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Pair of contact lenses
Contact lenses may seem an appealing alternative to wearing glasses or an interesting way of changing your eyes color. People using contact lenses should be in the known of the risks that come with inferior products, which are affecting their health and damaging their eyes.
A new study at the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Protection shows that wearing contact lenses leads to severe eye damages. According to the report released on Friday, August 19, one out of five cases presents serious injuries.
Michael Beach said on behalf of CDC Healthy Water Program in a press release:
“Contact lenses are a safe and effective form of vision correction when worn and cared for as recommended. However, improper wear and care of contact lenses can cause eye infections that sometimes lead to serious, long-term damage.”
In other words, you need to be very careful when choosing your contact lens and to follow the doctor’s recommendations. Not paying attention and taking for granted the way of improving your sight might actually backfire and have the opposite effect, namely damaging your sight even more.
The most extreme cases that have been reported are scarred cornea and even blindness. There are cases when surgery is needed, such as a corneal transplant. Specialists estimate that these sort of emergencies happen with 20% of the cases.
The study involved 1,075 cases of patients who have reported infections caused by contact lenses in the last ten years.
Specialists say that people can reduce risks of such infections by replacing their lens in due time and by not sleeping with them on if they are not designed to be used like this. Doctors say that 7% of the infections are caused by sleeping with the lenses on. They also advise people who don’t feel comfortable about their contact lens to change them or to go to the doctors. Even if the upset is small, it shouldn’t be neglected, as it can develop into something worse and lead to complications.
Dr. Jennifer Cope talks about the statistics regarding wearing lenses and the impact that the complications have on the community:
“Around 41 million people in the United States wear contact lenses and benefit from the improved vision and comfort they provide. While people who get severe eye infections represent a small percentage of those who wear contacts, they serve as a reminder for all contact lens wearers to take simple steps to prevent infections.”
So if you have to wear contact lenses, check it with your doctor first and pay attention to the recommendations.
Image courtesy of: Wikipedia
