Is sleeping with contact lenses really that bad?

As someone who can’t see five feet in front of me, I can personally attest that contact lenses are a blessing.They come in handy when I force myself into any form of physical activity, I can see more seamlessly than when I wear glasses, and I can indulge in interesting aesthetic perks (ie changing my eye color.)
Even with these benefits, it would be remiss not to discuss the maintenance required to use these little medical miracles.Wearing contact lenses requires great care if you want to keep your eyes healthy: consider cleaning your lenses regularly, use the correct saline solution, and always wash your hands before touching your eyes.

Circle Lenses

Circle Lenses
But there is one task that many contact lens wearers are particularly afraid of, and often leads to major cutting corners: removing contact lenses before bed.Even as an everyday lens that I throw away after wearing it all day, I still find myself taking them to sleep after a late night out or reading in bed — and I’m definitely not alone.
Despite scary stories warning about the habit all over social media (remember when doctors found more than 20 missing contact lenses behind women’s eyes?) or graphic images in the news of scratched corneas and oozing infections ( TW: These images are not for the comatose), and sleeping with contacts is still a very common thing.In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about one-third of contact lens wearers sleep or nap while wearing their lenses.So, it wouldn’t be so bad if so many people were doing it, right?
To settle this debate once and for all, we turned to optometrists to analyze whether sleeping with contact lenses is really that bad, and how to take care of your eyes while wearing them.What they say might make you reconsider taking the risk the next time you’re too tired to take your contacts out before bed – which certainly did for me.
Short answer: No, it is not safe to sleep with a contact.”Sleeping in contact lenses is never a good idea because it increases the risk of corneal infection,” says Jennifer Tsai OD, optometrist and founder of eyewear brand LINE OF SIGHT.Sleeping in contact lenses can cause bacteria to grow under the lenses, like a petri dish, she explained.
Cristen Adams OD, an optometrist at Bay Area Eye Care, Inc., said that while there are some types of contact lenses that are FDA-approved for extended wear, including overnight wear, they’re not necessarily suitable for everyone.According to the FDA, these long-wear contact lenses are made of flexible plastic that allows oxygen to pass through the cornea and into the cornea.You can wear these types of contact lenses for one to six nights, or up to 30 days, depending on how they are made.If you are interested in learning more about these types of exposures, talk to your doctor to see if they will work with your prescription and lifestyle.
The cornea is defined by the National Eye Institute (NEI) as the clear outer layer at the front of the eye that helps you see clearly and needs oxygen to survive.Dr. Adams explained that when we open our eyes while awake, the cornea gets most of the oxygen.While contact lenses are completely safe when used correctly, she does say they can kill the normal amount of oxygen the cornea normally gets.And at night, when you close your eyes for long periods of time, your oxygen supply is reduced by a third of what it would normally be when you open your eyes.Even fewer eyes are covered by contact, causing problems.
“Sleeping with a contact can at best result in dry eyes. But at worst, your cornea can develop a serious infection that can lead to scarring or, in rare cases, vision loss,” Dr Chua warned. Say.”When your eyelids are closed, contact lenses prevent oxygen from reaching the cornea. This can lead to a lack of oxygen, or lack of oxygen, which can lead to the risk of infection such as redness of the eye, keratitis [or irritation] or ulcers.”

Circle Lenses

Circle Lenses
Eyes must also be healthy to fight off the various harmful but common bacteria that our eyes encounter every day.Our eyes form a tear film, which is moisture that contains antibacterial substances to destroy bacteria, she explained.When you blink, you wash away particles that have built up on the surface of your eyes.Wearing contact lenses often hinders this process, and when you wear contact lenses with your eyes closed, it further hinders the process of keeping your eyes clean and healthy.
“Sleeping with contact lenses can lead to a lack of oxygen in the eye, which reduces the healing and regeneration of the cells that make up the outermost layer of the cornea,” adds Dr. Adams.”These cells are an important part of the eye’s defense against infection. If these cells are damaged, bacteria can penetrate and invade deeper layers of the cornea, causing infection.”
How much damage can a one-hour nap really do?Obviously, a lot.Naps seem harmless when you close your eyes only briefly, but Dr. Adams and Dr. Tsai still warn against sleeping with your contacts, even briefly.Dr. Adams explains that naps also deprive the eyes of oxygen, which can lead to irritation, redness and dryness.”Furthermore, we all know that naps can easily turn into hours,” added Dr. Tsai.
Maybe you accidentally fell asleep after playing Outlander, or you jumped into bed right after a night out.Hey it happened!Whatever the reason, at some point, falling asleep with your contacts is bound to happen.But even if doing so is risky, there is no need to panic.
You may have dry eyes the first time you wake up, says Dr. Tsai.Before you remove the lenses, she recommends adding some lubricant to help loosen the lenses for removal.Dr. Adams adds that you can try blinking a few times to allow the tears to flow again as you remove the lens to moisten the lens, but the best option is to use eye drops.She says you’ll want to keep using eye drops (about four to six times) throughout the day to keep your eyes hydrated.
Next, you’ll want to rest your eyes throughout the day so they can recover.Dr. Adams recommends wearing glasses (if you have one), and Dr. Cai says to watch for signs of potential infection, including redness, discharge, pain, blurred vision, excessive watering and light sensitivity.
We have determined that almost all drowsiness is over.Unfortunately, there are other activities you can do while awake that are not suitable for wearing lenses.Never shower or wash your face on contact as it introduces harmful particles and can lead to infection.
The same goes for swimming, so be sure to prepare before heading to the pool or beach, whether that means bringing an extra case for your lenses, a few extra lenses if you wear everyday items, or taking your prescription sunglasses Put it in the bag.
The safest way to wear contact lenses is how your doctor prescribes them.Before putting on or removing contact lenses, you should always wash your hands and make sure your hands are completely dry to avoid introducing harmful particles into your eyes, says Dr. Adams.Always check to make sure the lenses are inserted the correct way for comfort, and follow the instructions for changing contact lenses.It’s all about curating the right routine for you.
“Contact lenses are very safe as long as you maintain the correct treatment regimen,” explains Dr. Chua.When cleaning your lenses yourself, Dr. Chua recommends that you always use a cleaning solution.If they’re within your budget, she prefers daily contact lenses instead of weekly options to reduce the risk of infection.To give your eyes a break from time to time, she also recommends wearing glasses.


Post time: May-29-2022