Contact lens abuse may cause blindness
Infections from contact lenses can be so severe that it can cause a hole in the eye, which certainly means the person can go blind. A few minutes of neglect can change their lives forever.” Dr Hamed Anwar, consultant ophthalmologist, Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi
abu dhabi — Contact lens abuse is leading to a rise in numbers of infections and diseases, according to field experts in the UAE.
Doctors are urging users to be careful, as “a few minutes of neglect could lead to blindness or even removal of the eye”.
“It takes just one simple mistake for a contact lens user to have the risk of going blind,” said Dr Hamed Anwar, consultant ophthalmologist, corneal, cataract and refractive surgeon, Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi.
Dr Anwar added: “Infections from contact lenses can be so severe that it can cause a hole in the eye, which certainly means the person can go blind. A few minutes of neglect can change their lives forever.”
Dr Anwar said the number one rule is to never sleep while wearing contact lenses.
“Soft contact lenses are divided into daily disposables and extended disposables, and although the extended lenses were FDA-approved for overnight use, they had discovered that sleeping with them increases the risk of eye infections,” Dr Anwar said.
He added: “You don’t run that risk in wearing daily contact lenses, because you take them off at night.”
According to the doctor, sleeping with contact lenses can also cause severe scaring. “The vision will become awful and they won’t be able to see clearly because of the scar,” he said.
Dr Anwar advises users to ensure they purchase contact lenses from a doctor or an optometrist; not from online sources as there is no guarantee about their safety. “It’s crucial to have an expert instruct the user and it is important to purchase lenses that are by a reputable brand.”
He said people often abuse contact lenses because they are simply unaware about the dangers involved. “Contact lens users in the UAE are often in their late 20s and often have busy and active lifestyles — waking up early and sleeping late — whereas in the UK, they are usually in their late 30s.”
“Some users often forget and sleep with their lenses still on, but if people are told what happens, they would never repeat it.”
He explained that the lenses are similar to micro-sponges and are exposed to pollution, insects and dust, which are rapidly attracted to the lenses. “When eyes are closed at night, oxygen concentrations of the eye decreases and the cornea swells up. The cells on the surface of the cornea creates gaps, which is an ideal situation for bugs to get between and cause a cornea infection,” he added.
Dr Anwar said he receives at least one patient a week with a corneal infection from contact lenses, in which they require strong antibiotic drops. The doctos added: “We may need to take samples from the cornea and also run tests on the lenses to see if there are any insects inside.
If the patient is lucky, the contact lens infection might heal within three to four days, otherwise they might require corneal transplant, because of the infection due to the hole or the scar caused by the bug.” He highlighted the case of a 26-year-old patient he received who had an aggressive bacteria on the surface on the eye due to contact lens neglect. “The patient eventually had to have the cornea perforated and needed an emergency transplant.”
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com