There is no doubt about it... wearing contact lenses can be a lot of hard work! Hygiene is very important when handling lenses, so this invariably leads to a time-consuming daily regime. Unsurprisingly, 99% of contact lens wearers admit that they do not always practice good lens hygiene, which puts them at risk of eye health problems.
Here are 7 bad contact lens habits that could risk your vision.
Sleeping in contacts - 30% of contact lens users fall asleep in their lenses! This habit can increase the risk of eye infections by 8 times. Bacterial infections may result in ulcers and ultimately vision loss.
Swimming in lenses - Swimming with contacts can cause irritation, inflammation, and eye infections. The chlorine in pool water does not kill all bacteria, and these germs can migrate from the pool water onto your contact lenses.
Using tap water to clean contacts – Tap water may harbour a variety of viruses and bugs. Acanthamoeba is a parasite which clings to your lens, causing an infection which in the worst cases may require a corneal transplant.
Poor hand hygiene – Hand washing before handling contacts should be very thorough, otherwise any germs you have on your hands will be transferred to the lenses and onto the eye itself. This risks irritation.
Reusing contact lens solution – Many users do not replace contact lens liquid in their 'lens bowl'. Instead they top the liquid up with fresh solution. This affects the potency of the biocides in the liquid, which encourages bacteria to thrive.
Wearing contacts past their expiration date – Using your contact lens solution after the expiry date could cause contamination of the solution. Again, this increases the likelihood of developing an eye infection or corneal ulcer.
Buying novelty contact lenses – Novelty and coloured lenses are often sold online. These are not suitable to wear for vision improvement. Only source your lenses from approved pharmacies or reputable sellers.
Understandably, the commitment required for contact lens use means that some wearers look for alternatives. Both Laser Eye Surgery and Implantable Contact Lenses are permanent replacements that require no daily maintenance.
Laser Eye Surgery
Laser Eye Surgery is designed to alter the point where the light reaches in the retina. This involves reshaping the cornea with an excimer laser in order to correct visual defects such as short-sight, long-sight and astigmatism. Compared to the overall cost of regular eye exams and contact lenses, Laser Eye Surgery can be less expensive in the long-term.
Laser treatment is permanent but due to the effects of the ageing process on the eye, vision can deteriorate slightly over time, and laser treatment will not prevent the development of presbyopia, which means that reading glasses may still be needed.
100% of AVC patients achieve driving standard and 99% of patients achieve 20/20 vision following Laser Eye Surgery at their London clinic.
This procedure is another excellent alternative for people who suffer from dry eyes, thin corneas or have high prescriptions.
At AVC, they use EVO Visian ICL, which is the safest and most advanced form of ICL treatment.
These lenses are FDA approved and have a proven safety record.
An Implantable Contact Lens is a very-thin contact lens made of a biocompatible material called Collamer. It is placed inside the eye, just behind the iris, and is designed to function in harmony with your natural eye. Since 1997, over 900,000 eyes have been implanted with EVO Visian ICLs and there is a patient satisfaction rate of 99%.
This treatment is often opted for over laser surgery as there is no permanent modification of the cornea which can cause dry eye. In addition, the procedure is completely reversible.
If you would like to know more about either of these two permanent, hassle-free alternatives to temporary contact lenses, schedule an appointment with Advanced Vision Care by calling 0808 302 2775.
Published on 26-Mar-2019
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