By Dr. Giovanna Olivares, OD, FAAO; Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Director & Staff Writer
Even though contact lenses are sealed up and sterile when originally packaged, you should NOT wear contacts past their expiration date. We’ll cover why in the rest of this blog.
The problem isn’t so much the contact lenses—which are typically made from a hydrogel polymer or a silicone hydrogel—but instead the saline solution they’re packaged in, as well as the seal of the package. You can find the manufacturer’s expiration date for the contact lenses on the original packaging (usually a box) as well the individual contact lens packaging. It’s usually one to four years from the day they’re made. Beyond that date, the quality of the saline can degrade over time, and/or become contaminated if the seal of the package is compromised, allowing bacteria and other organisms inside.
There’s only one thing to do with expired lenses: Throw them out. Bummer, right? It’s never fun when things go to waste, but it’s for your own safety. To avoid running into this issue, be sure to wear your contacts from oldest to newest.
About 45 million people in the U.S. wear contacts, and they’re quite safe—when cared for properly. It’s often when people don’t follow the care instructions their eye doctor provides that the risk of serious eye infections rises. People who choose to wear expired contacts run the risk of experiencing a variety of issues, including:
When you hear the words “medical device” you might imagine a pacemaker or hip implant. But contact lenses are considered medical devices too, and because of that, a prescription is required to wear them (even costume or colored contacts!). Thing is, a contact lens prescription generally expires on a yearly basis, so even if your contact lenses haven’t expired yet, your prescription may have. Your eye health can change over the course of the year, and so can your prescription, so it’s recommended that you visit your eye doctor every year.
It may be tempting to take the risk and wear expired lenses, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Depending on its severity, an eye infection can become a serious matter, leading to corneal scarring and even sight loss. Do your due diligence and re-order your lenses before their expiration. Just remember—you may need to renew your contact lens prescription to do so.
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Consult your eye care professional for more information. Johnson & Johnson does not provide medical advice; this information is for educational purposes only.
Important information for contact lens wearers: ACUVUE Contact Lenses are available by prescription only for vision correction. An eye care professional will determine whether contact lenses are right for you. Although rare, serious eye problems can develop while wearing contact lenses. To help avoid these problems, follow the wear and replacement schedule and the lens care instructions provided by your eye doctor. Do not wear contact lenses if you have an eye infection, or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems. If one of these conditions occurs, remove the lens and contact your eye doctor immediately. For more information on proper wear, care and safety, talk to your eye care professional and ask for a Patient Instruction Guide, call 1-800-843-2020, or download the Patient Instruction Guides.
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