Bloodshot Eyes at Wearing Contact Lenses. What could be possibly causing it?

Contact lenses should not be troublesome if you have purchased them from an authentic seller. As per doctors, it is not contact lenses that create problems but how people wear them. Developing bloodshot eyes with contact lenses is rare and unfortunately it is almost impossible to track a single root cause without having to get your eyes professionally analyzed by a doctor. A number of causes are involved that should be an immediate concern if the inflammation is accompanied by eye strain & pain.

Possibility No 1: Over-Wearing Contact Lenses

Bloodshot eyes are a major indication towards over-wearing your contact lenses. Wearing contact lenses for a longer duration than prescribed, compromise the oxygen transmission to eyes. To fulfill the deficiency; eyes grow a network of veins to draw the oxygen from, instead of the atmosphere. This condition is medically known as “Neovascularisation”. Sometimes, the veins may abruptly burst leaving scarring. Removing contact lenses and relieving eyes using eye drops usually help reducing the discomfort.

Possibility No 2: Incompatible Contact Lenses

If bloodshot eye condition is accompanied by headache & pressure at the back of eyes (eye strain), it is usually because of incompatible contact lenses. If your contact lenses don’t fit you, they will most probably react the same way. The average base curve for contact lenses is 8.6mm but you may be an exception. Sometimes, too low or too high water content may also bother sensitive eyes.

Possibility No 3: Miscellaneous Reasons

Your eyes may have caught an infection due to which contact lenses are causing irritation. Sometimes modification or advancement in the formula of contact lens solution also cause allergic response. Another reason can be poor tear film due to which contact lenses take time to settle. Over working at screens whilst still wearing contact lenses can also cause eye strain along with bloodshot red eyes.

If the issue seems to be persistent and don’t go away on its own after a week of giving your eyes a rest from contact lenses; it is recommended that you meet your eye doctor at your earliest. Who knows, you might only need an updated prescription of contact lenses only!

Over-Wearing Contact Lenses may lead to Painful Eye Conditions: Shirley Yeung

36, years old Hong Kong actress; Shirley Yeung made a fearlessly daring appearance, with an eye patch and sun glasses at a promotional event.  Sources claimed that she have had her corneas damaged due to over-wearing her contact lenses i.e. 20 hours straight in a day.

Perhaps, Yeung had not taken the warnings seriously that contact lenses are never to be worn exceeding the recommended time period. Had she been reading our blog, she would have memorized it that no matter in what circumstance you are stuck in, you must remove your contact lenses between 4-6 hours.

Yeung explained to Hong Kong Press that due to being unable to remove contact lenses during work, her eyes had become severely dehydrated that lead to painful eye condition and have had her corneas compromised.

“It hurts, so much as if someone is piercing my eye ball with a knife”

“The lens felt like it was stuck to my eyeball and it took me nearly 15 minutes before I finally removed it. Something felt wrong and I couldn't sleep, so I quickly went to the hospital."

Contact lenses are medical devices- the fact that many of us tend to intentionally neglect. These corrective devices need careful handling and meticulous care. Over-wearing contact lenses may lead to “neovascularisation” a condition with over-grown blood vessels that may even rupture to fulfill eyes' oxygen need. Behave wisely, and never ignore the directions your contact lens provider disseminates!

Wearing Chinese Lenses & that too, overly? See What Happened when a Woman over wears her Cheap Lenses

Circle lenses and contact lenses are prescribed to be worn between 4-6 hours at maximum. Wearing them for more than 6 hours is considered as exploiting your eyes and circle lenses. Over-wearing circle lenses either by wearing them for an extended period of time or by continuing to wear them after the expiry date has passed make patients vulnerable to ocular infections & threats of vision loss. A Chinese woman developed 10 tiny “eye stones” after she continues to wear her daily disposables for a month. Failing to replace contact lenses is itself a crime made against health that makes you pay the hefty price later on.

According to the news report, a Zhijiang’s woman under-went painful process of needle-scraping as she had unknowingly invited bacteria accumulation & protein deposits by wearing the same pair of disposable circle lenses for over a month.

1. Doctors opine that patients need to be vigilant about the expiry date of circle lenses. Daily disposable circle lenses should always be replaced daily. Similarly monthly disposable circle lenses are either meant for a month’s use or in some cases for 3 months. Always check the label & instructions on the vials to safe-guard your vision. Conventionally, circle lenses are priced under $19 to $26. Do not risk your eyes by compromising at the price & toss off your expired contact lenses for a new and timely replacement.
2. Over-wearing circle lenses also run the risk of developing neo-vascularisation that encourages the growth of blood-vessels. If they erupt, eye sore becomes permanent to haunt you forever. Last year a case of young Taiwanese student was registered who also failed to replace her contacts & got her corneas shrunk to half of the size due to the malicious activity of Protozon bacteria.

Circle lenses are nothing to feel afraid of. They simply are prosthetic medical devices that need to be handled carefully. If you are sensible enough to make the rest of the decisions of life by yourself; you must try to learn good hygiene habits to carefully use your circle lenses.

3 Ways you are Wearing Contact Lenses Wrong: First Contact Lens Week, 2014 (Health Reminder 2)

Play your role in prevention against conjunctivitis, keratitis & neovascularisation through wise use of contact lenses. 

“Contact lenses offer many benefits, but they are not risk-free”; said Dr. Cope, a CDC medical epidemiologist at a conference. Contact lenses thus may be the prime reason of several outrageous ocular injuries & chronic vision threatening infections if not used appropriately. Practicing healthy habits & introducing vision-friendly measures with contact lenses can save you from the gross aftermath of using these medical devices the wrong way.

Prevention is better than Cure

• How to protect yourself from Keratitis?

Keratitis is an infection of the cornea- front layer of iris. It can cause blurred & hazy vision leading to permanent vision loss and acute pain along with other deathly symptoms. If you wear contact lenses, you need to stay more vigilant as you are prone to developing ocular infections.

Case Study: How Common are Acanthamoeba Related Ocular Infections?

What You Need to Do?

Stay very cautious about your contact lenses. Never allow water to come into contact with your contact lenses. Water contains a virus “acanthamoeba Keratitis” and letting your contact lenses make a contact with water is like welcoming the corneal-devouring parasite to your most precious & only set of eyes. Always air-dry your contact lens cases.

• How to protect yourself from Conjunctivitis?

Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the conjunctiva- the white layer of the eye. It is also known as pink- eye disease. It can cause teary eyes, inflammation, itching, irritation, and discharge along with other symptoms.

Case Study: Sharing Contact Lenses Promoted Guam Conjunctivitis Outbreak

What You Need to Do?

As a contact lens wearer; you are at a risk of developing conjunctivitis. Therefore, make special preventive measures for the sake of your eyes. Do not share your contact lenses with anyone. Also avoid falling for substandard and cheap contact lenses.

• How to Protect yourself from Neovascularisation

Neovascularisation occurs when your eyes become oxygen-starved. Since eyes draw its oxygen from the open environment than from the body, they grow blood vessels to fulfill the requirement when there is a blockade. The blood vessels may rupture when you discontinue wearing contact lenses, but in severe cases with excessive growth of blood-vessels you are left with horrendous permanent eye scarring & eye sore.

Case Study: How Over-Wearing Contact Lenses Affected London Based Fashion Designer

What You Need to Do?

To prevent your eyes from neovascularisation always take note of following:

Never over-wear contact lenses. This includes wearing contact lenses exceeding the daily limit of 6 hours and wearing contact lenses past their expiry.

Also;

1. Do not sleep in your contact lenses
2. Go here to find out if you are also over-wearing contact lenses.

“There is no question that many people love to use contact lenses instead of spectacles. Using contact lenses, however, does carry the risk of infection and, in extreme cases, blindness,” added by CDC team. Always wear FDA approved circle lenses & ensure a pragmatic approach to contact lens disinfection to lead a safe life.

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