Since I began wearing contacts many years ago, they gave the look of a minor miracle. Not wearing glasses improves driving, sports and on a regular basis life.
But then I might watch sometimes Report of sight-threatening infection and other problems related to contact lens use. These were alarming, to say the least – enough to make me consider abandoning my contacts. Wearing glasses isn't so bad, right?
What are the risks of wearing contact lenses?
There are several sorts of contact lenses. Hard, soft, daily wear, and extended wear – All of that are considered quite protected. But rarely, serious problems can arise. And since approx 45 million people in the US wear contact lenses.A vulnerability affecting even a small percentage of users can translate into hundreds of individuals being affected.
The most typical concerns and conditions related to contact lens wear are covered.
- Eye irritation or pain
- Swelling across the eye
- Blurred vision or sensitivity to light
- Conjunctivitis (“pink eye”)
- Corneal ulcers (injury to the graceful, clear front a part of the attention)
- Infectious keratitis (inflammation of the cornea as a consequence of infection).
Although minor irritation may go away by itself inside a day or two, stop wearing your contacts and call an eye fixed doctor if you have got severe or persistent symptoms. Usually, this requires an evaluation by an ophthalmologist.
Sleeping while wearing contacts could cause serious damage.
The cornea is the transparent outer layer of the attention. It protects the attention and helps focus light on the back of the attention, allowing you to see clearly. Although contacts rarely damage the cornea, sleeping in contacts that aren’t intended for long-term wear is more prone to cause corneal infection and even ulceration.
In a ___ 2018 report, doctors recounted the stories of six individuals with severe eye infections after wearing their soft contact lenses while sleeping. For example:
- One person reported sleeping in his contact lenses during a hunting trip. Soon after, he developed a corneal infection with an ulcer.
- One woman often slept in her contacts, wore them longer than prescribed, and hadn't seen an eye fixed doctor in years. After developing sharp pain in her right eye, she was diagnosed with infectious keratitis.
- A person developed a corneal infection in each eyes after wearing contact lenses for 2 consecutive weeks.
Treatment for these problems included long courses of antibiotics. Additionally, two people required corneal transplants. Even with these treatments, some people lose vision.
Such serious problems are rare: estimates suggest that keratitis occurs. Two to 20 per 10,000 contact lens wearers. However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates Up to a million times to emergency rooms and other outpatient health care providers annually for problems related to contact lens wear.
If you wear contacts, take note.
As these cases display, unless you utilize prolonged wear contacts specifically approved for overnight wear, it is best to stay awake in them. Still, it's safest to take them out before bed.
Other recommendations for using secure connections are:
- Ask your eye doctor which solution it is best to use and persist with them. Keep them in a cool place.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your contact lenses.
- Do not put your contacts in your mouth or spit on them (yes, there are individuals who do that, especially with hard contacts).
- Do not let hand cream or makeup come into contact together with your lenses. Put in your lenses before applying makeup, and take out your contacts before taking off your makeup.
- Keep your lens case clean and dry between uses, and get a brand new one no less than every few months.
- Don't overuse your contacts. Change your lenses as prescribed, whether each day, weekly, or as directed by your eye doctor.
- Get an eye fixed exam no less than every year.
If you notice problems corresponding to redness or pain in your eye or changes in vision, remove your lenses immediately and tell your eye doctor.
If you’re having serious problems despite taking excellent care of your lenses, report it. FDA MedWatch Program. By tracking these reports, the FDA can issue an alert if essential.
The bottom line
Fortunately, serious problems related to contact lens wear are rare, probably because beneficial lens care reliably prevents them. So, be smart about caring for your contact lenses – that is one situation through which you actually shouldn't cut corners. And if maintaining the prescribed routine is actually an excessive amount of trouble, talk over with your eye doctor about other options. Maybe you'll determine that wearing glasses isn't so bad in spite of everything.
Follow me on Twitter. @RobShmerling