Another contact lens horror story..

C_Mababejive

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3086295/Teenager-parasite-burrowing-eyeball-kept-awake-WEEK-stop-eating-away-sight.html

AK is a very serious infection and can easily lead to loss of eyesight. It is extremely difficult for healthcare professionals to combat.


Despite the day to day abuse practised by many CL wearers, I believe AK is still relatively rare but even so, you wouldnt want it to be you.

AK infection predominantly occurs in those who use extended wear CLs i.e not daily disposables.

jenniewb

My dad for reasons I don't understand still over 15 years later; didn't take out his non-daily contact lenses for 2 days and they welded to his eyes. He couldn't get them out, ended up in A&E where they had to take them out under a local anaesthetic.
It still didn't put me off. If my eyes were suitable (or I should say; if lenses were suitable *and affordable* for my eyes) I'd be wearing them! I doubt many would be put off because no one ever thinks it could be them until it happens.


My dad no longer wears contact lenses.

C_Mababejive

I agree. Daily disposable contact lenses are the safest mode of CL use and rarely present with problems.

The ones where problems occur are the longer term use ones and which require cleaning.

I have been a daily disposable CL user for many years and i use daysoft lenses as they are economical and comfortable/trouble free to wear due to them being non silicon hydrogels.

stir_crazy

I think the main problem is that people think that bad things will never happen to them and so they take more and more risks. I know a woman who habitually wears her daily lenses for two or three days without taking them out because "she's never had an infection yet so it must be alright". I've just told her that she shouldnt need to get an infection to realise that daily lenses should be taken out after a day!

pmduk

It's not an area in which to take risks or take foolish money-saving techniques.

C_Mababejive

stir_crazy wrote: »

I think the main problem is that people think that bad things will never happen to them and so they take more and more risks. I know a woman who habitually wears her daily lenses for two or three days without taking them out because "she's never had an infection yet so it must be alright". I've just told her that she shouldnt need to get an infection to realise that daily lenses should be taken out after a day!

Yes, i guess its just plain old human nature and part of it is that many people simply do not appreciate the horrors that can occur due to misuse of CLs. Horrors such as AK and Neovascularisation to name but a few of the worst.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_long-term_contact_lens_wear_on_the_cornea

The CL manufacturers have given joe public what they want. Perfect vision that they can use long term and almost forget that they have a visual disability.

A triumph of marketing and big money all round for the CL manufacturers cartels.

People believe it and we end up with over use ,over wear and very lax or non existent hygiene,cleaning and handling regimes.

I only use traditional daily disposable hydrogels, not Silocon based CLs and i intersperse their use with a day or two without when i wear my new trendy specs.

Fluff15

I read about this yesterday - I have an appointment to get sized for contacts on the 30th, as I'm fed up of being sightless during my exercise classes. I had no idea this sort of thing could happen with contacts, and this prompted me to look at more things that can go wrong. I've got a very good optician and I'm sure he would have run through with me, but it looks like dailies will be the option for me.

stir_crazy

I wear ortho-k lenses during the night now, a bit more expensive than I was but it means that I dont need to worry when swimming and I can still see (I also have issues with dry eyes.).

The thing that annoys me though is that there is a distinct lack of awareness of what can actually go wrong when wearing CL if hygiene isnt up to scratch. I started wearing CLs 13 years ago and I can still remember my optician drilling it into me that hygiene is key.

C_Mababejive

Fluff15 wrote: »

I read about this yesterday - I have an appointment to get sized for contacts on the 30th, as I'm fed up of being sightless during my exercise classes. I had no idea this sort of thing could happen with contacts, and this prompted me to look at more things that can go wrong. I've got a very good optician and I'm sure he would have run through with me, but it looks like dailies will be the option for me.

Indeed,always be guided by a good independent optician who puts clinical assessment before sales and monthly supply contracts.

Most soft lenses on the market these days are silicon hydrogels. These were developed to facilitate extended wear due to their higher oxygen permeability levels.

Unfortunately silicon is a known hydrophilic which can lead to poor wetting and drying of the lenses and eyes.

Also silicon hydrogels are a little thicker than non si hydrogels.

This can add up to a whole lot of potential issues for those who choose to wear extended wear lenses.

I choose to wear spherical non silicon hydrogel daily disposables even though i have astigmatism (common) becuase they are the simplest, healthiest,economical solution for me.

PenguinOfDeath

It's obvious she didn't follow the opticians advice (if she saw one at all) I've had it drummed into to me NEVER to get eater on your lenses then continue to wear. Never mind keeping them in a glass, and not a secure case!

Anyway, pretty glad I'm making the more convenient move to dailies soon

tidus

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Indeed,always be guided by a good independent optician who puts clinical assessment before sales and monthly supply contracts.

Most soft lenses on the market these days are silicon hydrogels. These were developed to facilitate extended wear due to their higher oxygen permeability levels.

Unfortunately silicon is a known hydrophilic which can lead to poor wetting and drying of the lenses and eyes.

Also silicon hydrogels are a little thicker than non si hydrogels.

This can add up to a whole lot of potential issues for those who choose to wear extended wear lenses.

I choose to wear spherical non silicon hydrogel daily disposables even though i have astigmatism (common) becuase they are the simplest, healthiest,economical solution for me.

Not worried about the poor oxygen transmission in your HEMA lenses then?