Do Contact Lenses Cause Eye Damage?

Considering the nature of the contact lens and the way it is worn, some people may wonder if contacts cause eye damage. Contact lenses are considered medical devices and are closely regulated, but they still fit directly onto your eyeball, so it's understandable why some people might fell that damage is a possibility. In reality, wearing contact lenses as intended is a safe practice and shouldn't cause any damage. However, if you choose to wear your contacts in a way that is contrary to how the manufacturers suggest, eye damage may be the end result.

The first way to ensure you don't suffer any contact lens related eye damage is to only wear contacts that were prescribed by a licensed eye doctor. Wearing a contact lens that wasn't specifically prescribed for you is a recipe for disaster. It's also important not to use anyone else's contact lenses, even if their prescription is similar or the same as yours. Another way to prevent eye damage from wearing your contact lenses is to ensure your eyes continue to get sufficient oxygen while you're wearing them. Since a contact lens is worn directly on the cornea, it reduces the amount of oxygen that's able to enter your eyes. Wearing hydrogel or rigid gas permeable or "hard" contacts may help to keep oxygen levels in your eyes high.

Proper cleaning of your contact lenses and even the contacts case will help to limit the amount of bacteria that can enter your eyes and will prevent damage. The manufacturer of your contact lenses will likely have strict guidelines on how to clean and disinfect the contacts and if you follow those instructions closely, you should be all right. It's important not to get lazy on the hygiene part of wearing contact lenses, or your risk of eye damage will increase quite a lot.

If you wear your contacts too long and don't replace them when suggested, you may run into some problems with infection or eye damage. Just as with the hygiene element, it's important to replace your contacts on the proper schedule and not to wear them too much. Deposits can build up on the insides of the contact lenses, even if you use proper hygiene practices. If you choose to wait longer than you should to replace your contacts, the deposits could reduce the oxygen supply to your cornea and cause eye damage.

Keeping up with your doctor's visits and eye exams is also very important for preventing eye damage from wearing your contacts. Having regular contact lens eye exams means that you can stay on top of your prescription and the doctor can monitor any issues that may come up before they get serious. Remember to always call and make an appointment with your contact lens doctor if you feel any discomfort form your contact lenses. Waiting it out is never the right thing to do. If you're able to control a small problem before damage actually occurs, you'll make your life a whole lot easier in the future.

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