Contact lenses are common amongst people who wear eyeglasses. Even though they are a good sound alternative to wearing glasses every day, they are also known to be catalysts of many infections. These issues can be both severe as well as a mild irritation. However, regardless of the degree of the infection, they are always inconvenient and uncomfortable to wear. Here are the three most common infections you risk if you wear contact lenses.
Keratitis
According to Canadian Ophthalmological Society, keratitis is one of the most commonly diagnosed infections that are associated with contact lenses. There are three variants of this infection: fungal keratitis, bacterial keratitis and herpes keratitis.
1. Fungal keratitis is often caused by a fungus that is readily found in water, plants and soil. If you don’t clean your contact lenses properly, they can develop in your eyes too.
2. Bacterial Keratitis impacts the cornea and is seen in people who wear contact lenses or sustained an eye injury. This infection affects the eye sight and is also painful. If you witness sensitivity to light and an eye discharge, then perhaps you have bacterial keratitis. If not addressed in time, it can also lead to blindness.
3. Herpes keratitis happens due to herpes simplex virus that is present in approximately 90% of the population. This virus is capable of manifesting itself in your eyes too that leads to the keratitis infection. Even though it affects the eye outside, it can sometimes appear inside the layers of eye too. While anyone can develop the risk of Herpes Keratitis, but your chances become higher when you wear contact lenses.
Corneal Ulcers
As explained by Eye Health Web, these infections impact the cornea from one layer to another. These ulcers are caused by germs when inside layers of the eye becomes exposed to the risk of bacteria, be it through an injury or an abrasion. If you wear contact lenses and do not maintain them properly, you are at a risk of contracting this infection.
Contact lens-induced acute red eye
Also known as CLARE, this infection affects the cornea and the conjunctiva. This happens to people after they wake up and the symptoms include red bumps on the tissue caused inside the upper eyelid, itchiness and discharge. Even though this infection doesn’t require intense treatment, people who wear contact lenses should avoid wearing them for at least 24 hours or seek immediate medical attention if the problem persists.
The eye specialists at Sugarland Eye & Laser Center in Houston strongly recommend that the best way to avert this kind of situation is by getting a Laser eye surgery. By getting Lasik you will be able to eliminate the risk of this infection and many more that are caused due to contact lenses. Many people try to save the money spent on contact lenses by wearing them longer than they should. This factor alone increases your chance of getting an eye infection. If you really want to cut corners, consider LASIK so that you can get a permanent treatment for the contact lens problem.
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 Sugar Land Eye & Laser Center, you can now receive the same treatment. For more information, please call (281) 240-0478.
Sources:
Canadian Ophthalmology Society
Eyehealthweb.com:
