6 Quick Contact Lens Facts: Reawakening for Better Eye Health

Millions of people use contact lenses for vision correction & personality enhancement. Unfortunately, over 90% of people are involved in poor behavioral and unhygienic practices that run the risk of contact lens induced infections. Contact lenses have often been associated with ocular injuries & blindness. Contrarily, avid users of contact lenses would find it relaxing to learn that only 6% of them develop injuries related to the CL usage every year. Luckily, these infections are fairly minor & easily cured. To help prevent vision loss due to improper handling and ignorance about circle contacts, kindly continue to read the quick facts below:

1. Circle contacts are medical devices. Therefore use them appropriately & handle them with care. Follow the instructions provided by the manufacture strictly. Even decorative or cosmetic lenses should be used with precaution.
2. Contact lenses partially blocks the smooth flow of oxygen to eyes. Unlike other body parts; human eyes draw oxygen from the atmosphere than from the body. This is why, sleeping in contacts should be avoided. When the lids are shut the flow of oxygen is greatly compromised that may lead to a rare eye condition “Neovascularisation”.
3. Colored contact lenses float over the cornea facilitated by the tear film. This keeps rotating circle lenses. Since prescription contacts are meant to correct the vision, people with astigmatism find the regular movement in them quite troublesome due to having multiple focuses. This is why there exists different types of lenses from conventional to hard & toric verities.
4. Prescription of contact lenses and glasses is never the same-Especially if you have ocular dysfunctions such as astigmatism. Get yourself a fresh prescription before making your first choice for vision correction or when you need to take a switch from either of the two available options for vision correction.
5. Some circle lenses tend to be drier than others. If you have computer vision syndrome or dry eye syndrome; your first few selections might disappoint you. It does not however mean that you are not fit for them. Advanced technology has made it possible for everyone to try between the various available options & brands.
6. Circle lenses should not be worn beyond 8 hours in any case. Over wearing may lead to inflammation, heavy eyes, stinging or burning sensation. Be wary of the expiry date. Schedule regular contact lens follow ups for timely replacements.

Contact lens induced infections are rare provided what you insert in your eyes is an FDA approved pair of lenses. Most often users’ negligence towards contact lenses is responsible for the negative outcomes. Take care of yourself & follow the standard set of contact lens practices to prevent yourself from being a highlighted news story in the tomorrow’s paper!