Can wearing contacts harm your vision?

Medically reviewed by

Contact lenses are generally safe. These are thin discs of plastic or glass which are placed directly on the cornea for vision correction. Contacts can be -- soft and hard, daily wear or extended wear. Soft contacts are the most popular compared to hard due to its comfort of use. Hard contacts are more durable and easier to take care of but are not comfortable. But here let us inform you that wearing contacts for too long and not cleaning them can contribute to eye problems.

At FirstCure Health, we provide laser eye surgery and other vision correction treatments to avoid the harmful effects of contact lenses. While considered safe, they can harm your eyes if used improperly and cause the following problems:

Oxygen Deprivation:

The amount of oxygen reaching the eyes is reduced when contacts are worn. The reduced oxygen supply to your eyescan cause pain, blurred vision and other problems. This is why silicone hydrogel contact lenses are advised as they are safer and transmit more oxygen than conventional soft contact lens. Another option is Rigid Gas Permeable (GP) contact lenses as these are smaller in diameter and therefore cover less of the cornea.

Dry Eyes:

Contact lenses absorb tears and their prolonged use can cause dryness, red and itchy eyes. This can be avoided by not wearing your contacts all the time, using lubricating eye drops and taking frequent breaks from your computer or phone screens.

Infections:

If a contact lens has irregular edges it can hurt the cornea. Abrasion can also happen if dirt, sand and other particles are present on the contact lenses. This happens when the lenses get older and deposits accumulate on the front and back surfaces. You can reduce the risk by cleaning and disinfecting the contact lensafter each use by the contact lens solutions. Every three months to be on the safe side,discard and replace your storage case.

Effects of Medications:

Certain medications can lead to side effects so check with doctors at FirstCure Health for the best option.

Schedule your Appointment Today

Finally, be sure to see your doctor at FirstCurefor routine contact lens eye exams. We can detect small problems before they become big ones and help keep your eyes safe and healthy.