Contact Lens Problems Anyone?

Hello,

You finally took the big step and switched from wearing eyeglasses to contact lenses. You heard the numerous positives points about wearing contacts and wanted to give it a try. But now that you’re finally in contact lenses, why is it that your vision doesn’t seem as clear? Or why do your eyes feel dry towards the end of the day? Or why does your vision fluctuate when you’re reading or using a computer for hours at a time?

This guy is having a rough day of contact lens wear.

The primary issue that affects the quality of vision and comfort-related complications is how well a person takes care of their contact lenses. When people start having visual complaints or problems with redness, dryness and intolerance issues, usually it is because the lenses are taken care of poorly.

Overwearing lenses is a major problem that can lead to many complications. If you are wearing the contact lenses every waking moment, or even sleeping in them, you are cutting off the supply of oxygen to the cornea, the part of the eye on which the contact lens sits. Decreasing the oxygen supply to the cornea principally causes inflammation and dryness, but can also lead to the formation of corneal ulcers and bacterial infections that could potentially be sight threatening. Wearing lenses past the recommended replacement schedule should also be avoided. Most issues arise out of patients extending the life of their lenses, such as wearing two-week disposable lenses for a month, or a monthly disposable lens for a couple of months. I’ve actually seen patients wear a daily 1-day disposable lens for weeks. That’s a big no-no! Every contact lens was manufactured for use in a specific way, and altering its intended use will cause issues with dryness, poor vision and the lenses not fitting properly.

Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis = Bumps underneath the upper eyelid,

an allergy reaction to contact lens wear

Poor cleaning habits also lead to contact lens problems. The contact lens case that you have should be replaced frequently. Whenever you purchase contact lens solution, it always comes with a new case, so use it. Old contact lens cases harbor nasty bacteria, so replacing your contact lens case regularly reduces your exposure to bacterial eye infections. Also, it is important to throw out the used solution in your contact lens case every morning and let the case air dry. Re-using solution for days at a time allows bacteria to proliferate in the dark, warm and moist environment, essentially turning your case and your contact lenses into a Petri dish.

The small white dots are corneal infiltrates, signs of

corneal inflammation secondary to contact lens overwear.

However, a lot of people are very responsible and do take care of their contact lenses very well. Using artificial tear lubricating drops may help them, but they may still have issues. There are literally hundreds of different brands of contact lenses out on the market, and obviously, they are not all manufactured in the same way. If you weren’t fitted recently with contact lenses by your eye doctor, chances are you aren’t wearing the latest and greatest contact lens technology. These new contact lens materials allow more oxygen to cross the contact lens to your cornea, greatly reducing the risk of dryness and comfort problems.

Patients may also have an underlying dry eye condition, or ocular allergies, which makes wearing contact lenses difficult. There are contact lens cleaning solutions that are available that are preservative-free. Many times, people develop a hypersensitivity to the preservatives found in many multi-purpose cleaning solutions, and just switching to a different solution takes care of their sensitive eyes problem.

So, if you are having any contact lens related problems, it is recommended that you seek the advice from an eye care professional, certainly someone who specializes in contact lenses. Your eye doctor can examine your eyes and contact lenses and make the proper recommendations to improve your situation with contact lenses.

Sincerely,
Dr. Weaver