Contact lenses are known to provide people with more freedom to participate in everyday activities without feeling held back by glasses. But what happens when people misuse or over wear their contacts? Could that freedom cost them their sight?
Contact lens wearers need to be mindful of the thousands of ways they can contract a virus or infection in their eyes. It is important to practice good contact lens hygiene to prevent hazardous injuries or possible blindness.
While most people know not to sleep in their contacts, according to Dr. Kampani, an optometrist from The Cleveland Clinic, a person should also not swim or shower while wearing contact lenses. Water can contain pollutants, pathogens, or other bacteria. If any bacteria get into the eyes and are trapped by the lenses, it can cause severe infection.
Also, wearing your contacts past the recommended date can irritate the eyes and cause unnecessary damage. If infections are left untreated for too long, some traumatic effects that can occur are corneal abrasions or ulcers. April Kahn, an author on Healthline, states the symptoms of corneal abrasion or ulcers include blurred vision, swollen eyelids, sore eyes, and excessive tearing.
Contact lens wearers should enjoy the freedom being without glasses provides, but must also follow all the hygiene recommendations from their optometrists. Don’t ignore symptoms of infection.
Resources:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/10/avoid-eye-infections-bad-contact-lens-habits/
http://www.healthline.com/health/corneal-ulcers-and-infections
(NA). American Academy of Ophthalmology. (July 3, 2012). “What Causes Corneal Abrasions?”
Content for this segment was created by Lauren Grabow as part of a project for SC301: Foundations of Health Communication, taught by Ms. Clubbs.
