Things I learned from my optometrist

I recently used the power of the internet to find a new optometrist. After searching through the forums, I settled on Dr. Andrew Leung based on a combination of good reviews and a convenient location. He is pricier than some optometrists but my terrible eyes require better than bargain basement care.

I found myself impressed with Dr. Leung; he was friendly, talkative, and seemed up to date on his professional reading. Some tidbits of information he provided that made me say, "Oh, really?" included:

• Not all contact lens solutions clean all brands of disposable contact lenses equally well. Some brands may be more compatible with certain contact lenses.
  
• Some contact lens solutions can cause irritation to a portion of the population. For instance, ReNu has been found to cause irritation to Asian users. While this irritation is not always obvious, it can cause damage to the eyes.
  
• Costlier rub-free formulas are the same as regular contact lens cleaners. Apparently, the contact lens solution companies produced a study demonstrating that simply storing contact lenses without manual cleaning still kills 90-something percent of the bacteria. Hence, the companies were allowed by the government body to label their solutions 'rub-free'. When I asked if that meant that I could be cheap and lazy, Dr. Leung advised the opposite: that I should always clean my lenses manually regardless of whether I use a rub-free solution or not.
  
• "Do you play contact sports?" asked Dr. Leung. "Not lately," I responded after some thought. Apparently I should avoid any impact to the head as my retina is at risk of detaching. So, if you find me unconscious with obvious trauma to the head, please call '911' and ask the doctor to examine my eyes; the window of opportunity to re-attach one's retina is roughly 48 hours, after which blindness is permanent.