If you have vision related problems then there may have been a time when you slept with your glasses on or without removing your contact lenses. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has highlighted several risks that are related to sleeping in your contact lenses. The intensity of the problem that may arise becomes proportional to your eye health, the type of lenses you wear, and the way you care for them.
What are the risks?
When we fall asleep with contact lenses still in our eyes, we inadvertently cut the oxygen supply to our cornea. When the eyelids are closed over the contact lenses, the cornea becomes less exposed to the oxygen which enters into the cells directly from the air. Apart from that, natural tears provide nourishment as well as protection to the eyes from germs which can get affected due to the lenses obstructing the free flow of tears into the corneal cells.
This lack of oxygen to the cornea can become a precursor of short term problems such as constant irritation in the eye, burning sensations, itching, blurry vision or cause a scratched cornea amongst other problems. Also a potential exists of developing more serious conditions that include unusual growth of blood vessels in the cornea, discharge of mucus or irritation caused on the underside of the lids that give a bump-like appearance or a giant papillary conjunctivitis. Corneal infection is the most common condition that is experienced by people who do not remove their contact lenses before going to sleep at night. This can result in poor vision as well as scarring with long term implications.
Maintenance of contact lenses
It is necessary to change your contact lenses regularly and keep your old ones clear with a special solution. Cleaning will often prevent the formation of biofilm, a layer of bacteria formed on the surface of contact lenses as a result of debris. Routine cleaning of the contact lenses is necessary to avert corneal infection. If you change your lenses often, you can considerably reduce the formation of biofilm. However, cleaning it will not thwart the risk of contracting infection if you wear the lenses for long hours or sleep while wearing them.
Corrective measures
Contact lenses provide temporary solution to people suffering from vision related problems such as near or farsightedness. The introduction of soft silicone hydrogel cells is considered a massive breakthrough in the world of contact lenses that provides better flow of oxygen into the corneal cells even when you sleep in them, which considerably reduces the likelihood of corneal infection. A permanent solution would be to eliminate the use of contact lenses altogether by getting LASIK surgery from a trusted medical institution like Sugarland Eye & Laser Center in Houston.
Laser eye surgery has high success rates when it comes to vision correction. Patients have reported an instant improvement in their eyesight soon after the surgery has been conducted. This clinical procedure takes less than 15 minutes and will give you nearly 20/20 vision and help you gain freedom from glasses or contact lenses.
Source:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/258553-problems-from-sleeping-with-contact-lenses/
Sugarland Eye & Laser Center leads in providing premium LASIK technologies to Houston, Sugar Land, and the surrounding region. The Center’s award-winning medical director introduced revolutionary technologies such as iLASIK to the region. This technology is used by NASA astronauts, Navy SEALS and Air Force fighter pilots. At Sugarland Eye & Laser Center, you can now receive the same treatment. For more information, please call (281) 240-0478 or visit us at www.houston-lasik.com.
About the Author
Amjad Khokhar, M.D. is Chief LASIK Surgeon at Sugarland Eye & Laser Center. Add Dr. Khokhar on Google+ here.
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