This year’s Love Your Lenses awareness week kicks off this Saturday, March 24, and we’re calling on all stakeholders across the optical sector to get behind the campaign. It will focus on the importance of washing and drying hands before touching contact lenses with the key message being ‘Wash hands and dry before touching your eye’.
Last year, working in collaboration with a wide range of optical professionals, businesses and patients, the campaign reached millions of patients across mainstream and social media. This year’s Love Your Lenses’ week we will be urging people to not ‘lose sight of their optician,’ reminding all contact lens wearers to go for an eye check at least once a year.
We have put together a campaign toolkit to help optical professionals, contact lens manufacturers and retailers, and industry partners to remind people to love their lenses so they can continue to enjoy the benefits of wearing them. The toolkit includes advice for contact lens users, ideas for activities in practices, posters and much more to help you get involved with the week.
Research summarised in our Thumbs Up for Healthy Eyes report (www.loveyourlenses.com/thumbs-up-for-healthy-eyes) highlighted that less than half of contact lens wearers washed their hands adequately before touching their lenses. We know that the risks involved in contact lens wear are relatively low, but what risks do exist are generally related to poor habits.
The campaign website is at www.loveyourlenses.com where practitioners and organisations can sign up to get involved, and download the campaign toolkit. You can also follow on Facebook and Twitter @yourlenses.
