It is true that many people enjoy the convenience of soft contact lenses, but doctors warn long-term wear and lack of hygiene can lead to a series of eye diseases and illnesses. The warning is especially important for people who use extended wear lenses.
To quote some delineated contact lens lesions and the ways how you can prevent eye injuries.
1. Conjunctivitis, the most common disease, is inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the eyelid and part of the eyeball. It is the result of poor hygiene and affects ten percent of soft contact lens holders each year.
There are many types of conjunctivitis, but in General, the symptoms include rash, itching, swelling, burning discharges and mucous membranes. You can have the feeling of a foreign body in the eye and may agree with eyelids and eyelashes tangles. infection may start an eye and move quickly to the other.Proper Hygiene will prevent conjunctivitis. your eye doctor will probably remind you of the importance of immersion lenses on enzymatic solution every week to kill bacteria.
2. Corneal abrasions or scratches usually occurs when inserting or removing lenses.Symptoms include pain, redness, irritation and tearing.
Doctors prescribe antibiotic drops or ointment for four or five days until the symptoms disappear.
3. corneal Ulcers. Trauma, underlying disease and use contact lens are the three main causes of bacterial corneal ulcers, which can cause permanent scarring and blindness if erupts from an ulcer.According to statistics, there are seven thousand people suffer corneal ulcers annually, and the number will increase as more people try to extended wear lenses.
The disease comes quickly.Symptoms include pain, discharge, decreased vision, swelling of the eyelid and sensitivity to light.Doctors treat corneal ulcer with topical antibiotics, a cream or ointment, until the infection clears up some patients require hospitalization. for further treatment to antibiotics and corneal transplants may be needed if the scar is permanent
4. keratitis, is another form of corneal ulcer caused by resistant bacteria contaminates homemade saline solutions and contact lens cases. People who wear soft contact lenses overnight are ten to fifteen times more likely to get keratitis of users daily.Long-term Wear cuts the oxygen supply of the eye, causing the surface cells die and form an ulcer, which may be infected.
Keratitis becoming more common because the use of extended wear lenses is increasing. symptoms include pain, sensitivity to light and some can vision loss. often, patients do not respond to early treatment. Keratitis is difficult to treat because bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics shapes. corneal transplant often are necessary and even after the transplant, the infection can be repeated.
Now, here are some tips on how to avoid injury contact lens:
1. practice good hygiene. wash hands before inserting your lenses and use a sterile saline solution and commercially prepared. follow directions of disinfection and never use homemade preparations. If you have extended wear lenses, remove them at least every seven days for cleaning some physicians will recommend cleaning extended wear lenses every day.
2. it may be best not to wear your lenses overnight.
3. If your eyes are angry, don't wear your lenses.
4. If you have pain, swelling of the eyelid or discharge, go see your eye doctor.
