Back to School with New Pair of Contact Lenses: Safety Check for Everyone.

As the new semester begins, students are back to school with fresh supplies from sports physicals to stationery & a new eye exam. Teens around the globe find it more convenient to wear contact lenses than glasses as contact-lenses don’t hurt their appearance. School students resist wearing glasses because of the fear of being ridiculed. As per experts; contact lenses are more handy & cost-effective than the other counterpart i.e. glasses. Rejoining school brings lots of excitement from meeting friends to sharing lunch & exchanging the goods with each other. This is the point, where parents & teachers must come-forward to reinforce that contact lenses should never be a part of the game.

Though contact lenses come with their own reservations; they are the most acceptable mode for vision correction. Anyone can wear circle contacts irrespective of the age bracket they fall in. Doctors suggest kids over 8 years can safely wear them. As a food for thought; age actually has nothing to do with wearing contact lenses. If a person is mature & “responsible” enough to take diligent care of contacts; they can safely wear circle lenses. It is said that teens are considered far more responsible in cleaning & disinfecting their contacts than adults. Adults become more casual with their contacts and take the entire regimen for granted whereas young newbies are more concerned & careful about the things they have been freshly introduced to. Unfortunately, teens love to share & swap everything. This is why, as they rejoin the school; they must be reminded about contact lenses’ safety considerations. Contact lenses are personal medical devices even if they are not prescription. They should never be shared, swapped or resold once they are used.

Also Read: What is Cheaper: Contact Lenses or Glasses?

Contact lenses are favored by students as they allow better peripheral vision, management with the changing weather & liberty to mobilize. Furthermore, they are cheaper than glasses even if you purchase them with the option of premium features such as UV intercepting contacts or hydrogel that ensure maximum oxygen transmission. Above all; with daily disposable lenses you can cut the cost dramatically to only $1 per day without having to take care of them. Go back to school with a fresh pair of contact lenses; just be considerate enough to prove yourself a responsible & mature student!

3 Things to Consider when Wearing Circle Lenses in a Party

Party is all about fun, mega thrill & excitement. During a crazy get together of friends you need to watch your steps especially if you are wearing circle lenses. Circle lenses are medical devices and yes! Enough of the hammering has already been done on this subject. Though FDA approved circle lenses are safe to wear, they call out for attention & careful handling. Ignoring the precautions given below might cost you lifetime vision loss or corneal damage

Avoid Drinking Alcohol

Alcohol makes you feel dizzy & hazy. Having rounds of alcohol can cause tripping & dozing. To avoid accidental naps with circle lenses it is best advised to put them off when you are about to begin the alcoholic sessions. Circle lenses should not be worn when you sleep as it deprives oxygen needs which may lead to gross ocular injuries in unfortunate cases.

Watch out! Party Poppers!

Courtesy: DarlingDozen.tumblr

Friends are crazy, they bump & jump! Unfortunately they even dump! Be careful when you are in a party where fanatic lads and lasses are willing to cross any limits to merry. Party poppers contain air pressure, strings & components that must not be used directly around people, animals & near fire places. If you notice your friends going lunatic with confetti & poppers; take care of yourself & move away. The confetti if gets into eyes mistakenly can mess with circle lenses. The tiny glittery particles can adhere to the circle lenses, cause scratches and tear them in the eyes. This may lead to corneal abrasions & vision loss.

Ditch the BBQ Grill

The smoke from BBQ and grill is not strong enough to melt your circle lenses but it can cause blurred vision. Smoke can irritate the eyes as the other environmental factors such as spices, onion fumes and coal pieces etc can disturb the lens adhesion. Don’t roam about the BBQ grills & fire places to help saving your eyes when wearing circle lenses.

Related:

Can smoke from BBQ melt your Circle Lenses?

Effects of Weight Loss on Contact Lens Fit

L-R Finn Wittrock, Domhnall Gleeson and Jack O'Connell in a scene from "Unbroken. (Universal Pictures.) 

Contact lenses with 38% water content and 8.6mm base curve fit most of the people unless you are diagnosed with rare diseases or eye shapes. However, one must not forget that contact lenses are not one size fit all. Certain medications & life style do leave impact on contact lens tolerance & fitting-even weight loss.

Reducing too much of your body mass in a short period of time might make your body feel starved & de-hydrated. The fresh example is actor Domhnall Gleeson; who recently has lost too much weight for Anjelina Jolie’s Movie “Unbroken” that his contact lenses no longer fit him.

The story line of the film rotates around World War II; where his plane was gunned down over the Pacific Ocean & he was left all alone at the shore until he was rescued by Japanese sailors who kept him in prison for two years with little food for his survival.

Gleeson loses so much weight that his contact lenses no longer fit

To put a life in his character; actor took the job seriously & lost so much of his weight that he dropped contact lens size. O’Connel- the co-star said in a press conference; "Domhnall lost so much weight, even his eyeballs changed shape." 

"It's true," laughed director Angelina Jolie, noting the actors wore special lenses to make their eyes look bloodshot. "They fit when he was starting to lose weight and then by the time we got to the end of the raft section, they wouldn't go into his eyes. I think it was the dehydration." 

Strange fact; but yes looks like your cornea changes shape; as you lose weight. Even your eyes go skinny. Until eye professionals come forward to address this issue; we have no other option than assuming that reducing excessive weight specially in a short span may lay adverse effect on contact lenses’fit.

Get more facts about Contact Lens Fitting here

Can Diabetics Wear Circle Contact Lenses?

Circle contacts & diabetes

Diabetes affect entire human body so does it lay effects on eyes. Diabetes alter tear-chemistry and tear-secretion; therefore diabetics may find their eyes dry when wearing circle contact lenses. Circle contact lenses are themselves no contraindication to diabetes thus most of the patients enjoy liberty of wearing circle contact lenses without any adverse effects on eye health. 

Circle Contact Lenses & Handling with Injuries in Diabetics

Diabetics hold a weak history of recovering from injuries. Therefore diabetics who wear circle lenses must not ignore the routine checkups for prescriptions and for avoiding the risks of ocular injuries.

• Diabetics wearing prescription circle contact lenses should get those contacts which allow more oxygen permeability.
• They should also be very meticulous about the cleanliness & hygiene when it comes to circle contact lenses.

Things that Diabetics Wearing Circle Lenses Must Focus On:

• Keep an eye on any kind of ocular complications; be it minor injuries
• Always use eye drops, don’t let them get dry when wearing circle contact lenses.
• Do not ever share your circle contact lenses. Never Ever!
• Do not wear circle contact lenses when working at computers- this can lead to eye strain and stress.

It has been observed that people with controlled diabetes carry no complications with circle contact lenses. However; they are at greater risk of suffering from dryness in eyes.

Also Read: Google’s Smart Contact Lenses for Diabetics

According to Dr. Dubow; “Most people with diabetes can wear contact lenses. They must be properly prescribed and managed to make sure the wearer's eyes stay safe and healthy. This means using the correct lenses, the correct care system and having regular visits with the doctor to monitor eye health and vision”

Diabetes patients can of course wear circle lenses; they only need to be a bit more concerned about their health. Such patients heal slowly than others; they also run the risk of ocular abrasions and infections which should be the areas of strict concern in the life of a diabetic patient. Keep visiting your eye doctor as he is the only one to prescribe you circle contact lenses that do not only properly fit but also provide crisp vision with enhanced comfort and wettability.

References:

Allaboutvision-Ask a Doctor

Clinical and Experimental Optometry © 2012 Optometrists Association Australia.

University of IOWA- Hospitals & Clinics

Can I take a 20 minutes Nap in Contact Lenses?

Since soft contact lenses block “enough” oxygen’s permeability; it is not recommended to sleep and take nap with them in. Eyes are the only organ that draw its oxygen directly from the open environment, but wearing contact lenses restrict this natural phenomenon. Taking a short nap is though not as harmful as sleeping with cosmetic lenses in; it is not considered a good habit.

Why Taking a Nap in Contact Lenses is a Bad Idea?

Taking a 20 minutes nap in soft contact lenses should not be a problem usually; but stay careful that you are not going to fall asleep inadvertently.

Also Read: Why Can’t I sleep wearing Circle Lenses?

Dozing off when you are wearing colored lenses makes eyes dry and uncomfortable. When they are deprived of oxygen; they turn hard and begin stinging the eyes leading to “pink eye”, “irritation”, “inflammation” & even potential damages such as corneal abrasions & ulcers. Sometimes you may be warned by your eye doctor to wear lenses ever again in your life. So; why risk when you have already been warned?

Serious Threats of Sleeping in Circle Lenses

Sleeping in contacts blocks the supply of oxygen to eyes and they may become dehydrated. Dehydrated contact lenses can cause scratches on the cornea and make you restless for at least a day. Removing dehydrated contact lenses from eyes is yet another problem which demand you to tackle it peacefully & carefully.

If you forget taking your lenses off of your eyes before going to bed; you are honestly risking your eyes. However; when you realize after waking up that you have had a nap with contact lenses do one thing- DONOT panic. The damage has already been done- though only the superficial in most cases.

Also Read: Can I Instill Eye drops whilst wearing contact lenses?

Get your lubricating drops; re-wet your contact lenses by instilling a drop in each eye & blink your eyes. You are now free to remove your circle lenses safely.

Disinfect them & let your eyes rest for at least a day before you wear contacts again.

Can I wear Ripped/Torn Contact Lenses?

The question should not be whether you can wear torn contact lenses or not; but rather it should be why on earth would you want to wear ripped contact lenses? This is definitely a bad idea; hence must not be given a second thought.

Also Read: Why do Circle Contacts Rip?

Contact lenses and circle lenses are water-loving medical devices. When they are deprived of enough moisture they turn dry which results in ripping them. Contact lenses though if not touched in their dry state; can retain the prior position when lubricated using multi-purpose solution. After; re-lubricating them, always inspect them closely for any scratches, cuts, notches & rips on the surface before attempting to wear them again. However; we warn you to wear such circle lenses that have been dried out even once.

Also Read: Can I wear Dried-out Circle Contacts?

What happens if I wear Torn Contact Lenses?

According to Dr. Andrew Shatz; certified Ophthalmologist “Torn contacts have sharp edges that can scratch the eye. This can in turn allow bacteria from the contact or eye surface to get under the skin and cause a serious eye infection. Do not use a torn contact lens”

Torn circle contacts cause severe stinging, burning sensation which sometimes may lead to potential damages such as corneal abrasions. One must avoid wearing circle contact lenses with any type of flaws in it since we all are aware of the fact that contact lenses are far more than mere fashion accessories. They are medical devices and should be dealt accordingly. It is advised to toss your torn/dried circle contact lenses immediately to prevent mixing them up with fresh pair of contact lenses.

Get yourself a new pair of colored contact lenses for as low as $1. Do not risk your eyes; they are precious!

Can Colored Contact Lenses Cause Eye Floaters?

Colored contact lenses neither cause eye floaters nor can they make it worse. Eye floaters are small moving protein blobs that drifts about in the field of your vision. They look like grey specks, strings or cobwebs. They are very normal and should not cause any hindrance in the vision. However; if they suddenly increase in numbers, one should immediately arrange a visit to eye doctor.

Floaters

Effect of Colored Contact Lenses on Floaters:

“Eye floaters” is an age-related problem; thus it occurs as you age. Floaters are more common in people between 50 to 75 years. It occurs when the gel-like substance (vitreous) in the eye become more liquid. Colored contact lenses have directly no relation with worsening the floaters. Therefore, it is completely safe to wear colored contact lenses for prescription purposes even if you are diagnosed with floaters.

According to Eye Professional John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO, “There is no cause-effect relationship between floaters and contact lenses”. Therefore; wearers of colored contact lenses should feel no fear or hesitation; since they do not need to discontinue wearing colored contact lenses due to floaters. They must however should stick to cleanliness & maintenance along with timely replacement of colored contact lenses.

Avoid Expired/ Old Colored Contact Lenses

Old colored contact lenses or those that have passed their expiry must be avoided. Such colored contact lenses are already possibly contaminated with viruses/ bacteria. Furthermore; protein deposits on old colored contact lenses may bring havoc to those having vision problems.

Also Read: Do Circle Lenses Really Expire?

People with floaters are recommended to stick to monthly disposable circle lenses that are meant for a month use or last three months at maximum.

“Contacts do not cause floaters to become larger, although you might become more aware of them with visual improvement. Contacts also do not cause flashes. If you have flashes and/or an increase or change in floaters, especially suddenly, this may be a sign of a more serious problem within the eye, having nothing to do with the contacts. You should have a dilated eye exam by a Eye M.D. (ophthalmologist) to be certain that you don't have problems within the eye”; Says Ivan Schwab-Ophthalmologist at American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeSmart.

Reference:

WebMd- Eyefloaters (Benign)

Contact Lens’ Effects on Floaters

3 Effects of Cigarette - Smoking on Contact Lens Tolerance

 

Smoking has never been good to health. It leaves deleterious effects on human body and soul. Stained teeth, mouth sores along with other injurious effects are only some of the preliminary health disasters attributed to smoking. Smoking may even lead to potential ocular damages where people who wear colored contact lenses are at greater risk.

Also Read: Effects of Medications on Contact Lens Wear

Harmful Effects of Smoking on Contact Lens Tolerance

1. Ocular Damages

A research says; conducted by Johnson and Johnson, Department of Ocular Surface and Visual Optics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, “Even brief passive exposure of contact lenses to cigarette smoking have worse effects on the ocular surface in epithelia”. It increases the tear instability which turn eyes dry leading to gross corneal ulcers.

2. Corneal Infiltrates

In simple words corneal infiltrates are corneal inflammation. They are hazy-gray small areas that appear on the cornea often under the upper eyelids. They are composed of inflammatory cells which produce an annoying feeling of having an “external agent” in eyes, with excessive tearing, redness, sensitivity to light & contact lens discomfort.

3. Dryness & Irritation

Smoke from the cigarette may lead to dryness & irritation. The chemicals from cigarette when enter the blood-stream restrict blood-flow to retina which causes bloodshot & itchy eyes. People who wear contact lenses are at greater risk of suffering from such damages as their eyes already lack enough permeability of oxygen.

Though dryness with contact lenses is nothing to be worried about and in most cases it can be cured using rewetting or lubricating drops; treating dryness caused by cigarette smoke would require you to quit wearing contact lenses at the first place furthermore;aggravating the vision problems.

Also Read: How to Treat CLID (Contact Lens Induced Dryness)

Conclusion:

Cigarette smoking has severe consequences on human health, both internally & externally. What worse? smoking cigarette may lead to permanent blindness, corneal ulcers & blurred vision. You do not need one more reason to quit smoking, especially if you are also one of the contact lens wearer. Do you?

Related:

Can smoke from BBQ burn contact lenses?

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References:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20351603

http://www.case.edu/

How wearing Expired Circle Lenses can Damage your Eyes: Parasite Devours Young Girl’s Eyes for Using Disposable Circle Contacts for 6 Months

Circle contact lenses should not be worn after their expiry even though they feel still the same. Circle contact lenses are medical devices and should be considered the same. Expired circle contact lenses become dangerous because of the protein & lipids accumulation. The bacteria growth on the contact lenses then may transfer to your eyes causing potential damages to the epithelial tissues.  The very same irrevocable damaged were caused by expired circle contact lenses to a young girl from Taiwan; leading to permanent blindness.

It has been reported that a college girl from Taiwan, was found to criminally neglect hygiene with circle contact lenses. She kept wearing disposable circle lenses that were meant for only a month use for half a year, even while sleeping. Continuing to wearing expired circle contact lenses enabled the parasite to devour her both of the corneas without even letting her know.

After being hospitalized, she was found to be suffering from Acanthamoeba Keratitis. Her corneas have had shrunk to half of the size since the parasite “protozon” had almost been done with its damage. Over-wearing circle contact lenses has always been a bad idea; as bad as it is to share your circle contact lenses with someone else.

Read:

1. Over-wearing circle contact lenses damaged the eyes of a fashion designer
2. Conjunctivitis outbreaks due to sharing circle contact lenses

Director of Ophthalmology Wu Jian Liang indicated that the girl had been allegedly using dirty water to wash her face. He thus warned people that either the soft contact lenses or hard contact lenses, they should not come in contact with water in any form as it increases the chances of contamination.

Also Read: Can I wash face wearing circle contact lenses?

Wu said that the girl had failed to maintain proper hygiene of her circle contact lenses. She used expired circle contact lenses & made conditions gross by not taking them out even before sleeping. This also had restricted her to disinfect her circle lenses which lead to this irrevocable damage.

Stick to proper maintenance of circle contact lenses before it is too late. You have already been warned.

How important are Contact Lens Follow-ups?

Circle contact lenses are the best mode of changing the way you look. They are fun to wear at special occasions. Available in all funky, crazy & unique colors & patterns they tend to grab tons of attention. The situation however changes if you wear “prescription” contact lenses. Prescription contact lenses need prescription of course at the first place & last but not the least they require “regular circle contact lens follow ups”.

Also Read: What are Prescription Contact Lenses?

Prescription circle contact lenses are meant to change the defect in your eyesight. They cater to all types of vision problems including farsightedness & astigmatism. If you happen to wear prescription circle contact lenses you need to be a bit more vigilant & careful since you might need to get them fitted by an eye care professional.

Also Read: Is Prescription of Glasses & Contact Lenses the Same?

• Prescription may change over time therefore follow up appointments are recommended to patients with refractive index errors. Failing to meet your eye care professional may cause potential damages to the eyes because circle contact lenses are medical devices that should be monitored regularly for the side effects.
• Because people who wear circle contact lenses to correct the vision defect wear circle lenses more regularly and for longer durations than those who wear it just for fun are at greater risk of diseases caused by circle contact lenses.
• Circle contact lenses may also cause discomfort whilst working at computer. Eye strain being one of the most common side-effect, is often ignored by the patients which lead towards further severe damages such as corneal ulcers, keratitis, neovascularization etc.
• Having regular meet-ups with your eye care professional keep you up to date & medically fit. You should discuss the risks & benefits of wearing circle contact lenses other than general care & maintenance tips.

For healthy eyes & risk-free wear of circle contact lenses ask your doctor the following questions

1. Is it safe to wear circle lenses every day?
2. Are circle contact lenses really worth the risk?
3. How long wearing is actually considered over-wearing circle lenses?
4. Effect of circle contact lenses on people working at computers?

An eye care professional is able to check your eyes thoroughly for contact lens impact. He may be able to prescribe you something your eyes better deserve which as a result maximizes vision. Doctors do not want to increase the drop-outs of contact lenses because they have been the handiestdevice for people from different walks of life when it comes to correcting the vision defect.

Also Read: Glasses or Circle Contact Lenses for Vision Correction?

Schedule your circle contact lens follow ups & don’t miss a single appointment! Stay healthy, stay safe!

Are Circle Contact Lenses Safe for Children? What is the Right Age?

Circle contact lenses are not FDA approved in United States. However it is perfectly legal to buy circle contact lenses from an online retailer based in another country. Today; circle lenses have much more to offer than they had back a decade.Circle contact lenses are now available in prescription. Even children are no more reluctant to give them a try as they find benefits in wearing circle contact lenses than wearing conventional eye glasses.

At what Age should a Child be given Circle Contact Lenses?

Circle contact lenses are safe for children depending upon the following factors.

1. Maturity Level: Is he mature enough to understand his responsibilities? Does he finish his home-work on his own? Does he take things seriously or is he simply a careless brat?
2. Calendar Age: Though many doctors around the world are convinced that age has little to do with the maturity of a child, it is simply impossible to completely ignore the age. A child need to be meticulous about circle contact lens’ safety, wear & risks involved. According to the doctors the right age of introducing circle contact lenses to a child should be no less than 13 years.

Circle Contact Lenses for Children: Safe or Harmful?

When your child starts pushing you for getting him a pair of circle contact lenses, you should immediately get concerned if he is suffering from vision problems. Get him checked for a prescription.

1. Kids prefer circle contact lenses over glasses because they fear being mocked for by their peer-group at school. Parents also consider it an opportunity if their child has an inclination towards circle contact lenses because small kids are more prone to breaking the delicate frames of glasses over & over again.
2. Circle contact lenses have their own pros and cons. Circle lenses directly float on eyes whereas glasses sit at the nose posing no risks of direct abrasions to cornea. However circle lenses have many benefits over glasses.
3. Circle contact lenses should not be worn more than 6 hours. In early months a child must not wear circle lenses for more than 3 hours.

Circle contact lenses are as safe for children as they are for adults. Children can even wear novelty circle contact lenses if they are mature enough. Train your child and educate him about circle contact lenses, wear, care & maintenance.

“How to Educate your Child about Wearing Circle & Colored Contact Lenses”

All you need to worry about before letting your child buy circle lenses is to find a reputable supplier of circle lenses. If unfortunately; you get counterfeit circle lenses online the entire story will be presenting horrific & terrifying end results. Being warned is being armed. Therefore, buy only branded ISO, KFDA and medically certified circle contact lenses hereto save your child eyes & vision forever.

How Over-Wearing Circle Contact Lenses can Damage your Eyes: Fashion Designer from London Caution her Fans

Over-wearing circle contact lenses is never free of risk. It is strictly advised to the consumers to avoid wearing contact lenses for more than 8 hours a day. Consumers jeopardize their vision and eyes by neglecting their eye care professionals’ advice and put everything into risk by ignoring the yearly check-ups. Something similar was realized by London based Fashion designer Aimee during her routine check-up of circle contact lenses.

Aimee McWilliams, 33 has been wearing circle contact lenses from the age of 14 but she never felt any discomfort by contact lenses. During her routine check-up; she was given a shock by her eye care professional that she is on the verge of total blindness. Due to over-wearing circle contact lenses (for more than 14 hours a day) her eyes were dangerously oxygen-starved and thus she may lose eye sight permanently anytime soon.

'I was horrified,' recalls Aimee, from London. 'I'd always worn my lenses from 7 am until nearly midnight. Nobody had told me that I was jeopardizing my sight by wearing them for so long, though I suppose I just said I used them daily.

'What frightened me even more was that there had been no signs anything was wrong - my eyes looked the same. And I'd delayed my annual check-up by several weeks because I was so busy and I didn't think I really needed one.'

Neovascularization

Over-wearing circle contact lenses may lead to a disease known as “neovascularization” in which the eyes compensate the deficient oxygen supply through growing new blood vessels over the cornea. Cornea is the only part of the human body that fulfills its oxygen requirement from the air than from the blood vessels. Since circle contact lenses act as a barrier in oxygen permeability; threats of permanent blindness increase as time goes by.

Stopping contact lens wear may cause those blood-vessels to erupt; taking situation under control. However in severe cases where there is excessive growth of blood-vessels the scarring becomes permanent resulting in freaking eye sore.

You must conduct a self-exam on weekly basis if you are a regular wearer of circle contact lenses. Stay vigilant for these symptoms to find out if you have also been over-wearing your circle contact lenses. Being a regular wearer of circle contact lenses you need to be very meticulous about wearing circle lenses, failing to follow which may cost you the vision loss.

Circle contact lens wearers are always at greater risk of eye injuries such as conjunctivitis that spreads through sharing circle contact lenses and non-hygienic attitude towards circle contact lenses. It is safe to wear circle contact lenses daily provided you are not exceeding the time limit suggested to you by your doctor.

Are you at risk due to wearing circle contact lenses? Follow “Circle Lenses’ Health Risks” to save yourself from peripheral and acute damages or buy safe to wear & KFDA & USFDA circle lenses.

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P.S:  A brief excerpt from a news story published here; has been featured in this article. 

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Related:
Are you Overwearing Circle Lenses Too?
Is It Safe to Wear Circle Lenses Everyday?
Are Colored Contact Lenses Really worth the Risk?
Avoid the Risks whilst Wearing Colored Contact Lenses

Are Colored Contact Lenses Really worth the Risk?

What’s your take on wearing circle contact lenses? Is it a “Trending Fashion “or a “Trending Terror”? Circle contact lenses make eyes appear wider since they cover not only the iris but the white parts of the eye. They are available in all the bright, candy & natural colors which has put the teen-agers in a craze to run after everything that is “circle lenses”. Meanwhile the youth seems to be entrapped by the trending circle contact lenses, US eye care doctors continue to bash the trend by highlighting the cons of wearing big eye circle contacts.

A spokesperson for the F.D.A told the New York Times:

“Consumers risk significant eye injuries — even blindness” when they buy contact lenses without a valid prescription or help from an eye professional.”

And Dr. S. Barry Eiden, an optometrist more familiar with the trend, said that people selling circle lenses online “are encouraging the avoidance of professional care.” He warned that ill-fitting contact lenses could deprive the eye of oxygen and cause serious vision problems.

Circle contact lenses or colored lenses are not approved in United States which restrict the sale of circle lenses in the States. However; the trend of wearing fashion circle lenses can’t be ditched as the trend-lovers continue to get their colored lenses from Asian sellers & stores. True; that circle lenses make eyes charming but does this charm really worth the risk?

USFDA VS KFDA

1. Though circle contact lenses are banned by USFDA; it is legal to manufacture, promote, sell & purchase circle lenses in Korea and other Asian countries. United States Food & Drug Association might be very careful about the health and well-being of their citizens; KFDA is not lagging behind either. There might exist difference in the standardization-scale but it is not sensible enough to compare the two separate bodies.
2. “Circle lenses or colored contact lenses” carrying KFDA certification have already undergone the quality assessment and so are completely safe to wear. They are constructed using advanced technology under state-of-art hygienic labs which lead to the production of “safe to wear medical devices” that are frequently called “Circle Lenses”. This being said; it will be insane to count that all the circle lenses coming from Asia are harmful and damaging to eyes. There exist several myths regarding circle lenses and we beg to state that all of them are not true
3. The branded circle lenses with KFDA approval having managed to win several other quality certifications and awards are not a threat to your eyes until you are keeping the key points of wearing and taking care of circle lenses in mind.

Trending Circle Lenses: How to be a Wise Trend-Follower?

Some Key notes to consider:

• Always follow a good replacement schedule of circle lenses.
• Do not substitute lubricating drops and disinfecting solution with other liquids.
• Do not wear circle lenses & the related products past their expiration.
• Do not share your circle lenses with anyone
• Do not re-wear circle lenses that have been contaminated by any seasonal eye-infection/allergy

Circle lenses can even be worn daily provided that you don’t over-wear them. Over-wearing circle lenses is an immature act which should be strictly avoided. Stop wearing soft contact lenses if you notice any of these symptoms.

Buying online is a cheaper alternate than buying circle lenses from an optometrist. We advise following your prescription & sticking on to it. However; we assure that buying circle contact lenses from UNIQSO is risk-free. Find out; what benefits you get on purchasing your contacts from UNIQSO.

We strive hard to create awareness about the pros & cons of the trending fashion of wearing circle contact lenses through our dedicated and Premier E-Library of Circle Lenses. Follow our “Circle Lens Blog” for several other medical updates, contact lens health risks & fashion updates on the trend.

Guam Conjunctivitis Outbreak Continues: Stop Sharing Colored Contact Lenses

According to a news release; Conjunctivitis outbreak continues in Guam, US with an unabated total of 248 registered cases in the vicinity. According to the reports; both the sexes; males and females are being affected though the males slightly outnumber the females. Surprisingly; elderly and infants are being targeted alike by the virus. Poor hygiene & a careless attitude towards using colored contact lenses & cosmetics might be the source behind the virus growth.

What is Conjunctivitis & What causes it?

Conjunctivitis is an eye disease which causes inflammation at the conjunctiva- the thin layer that covers the inside of the eyelid which rests over the white area of the eye. Due to inflammation the whites of the eye develop a pink tone; and hence the condition is known as “Pink Eye Disease”. The disease is though caused by viruses, allergens, environmental pollutants, fungi, chemicals etc.; unhygienic living conditions and a careless attitude towards the use of daily articles such as towel, tissue, soaps, eye glasses, bed-linens/blankets and cosmetics may worsen the situation.

• Always wash hands with soap before touching your face and eyes.
• Sterilize the towels & the contaminated linens
• Do not share towels, pillows, eye frames & contact lenses with conjunctivitis’ infected person.
• Do not swim in the pools when infected.

Precautions to observe if you are a Contact Lens Wearer

Prevention is better than cure. If you wear colored contact lenses on regular basis; you need to stay even more vigilant. Though you might already be cleaning & disinfecting your colored contact lenses;you need to stay more active now.

• Clean, disinfect & wash your colored contact lenses by rubbing method twice a day.
• Sterilize your colored contact lens cases. Replace them if it has been more than 3 months to them
• Throw your colored contact lenses past their expiry
• Do not use cheap or homemade saline solutions to clean your colored contact lenses
• Do not share your eye drops & makeup brushes
• DO NOT ever share your colored contact lenses with ANYONE on earth; not even for the sake of fun.

Sharing colored contact lenses only aggravates the symptoms & destroys all efforts of the government that are taken to fight against the viral disease. Do not re-wear those colored contact lenses that you wore when your eyes were infected. Toss them off with the related accessories including colored contact lens handling forceps, containers, plunger and eye drops. Remember; good personal hygiene is the only aid to help minimize the effects of conjunctivitis.

Why did My Colored Contact Lenses Fade?

You probably won’t notice any discoloration in circle Lenses or colored contact lenses if you have been replacing them as per your prescription. Please bear in mind that branded circle lenses or Korean circle lenses are made from “Sandwich Printing Technology” which keep the pigmentation of the lens saved between two layers. Circle lenses or colored contact lenses made in China or those counterfeit lenses lack in this regard & thus may fade even before the first wear.

Colored contact lenses do fade in color overtime because everything weathers. However if you practice a good replacement schedule; you probably are not giving your colored contact lenses enough time to fade.

Following factors are involved in colored contact lens fading

The change in molecular structure of colored contact lenses that occurs due to over wearing causes discoloration. Colored contact lenses also become contaminated. Refer to the chart below for contamination signs on colored contact lenses.

Staining	Causes
Yellowish brown	Over-wearing
Brown hue	Rinsed with tap water (containing high iron content)
Yellow & Blue	Cosmetics buildup
Pink	Medicines ( VB12, improper eye drops, antibiotics)
Reddish-Brown	Contact lenses of smoker
White & bright grey	Proteins, lipids, fungi, medications

The inappropriate lens care products such as hydrogen peroxide which acts as a bleach may further accelerate the fading. Neglecting precautions when wearing circle lenses and applying makeup such as improper use of hair spray, straightening irons, curlers and dyes boost-up premature fading in colored contact lenses.

Adherence to the prescribed replacement schedule & disinfecting them regularly save you bucks and above all prevent you from frightening eye sores & abrasions!

Reference:

Contact Lens Complications- Etiology, Pathogenesis, Prevention, Therapy by Hans- Walter Roth