Let’s start this conversation with an important question.
Contact Lens Wearers only (there are 41 million contact wearers in the US)…
Why do you wear two week disposable contact lenses for almost 2 months?
a) I can still see okay through them
b) It’s cheaper
c) I haven’t gotten around to seeing the eye doctor again
With all these new contact lens purchasing websites out there, it’s easy to not have to go to an eye doctor…BUT did you know that each state determines how long a prescription can last?
And in most states, the prescription expires after 1 year? Why do you think?
Answer: Eyeball abuse!
So as we shared above, 41 million Americans wear contact lenses. Which means 41 million people are susceptible to a condition that can lead to blindness. Pretty scary.
Corneal vascularization is a condition where your cornea goes through oxygen deprivation.
Basically, when your cornea is starving for air, it creates a “Plan B” and grows new blood vessels to compensate…which in turn, cross your eye’s surface. Corneas don’t normally have any blood vessels, so if they appear, we know something is wrong. The clarity of your cornea is completely destroyed by blood vessels which can leak.
If unchecked, this could cause multiple issues including: inflammation, cholesterol/lipid deposits and blindness. Things like cholesterol, fat, and protein accumulate in the cornea, which is supposed to remain clear like a clean window.
The eye can actually remain inflamed chronically. If you want to read more about this HORRIBLE possibility, read the blog we wrote about our friend who couldn’t enjoy football season: https://www.visiontexas.com/houston/blog/detail/2012/11/05/why-you-should-not-sleep-in-your-contact-lenses
If you don’t replace your lenses or clean your lenses perfectly, you are at a much higher risk of this condition.https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif
Something we always forget is that a contact lens is a medical device. It has to be monitored.
So give your eyes a rest while you sleep! Clean your contacts!
And if you are tired of dealing with lens solution and taking out your lenses every night, call us 713-626-5544 for a LASIK evaluation to see if you are a candidate to get rid of those contacts once and for all!
Ever wonder whether LASIK is safer than contact lenses? Click this link to find out more!
