schedule a consultation with Weston Contact Lens Institute to learn how scleral lenses can help you achieve clearer, more comfortable vision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you overwear scleral lenses?
Most patients can comfortably wear scleral lenses throughout the day, but the ideal wear time varies depending on your eyes and your doctor's recommendations. If your lenses become uncomfortable, blurry, or dry, remove them and follow your doctor's instructions.
Why does vision get blurry after wearing scleral lenses for a few hours?
This happens due to midday fogging, which occurs when mucus and lipids from your tears get trapped inside the saline reservoir underneath the lens.
Can you sleep in scleral lenses?
No. Unless specifically instructed by your eye doctor, you should never sleep in scleral lenses because doing so significantly increases the risk of serious eye infections and other complications.
How often do you need to completely replace scleral lenses?
With proper daily cleaning and storage, a single pair of scleral lenses typically lasts between one and three years before structural wear requires a replacement.
