Dangers of Improper Contact Lens Care

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report showing there are almost one million doctor visits in the United States every year for eye infections due to improper contact lens care.

It is estimated that 38 million Americans wear contact lenses. While contacts in Charleston, South Carolina, can provide improved vision for people who are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism, you must follow proper hygiene steps to avoid eye infections.

Keratitis is the condition that can occur with poor contact lens care. It occurs when the cornea becomes infected with fungi, bacteria or other microbes, leading to pain, inflammation, scarring and vision disturbances…even blindness.

Avoid Eye Infections with Proper Contact Lens Care

If you don’t wear or care for your contacts properly, your risk of Charleston, South Carolina, eye infection (keratitis) increases. Here are some tips to follow when using contacts:

·         Always have super clean hands before touching contacts in or out of your eyes

·         Never clean contacts with tap water or saliva – there are millions of bacteria in your mouth and tap water can be teeming with bacteria and microorganisms that can lead to serious infections

·         Use a fresh batch of the proper disinfecting solution every time – certain types of bacteria can live in cleaning solution for over 4 hours

·         Clean and dry your contact lens case with the proper solution after each use; replace the case every 3 months

·         Do not sleep in contact lenses unless approved by your doctor

·         Do not swim or shower in contact lenses

·         Always have an extra pair of glasses to wear, in case you need to remove your contacts

If you love your appearance with contact lenses (as opposed to glasses), you need to invest time each day to care for and wear them the right way. If you rate your “Contact Lens Hygiene” low, but you don’t like wearing glasses, maybe LASIK in Charleston, South Carolina, is a better way to go!

LASIK vision correction at Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery may help you achieve 20/20 vision so you can remove the inconveniences of contacts and glasses from your life. However, not all patients are good candidates for this procedure. The only way to know for sure is by scheduling a free LASIK Consultation to have your eyes examined. Call 843-856-5275 or visit http://www.charlestoncornea.com/ to schedule your first step toward a lens-free life…and possibly a lower risk of eye infections.   

Fears and Misconceptions of LASIK – Is the Price Worth it in the Long Run?

We have personally seen many different types of people come through our Free LASIK Consultation. Some people question technology, some concern themselves with safety, and many are concerned that the cost of the procedure may not outweigh the benefits. Since our website deals largely with the issues of technology and safety, let’s address the issue of cost versus benefits.

First, let’s look at the benefits of a laser vision correction procedure, like LASIK or PRK:

It is possible for a patient to achieve 20/20 eyesight, or even better, with laser vision correction. You could live your life waking up and seeing immediately instead of searching for your glasses. You can experience the spontaneity of life, such as jumping in a swimming pool, playing in the rain, or going out on a windy day, without the fear of how any of these actions may affect your contacts and your ability to see. You can take a nap, free from the worry of taking your contacts out of your eyes first. You don’t have to rush to the store every time you are out of contact lens solution or order more glasses when yours accidentally break. You will be able to see life, naturally.

Is all that worth the cost of LASIK?

Our patients think so. 

“I’d worn corrective lenses of some type for 48 years and words fail me to describe how good it was to wake up the first morning and see the clock!” 

– Tommy Rutledge

“After nearly fifteen years of not being able to see without lenses, I decided to have LASIK surgery. It has changed my life. I see clearer than I ever did with glasses or contacts. If I had to make the choice again, I would without a doubt choose to have LASIK by Dr. O’Day at Charleston Cornea and Refractive Surgery.”
- Tina Campbell

However, some people have heard that people who have had LASIK eventually return to wearing glasses. How can this be if they have already had their vision corrected?

Let’s clear up one fact – LASIK or laser vision correction will NOT give you excellent vision for your whole lifetime.

Wait – what?

It’s true. Your eyes are living organs and there are certain, inevitable conditions that occur due to aging. One of these conditions is known as Presbyopia. Presbyopia is when the natural lenses in your eyes begin to harden. When you are young, your lenses are flexible so they can adjust to seeing near and far. As you age, these lenses harden. When they lose their flexibility, bifocals or reading glasses are used to help your eyes adjust.

Another inevitable is cataracts. Everyone will develop cataracts as they age. The affect that a cataract has on your vision depends largely upon the degree to which they form. Some people will never notice the affect while others may go blind.

The age at which you develop cataracts and/or presbyopia is not predetermined. For some, the symptoms of presbyopia can begin appearing as early as 40. For others, they may not have any side effects until 50 or older. For cataracts, most don’t appear until your early 60s or even into your 70s.

So back to the question – is the cost of LASIK worth it in the long run?

Let’s say you are nearsighted and you purchase disposable contact lenses every month. Then you have to purchase cleaning solution each month. If you lose a contact, tear it, it falls out, etc., then you have to replace your monthly supply faster than anticipated. You also have to get a pair of glasses for the times you don’t have contacts or if you have an eye infection or you’ve worn your contacts for too long. These glasses can easily be lost or broken, so it’s not just a one-time expense. 

This is a cost you have to pay, every month, consistently for 20 or more years. You are stuck with plastic on your eyes and the constraints they present just so you don’t have to compromise the ability to see. 

Or you can have laser vision correction and have your procedure paid off in two years or less. You'll gain the extra money in your budget and excellent eyesight to view life as it is. You’ll also gain the spontaneity that life has to offer because you can see clearly, naturally.

Contact Lenses and Eye Safety

Approximately 1 out of 20 people will have contact lens related problems.

Are you one of them?

Through recent research it has been found that contact lenses can affect several different areas of the eye. These effects could be simple irritation to more sight threatening complications. You may have experienced some of these problems or just had a concern about them.

The weather, oxygen and their effect on your eyes.

The weather and the wearing of contacts both have an effect. The eye cleans itself from harmful bacteria and other foreign substances through the process of creating what is known as the tear film. Not only does it protect the eye but it also carries the moisture and oxygen to help and protect the eye. The reduced amount of oxygen on the surface of the eye in turn reduces the blood flow to the cornea, which can create complications. While soft contact lenses have less of an effect on this than hard lenses it still does have an effect. And there are other problems that contacts can cause with your eyes.

Now throw in dry weather, the wind and the fluctuating temperatures you can see what your eyes are dealing with on a daily basis. In many instances, the risk to the health of your eyes is greater from wearing contact lenses than from today’s LASIK eye procedure.

And there are the aspects of “chronic wear and tear” from continual contact lens wear to the eye from simply having this foreign substance or particle in the eye. This can predispose an eye to infections and if you might have even experienced these difficulties yourself.

What are your alternatives?

LASIK is the alternative to contact lens wear. While not having them to affect your eyes in a potentially dangerous way is of great benefit you will also receive the benefit of having very improved eyesight if not 20-20.