Many young people do not take good care of their contact lenses by studying or having fun late into the night. This lazy practice is likely to cause serious eye infections, and contact lens-related keratitis or corneal ulcers, at their worst, can cause permanent vision loss or even require corneal transplants. Basic contact lens care can reduce the chance of eye infections, such as washing your hands before touching your contact lenses, and washing your non-daily disposable contact lenses in a disinfectant solution before soaking them each night. But doing this alone is not enough; according to 2014 CDC data, more than a million patients still visit the doctor for eye infections each year. To better prevent contact lenses from harming research, the American Academy of Ophthalmology offers the following four recommendations: 1. Replace Contact Lens Cases Quarterly Replacing contact lens cases every three months can effectively reduce the growth of bacteria. At the same time, replace lenses every quarter. Studies have shown that replacing lenses after six months increases the chances of eye infections by nearly 5.5 times. 2. Eliminate water contact Wearing contact lenses while swimming or bathing can cause serious eye infections that can lead to loss of vision. Water may be clean enough to drink or bathe in, but it’s still a breeding ground for amoeba parasites, so again, don’t soak or rinse your contact lens case or lenses in water. 3. No Sleeping Studies have found that wearing contact lenses even occasionally while sleeping increases the chances of moderate to severe eye infections by 6.5 times. Unfortunately, a recent BuzzFeed survey of nearly 100,000 people showed that 70 percent of respondents occasionally or frequently wore contact lenses while sleeping. 4. Seek immediate medical attention for symptoms Symptoms of eye infections include redness, swelling, pain, and photophobia, etc. Seek immediate medical attention for these symptoms, as delayed treatment may result in loss of vision.