Story of wearing Contact Lenses and the risk of corneal ulcer

These days, people wear contact lenses very frequently. In order to look spectacle free at events, contact lenses come really handy. But as they say ‘excess of anything is harmful’, it goes pretty well with the current generation that heavily depends on lenses. Wearing contact lenses for longer durations and periods can have the wrong effect on eyes. All who wear contact lenses are at an increased risk of getting corneal ulcers. As a matter of fact, the risk escalates tenfold when you are using extended-wear soft contact lenses (using it overnight). These extended ones are those which people wear for several days without removing them. Please be informed that contact lenses can damage one’s cornea in several manners. Some of the issues that people face are:

• There could be scratches often found at the edges of one’s contact lens. It even has the possibility to scrape the cornea’s surface. It is like an open gate to bacterial infections.
• Eyes are exposed to dirt and often tiny dust particles get stuck under the contact lens that can easily scratch the cornea.
• Bacteria could be on the lens or even in the cleaning solutions. These get stuck on the undersurface of the lens. If you are wearing lenses for prolonged hours then these can, multiply in number and may damage the cornea as well.
• When you wear lenses, there are chances of blocking oxygen to the cornea and there are possibilities of infections too.
• Viral infections lead to corneal ulcers as well. Some of the viruses are the varicella virus or the herpes simplex virus.
• Fungal infections can also one of the causes of corneal ulcers. Often people get injured by twigs and branches which often go ignored, but it may lead to infection. With such injury, people are treated with steroid eye drops or they may wear contact lenses that are not disinfected.

Centre for Sight’s expertise

Corneal ulcer treatment is a major service offered by Centre for Sight. Strategically located in New Delhi, the CFS team specializes in corneal treatment. Once diagnosed, it is important to diagnose the microorganism that has caused the infection. When the infection has been revealed, eyedrops and medications are prescribed. There could be instances where uncontrolled corneal ulcers may become a threatening condition (it may lead to visual impairment or blindness). There could be cases, a surgical option may turn out to be the only option. In case, the ulcer is not responding to any of the medical treatment then the doctor may recommend a corneal transplant. This is done to save the eye and eliminate the possibility of infection from spreading in the eye. If you are facing any eye infection, do not treat it lightly, it may escalate the eye issue. Get a consultation before the problem aggravates.

Article: Story Of Wearing Contact Lenses And The Risk Of Corneal Ulcer | Centre For Sight
Author: Dr Ritika   |   Nov 27 2019 | UPDATED 02:00 IST

*The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of Centre for Sight.