Source: eye.uams.edu
I couldn’t believe my ears. Mom had just told me my sister had bought a pair of blue contact lenses. “But she doesn’t even need glasses!” I spurted. “It’s the trend now. It’s what the kids are doing nowadays,” was the best she could offer.
Having seen one too many patients lose their eyesight from this supposedly harmless eyewear, my apprehension was understandably justifiable. The feeling, unfortunately, was not shared by my fashion-savvy sibling. Contact lenses have evolved from an innovative technological optical solution to an indispensable runway accessory. Such has been the embrace of the modern world of this little piece of ocular innovation. As such, contact lens-related ocular complications are now the staple of many an ophthalmology clinic. They range from something as trivial as dry eyes, to visually debilitating corneal ulcers and in extreme cases, perforation of the eye requiring the ‘removal’ of the eye.
If you fall into the category of people who find these lenses a necessity, surpassed only by the need for oxygen, then I suggest you understand the risks involved in using them. Although dispensed openly, counselling regarding the safe use of contact lenses is in no way prevalent. How does wearing contact lenses cause eye infections? Contact lenses can cause an infection of the clear part of the eye, called the cornea. Infection of the cornea is termed ‘keratitis’.
Throw this term around at and eye clinic, and people will be suitably impressed with your ophthalmology knowledge. Most times, however, provided good wearing habits are practised- a corneal infection seldom occurs. Having said that, there is a risk that you might cause small erosions on the surface of the cornea brought about by poor wearing techniques, which will allow organisms to infiltrate your eye. With these erosions, or defects present, any virulent organism may then be able to gain entry into the cornea, causing a corneal infection and later ulceration.
Sometimes, even when you wear the lenses properly, the contact lens may harbour organisms that can ‘dig’ or penetrate into your cornea. How do I reduce the risk of infection?
Sleep
You had a long day. Your body is achy. You can’t be bothered to even take off your work clothes. You jump into bed and smother your tired face into the cool,welcoming pillow. Although it’s perfectly acceptable to not change clothes and lay your icky sticky self in bed after a hard day’s work, it’s NOT a good idea NOT to remove your contact lenses before you sleep. Sleeping with contact lenses has been shown to increase the risk of cornea infection. It is believed that the combination of airborne pollutants lodged on the contact lens, coupled with reduced oxygen transmission to the eye when the lids are closed, predisposes to a higher risk of infection. As a general rule, contact lenses should not be worn any longer than 10-12 hours in a day.
Swim
So you’re at a pool party. Your friends squeal with delight at how well your green contact lenses just match your swimwear. Pleased to have imparted your style and sense of fashion, you jump into the pool for a well-deserved swim. Bad, bad move. Swimming pools, or even normal tap water, is full of bugs or microorganisms. Swimming with your contact lenses would be like sending an invite to deadly organisms to a rave party in your eye.
Hygiene
Cleanliness is paramount if you plan to wear contact lenses. DO NOT:
- I repeat, do not wear your contacts in the bathroom. Bathrooms are generally damp and humid, a perfect greenhouse for bacteria and other organisms to fester.
- Do not wear contact lenses after washing your hands. That sounds silly, doesn’t it? Our tap water is where the dreaded organism Acanthmoeba is found. Small droplets of water that haven’t been dried off your hands may harbour this bug, which is well known to cause corneal infection. Take home message – thoroughly dry your hands before popping your contacts in.
- Do not wash your lenses with tap water, for the similarly mentioned reason above. Break your piggy bank, go to the pharmacy, and get yourself some contact lens cleaning solution. Whilst cleaning with the solution, be sure to rub the lenses on you palm to rub off dirt, protein and other debris that may me lodged on the lens. Just squirting some liquid on your lens is just not going to cut it.
And for the love of God, do not collect and store your used cleaning solution and reuse it for a second or third wash.Do not reuse the solution when storing your lenses in its case, either. Always throw away the solution in the case after use, and squirt new solution in the case when storing your lenses. While I applaud your enthusiasm in joining the recycling movement, let’s try and keep it to just bottles, paper and garbage.
How will I know if I have a corneal infection?
As a general rule, if your eyes are persistently red and uncomfortable during or after using your lenses, then you have got to stop wearing them. Typical signs of an active infection are eye redness, pain, photophobia, and blurring of vision. Forfeit vanity and change to those thick glasses for a short while. Your eyes will thank you. If the symptoms worsen, consult your friendly neighbourhood ophthalmologist. Dont worry.
They rarely bite.
Dr. Anis Farhad is an opthalmologist practising in Sabah. He strongly believes that the public should be aware of proper eye care.
[This article belongs to The Malaysian Medical Gazette. Any republication (online or offline) without written permission from The Malaysian Medical Gazette is prohibited.]
Doktor,
Kalau untuk berenang, pakai contact lense dan goggle, juga berisiko kah?
Terima kasih