Causes of conjunctivitis from contact lenses. Is the lens always the problem? Infection and inflammatory processes

Contact lenses have been helping visually impaired people feel more confident and comfortable for decades. And color options allow people to change their appearance as they please. Very rarely, but there are some complications that make wearing them unpleasant and even dangerous. It is good that there are not very many such factors and in most cases they are easily solved by changing the pair, choosing the right solutions and changing personal hygiene. The reasons for such discomfort can be different and manifestations too. We will cover most of them in this article.

How discomfort manifests itself

If you feel that contact lenses interfere with you, cut, are felt in the eyes, then it is better to remove the plates and look at them. Any redness of the eyes, the appearance of a network of blood vessels indicate that wearing is no longer safe for your health.

If your eyes are watery, sore and react to sunlight, then don’t be a hero, take off your lenses and go to see a doctor who will find the reasons for such a reaction and help get rid of such an unpleasant condition.

Allergens, dust and personal hygiene

The most common causes of discomfort are improper care and poor hygiene. Everyone knows that it is necessary to wash their hands, but not everyone does it when putting on contact lenses. Wearability also depends on storage in a clean container and fresh solution. After all, even the most microscopic mote can mechanically irritate the cornea during the period of wearing and lead to microtrauma to the eye.

If you are in a dusty or smoky room for a long time, then it is better to change contact lenses for regular glasses, as wearing them becomes unsafe. Their surface easily absorbs and accumulates all this with deposits that irritate the mucous membrane.

The use of aerosols, cosmetics that cause an allergic reaction are also common causes of discomfort. Try to use only what has already been tested. Colored lenses, which are now very popular, can themselves cause an allergic reaction in the eyes.

Oxygen is important

Many neglect the rule that prohibits wearing lenses for more than the recommended period. And as a result, chronic hypoxia is obtained, a violation of the supply of oxygen to the tissues. No matter how thin the lenses are, they do not allow one hundred percent of the necessary oxygen to pass through. Especially if you have colored plates, then you need to wear them no more than 4 hours a day. Otherwise, the possibility of regeneration worsens in the tissues, and they become unprotected, and wearing lenses is a very unpleasant process.

Quick relief from discomfort

If you feel a slight discomfort, but your eyes are not reddened, and there are no additional reasons for concern, just remove the lenses and inspect them. Perhaps a lint or mote has got in, which is easy to wash off with a solution. There is a possibility that the plate has torn, in this case you will see a thin cobweb from its edge. In no case should such a lens be worn, it can mechanically damage the eyeball. After washing your pair well, washing your eyes, you can try to put it on again. Most likely, you will already be comfortable. But if discomfort still remains - put on glasses and make an appointment with a doctor, there is a possibility of an exacerbation of some kind of ophthalmic disease, in which wearing is not recommended.

In order for you to wear your lenses with pleasure and without problems, you need to take a responsible approach to this process. Ask all the exciting questions to your doctor, ask you to teach them to put on, care for and store. At the slightest unpleasant sensation, wear glasses in order not to harm your eyes and not undermine their health. And then you are definitely not threatened by the moments associated with the treatment.

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Contact lenses are a very convenient and easy means of vision correction. This accessory has a lot of advantages that glasses cannot offer. Therefore, it is worth taking additional protective measures that will allow you to continue to safely use this wonderful invention of our time.

Let's brainstorm or we will step on a rake

Advanced technologies have made modern contact lenses comfortable and safe. And yet, problems that arise when wearing lenses are by no means uncommon. And, most often, the cause of problems is consumer error. But, hurrying to conclusions and not understanding the causes of eye irritation, the user shifts the blame to the product manufacturer, removing responsibility for the failure.

An unconstructive approach to solving this problem is fraught with consequences. The user writes complaints right and left, storms the forums, talking about his sad experience, refuses brand products, buys lenses of a different brand and ... history repeats itself.

This article is for those who do not like to step on a rake and repeat their own or others' mistakes when wearing lenses. And it's not just about wasted time and money. At stake is the health of your eyes, so I advise you to take this problem more seriously.

What am I doing wrong?

The main starting point, which is the main prerequisite for success and a decisive factor in the correct wearing of contact lenses, is the selection of contact lenses with the help of a qualified contactologist. But this is only the beginning, the patient will have to take care of the rest. You bear your share of responsibility for compliance with the rules for the care, wearing and hygiene when using contact lenses. And, if contact lenses irritate you, make sure you do everything right.

As practice shows, the mistakes made by the users themselves are apparently invisible. We have highlighted the main ones. So, what can cause irritation when wearing contact lenses, and what can be done to eliminate it?

1) You don't wash your hands before putting on contact lenses.

Observe strict hygiene rules! Imagine how many germs accumulate on your hands. You touch the door handle, you touch the keyboard, you take out your smartphone from your purse. Bacteria accumulate on your hands, and then you take with them an accessory that must remain sterile, thus canceling out all efforts to comply with the rules of hygiene. All hygienic manipulations become instantly useless, because you have found a way to launch microbes there.

If you put on lenses with dirty hands, bacteria can get from your hands first to contact lenses and then to your eyes.

· Hands should be thoroughly washed with soap and water before putting on lenses. Particular attention should be paid to the fingertips.

· Dry your hands with a lint-free towel.

· Try to avoid strongly scented detergents. They have too many aggressive ingredients.

2) Forgetting to clean your contact lenses regularly.

Contact lenses should be cleaned regularly. They accumulate deposits of calcium, proteins, lipids, thereby increasing the risk of infection. Proper cleaning of contact lenses allows you to remove up to 90% of the bacteria that have accumulated on contact lenses per day.

Follow the rules for the care of contact lenses daily, or disinfect lenses once a week if you do not wear them every day.

3) Use lenses beyond the period specified by the manufacturer.

Contact lenses should be replaced with a new pair after the manufacturer's recommended contact lens life.

Over time, contact lenses lose their perfectly round shape, resulting in poor fit, uncomfortable wearing, and may break. If you use, for example, monthly lenses, do not try to wear them for 2 months, even if you do not feel any discomfort. If you wear disposable lenses, they should be thrown away at the end of the day. Do not use them for longer than their prescribed period.

4) You violate the mode of wearing lenses, that is, you overwear contact lenses.

Most contact lenses can be worn up to 12 hours a day. It is not recommended to wear lenses longer. Some lenses are designed for extended wear. Some models can be worn up to 30 days. These lenses are specially designed for long wear. They are made of a material that has a special structure that allows oxygen to pass through, that is, the eyes continue to breathe. In all other cases, wearing lenses for too long leads to irritation, dryness of the eyes and infection.

5) Rarely visit an ophthalmologist.

A visit to the ophthalmologist should be made annually. You should also keep in mind that eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions are different. For the correct selection of lenses, you need to contact a specialist in contact correction.

6) Don't clean your contact lens case well enough.

Each time you return the contact lens to the container, you need to thoroughly rinse it and replace the solution in it. It is to replace, and not add new fluid on top of the old one, as many do. After putting on a contact lens, wash the container with water and rinse with solution. Leave the container to dry until you return the lenses to the container. Before you remove the lenses, rinse the container again and put the lenses back into the container.

7) Putting on contact lenses, you confuse the lenses for the left and right eyes.

In some patients, the parameters of the right and left eyes are different, so make it a rule to put on lenses starting from the same eye. Better from your writing hand. Most people start putting on their lenses in the right eye. For a left-hander, this may be the left eye.

This rule must be followed to avoid confusion. L and R markings on lens cases help you avoid confusing left and right lenses. To this end, the lens container has multi-colored lids. Also, many containers have a serif built in so that visually impaired people do not mix up the containers.

8) Trying to "reanimate" a dry lens.

If you put contact lenses in a container and forgot to pour the solution into them, do not try to "resurrect" the dried lens. As a rule, the first reaction of contact lens wearers upon discovering an annoying mistake is to pour the solution into the lenses and leave them to open, but we strongly do not recommend this. A dried lens loses its shape and does not sit well on the eye.

9) Use water instead of lens solution.

Neither tap water nor bottled water is suitable for storing and cleaning contact lenses. The water does not contain the necessary components for disinfection, the breakdown of protein deposits and the preservation of the composition of the lens. Tap water suitable for drinking is not sterile and contains microorganisms.

10) Use contact lenses in adverse conditions.

It is not recommended to wear lenses in conditions of gas contamination and dustiness. Smoke, sand, dust and dirt all cause eye irritation. If any of the above gets into your eyes, we advise you to remove the lenses, rinse your eyes, disinfect the lenses in a solution before putting them back on. In case of severe irritation, refrain from wearing lenses until the eyes have fully recovered.

Airborne allergens such as pollen, pet dander and dust settle on your lenses as deposits that cause eye irritation. In this case, with high sensitivity of the eyes, one-day lenses can be recommended to the patient.

Analyze your lens care experience in light of the above and ask yourself if you are doing everything right. Any complications during wearing can be completely avoided if you take the right safety measures and follow the rules of hygiene. Use our tips to eliminate eye irritation and take care of your eyesight!

Vision correction with contact lenses is steadily gaining popularity, and this is understandable: wearing contact lenses allows you not to change your usual lifestyle, not to give up outdoor activities, sports, even extreme ones. The lens fits snugly to the surface of the eye, which ensures a minimum of image distortion, in addition, unlike glasses, it does not limit the field of view. Another undoubted plus of contact lenses is their softness, the lens cannot be broken, which means that there is no danger of injuring yourself with glass fragments, as is possible when wearing glasses. It is for this reason that professional athletes, including swimmers, track and field athletes, skiers, climbers, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, joggers, yoga and fitness enthusiasts, motorists and professional drivers, choose soft contact lenses.

However, with all their undeniable advantages over vision correction with glasses, soft contact lenses have their drawbacks. When wearing them, unpleasant sensations in the eyes may appear - a burning sensation, itching, sand, a foreign body in the eye, lacrimation or dry eyes. It is unacceptable to tolerate them: discomfort may indicate microdamage to the conjunctiva and cornea of ​​the eye, which are often complicated by bacterial inflammation.

The causes of complications when wearing contact lenses can be diseases of the cornea or its injuries, certain diseases of the conjunctiva, as well as individual structural features of the lacrimal glands and their diseases, in which there is a decrease in the quality and quantity of tear fluid produced. The presence of certain chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, as well as the state of beriberi or taking certain medications, can also affect the tolerance of contact lenses.

But not only the presence of diseases or injuries can cause intolerance to contact lenses. The components of the material from which the lenses are made or the substances that make up the solution for washing them can also provoke discomfort. In addition, even a banal non-compliance with the rules for the care and wearing of lenses can lead to complications. Especially dangerous are washing lenses with ordinary water instead of a special solution, putting on lenses with dirty hands, sleeping in lenses and exceeding the allowable wearing time.

Even the slightest inconvenience is a signal that something is going wrong. Moreover, we are talking not only about purely physical discomfort: a feeling of dryness in the eyes, tearing, a feeling of a foreign body, dust and sand, pain when blinking, redness of the eyes, their rapid fatigue, but also about the appearance of optical distortions when wearing lenses. In this case, you should contact an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. He will determine the cause of the problem and indicate a way to solve it. You may just need to change the type of contact lenses so that the discomfort goes away. But if the discomfort is associated with microdamage to the eye surface (cornea) from wearing contact lenses, then for the treatment of corneal lesions, preparations based on dexpanthenol are used, which has a good healing effect, but also improves the metabolism of corneal and conjunctival cells. For example, a drug, an ophthalmic gel Korneregel contains a maximum concentration of dexpanthenol 5%*. To increase the duration of contact of dexpanthenol with the ocular surface, a carbomer component has been added, which gives the drug a gel-like texture**. It is easy to apply and stimulates the healing process of the epithelium of the superficial tissues of the eye, which contributes to the restoration of the ocular surface and reduces discomfort in the eyes. When wearing contact lenses, the drug is applied at night, after removing the lenses.

The occurrence of discomfort when wearing contact lenses is not uncommon, but this does not mean that because of it you will have to radically change the way you correct your vision. With the correct selection of lenses, compliance with the rules for wearing them, proper care of the lenses and the use of drugs based on dexpanthenol that stimulate the restoration of the cornea as a supplement, the pain will pass.

*5% - the maximum concentration of dexpanthenol among ophthalmic forms in the Russian Federation. April 2017

**Pharmacotherapy without errors. Astakhov Yu.S., 2016, p.248

Contact lenses have long gained recognition and help people with low vision feel more confident. And the color variants allow wearers to change their appearance. But sometimes lens users experience complications that bring discomfort. There are not very many factors that influence the wearing of contact lenses. In most cases, the problems associated with the discomfort that have arisen are solved with the help of the correct selection of another pair of lenses, quality solutions and a more responsible attitude to personal hygiene. Both the causes and manifestations of such discomfort can be different. We will consider the main ones in this article.

What factors affect lens tolerance?

Normally, the use of contact lenses should not bring discomfort. If discomfort still arises, then there are reasons for that.

It can be:

• Various eye diseases: erosion, corneal dystrophy, postoperative condition of the cornea, chronic diseases of the eyelids and conjunctiva, disorders in the lacrimal canal.
• General diseases of the body: (for example, diabetes mellitus, beriberi). A patient taking medications to treat these diseases usually suffers from side effects. Their result is deposits on the lenses, as well as a decrease in tear production.
• Low level of personal hygiene.
• Unfavorable conditions of life or production (air pollution, allergens), as well as climate features.
• Failure to comply with the terms of lens replacement, sleep in daytime lenses.
• Features of contact correction (low gas permeability, incorrect selection, damage to the contact lens).
• Toxic or allergic action of the components of the solution.
• Violation of recommendations.

You can learn about macular degeneration.

Causes and manifestations of discomfort

Discomfort when wearing contact lenses can occur for a variety of reasons.

In order for contact optics to work only for the user, it is important to carry out appropriate care for it, observe the wearing mode and replacement periods.

What are the manifestations of discomfort?

• tingling in the eyes;
• burning;
• itching (irritation);
• Pain in the eyes;
• sensation of the presence of a foreign body in the eye;
• discharge from the eyes;
• decreased visual acuity;
• blurry vision;
• rainbow circles around objects;
• sensitivity to light (photophobia);
• dry eyes.

Which drops are better to use for redness of the eyes, read in.

If any of the above symptoms occur, the lenses must be removed immediately. If after that the problem has disappeared, then you should carefully inspect the lenses.

If they are damaged, do not put them back on the eye. It is possible that the lenses are just dirty. Put them in a container, then contact an ophthalmologist and tell them about the problem.

If you notice an eyelash or a foreign body on the lens, and there is no visible damage on the lens, then thoroughly clean, rinse and disinfect the lenses before putting them on. If discomfort persists after re-wearing the lenses, remove them immediately and consult your ophthalmologist. The doctor will help determine the true cause of discomfort. These may be infections, corneal ulcers, neovascularization, or iritis.

It is also possible that the cause of discomfort was the incorrect fit of the lens. The size and shape of each human eye is unique. Lenses must match the individual parameters of the eye.

The ophthalmologist will take the necessary measurements and choose lenses that will best fit you. It is very important: Improper lens fit can lead to superficial damage to the cornea.

Proper storage of contact lenses

The most common causes of discomfort are improper lens care and poor hygiene.. Everyone knows about the need to wash hands before putting on and taking off lenses. However, not everyone does this and not always. Keeping your lenses in a clean container and fresh solution also affects how comfortable they are to wear. Even the smallest mote can mechanically irritate the cornea during the period of wearing and lead to eye microtrauma.

The use of cosmetics, aerosols that cause an allergic reaction can also cause discomfort. Try to use only those cosmetics and perfumes that have already been tested.

Colored lenses, which are popular today, can themselves cause an allergic reaction in the eyes.

Can you wear colored lenses every day? find out .

Complications

All complications of contact correction are classified into special groups:

• mechanical (damage to the tissues of the eyeball by lenses and foreign bodies under them);
• hypoxic (corneal edema, corneal vascularization);
• toxic-allergic (papillary conjunctivitis);
• inflammatory and infectious (sterile corneal infiltrate, microbial keratitis).

Causes of conjunctival infection ("red eye") are corneal hypoxia, decreased tear production, reaction to lens care solution or chemical on the lens, and microbial toxins. "Red eye" may be a symptom of the onset of conjunctivitis or keratoconjunctivitis of various origins.

Papillary conjunctivitis often develops when using extended-wear soft contact lenses or traditional contact lenses (6-8 months).

The causes of this complication are mechanical reflex irritation of the conjunctiva of the eyelids by the edge of the lens, as well as an allergic reaction to the components. But in most cases, the disease is an autoimmune reaction to deposits of denatured tear protein on the contact lens surface.

Corneal edema occurs as a result of insufficient supply of oxygen to the cornea when wearing contact lenses with an extended wear mode. The compensatory mechanism for chronic corneal edema is its vascularization - the formation of a network of blood vessels in the cornea. Moreover, this complication is asymptomatic for a long time. With prolonged course, corneal vascularization can lead to a violation of the transparency of the cornea and a decrease in vision.

The causative agents of infectious complications of the organs of vision can be bacteria, pathogenic fungi, viruses and protozoa - acanthamoeba. The most common bacterial keratoconjunctivitis caused by staphylococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Video

conclusions

To ensure that the lenses do not cause inconvenience and do not cause complications, take a responsible approach to a long-term wearing regimen, prolonged or any other. Follow four basic principles:

1. The higher the oxygen permeability of the lens, the better for the eyes.
2. The more often old lenses are replaced with new ones, the safer for the eyes.
3. Observe the terms and mode of wearing lenses and do not be lazy to care for them.
4. Be hygienic when removing and putting on lenses.

These rules underlie the use of any kind of lenses so as not to cause discomfort in the eye while wearing.

Read how to care for extended wear lenses.

Today, contact lenses have become very common in people with poor eyesight. Due to popularity, the technology of their manufacture began to improve.

Lenses have become an alternative and ideal replacement for glasses. They can cope with such a problem as astigmatism.

Lenses are made from the following materials:

• Hydrogel is a very soft material.
• Polymer compounds are rigid materials.

Their wearing is quite comfortable and convenient. But for some people, due to poor care or poor hygiene, unpleasant consequences of wearing lenses can occur, and they can be quite serious. Therefore, it is recommended to visit an ophthalmologist periodically, clean them properly and not wear them longer than the prescribed period.

What does long-term or incorrect contact lens wear lead to? The consequences can be very different. In the article we will consider the main ones.

Corneal edema

If a small concentration of air enters the cornea while wearing contact lenses, edema may form. This occurs due to the wrong shape of the lenses or sleeping in them.

Signs of corneal edema:

• Everything around is blurry.
• When you look at a light bulb, a rainbow forms around it.
• The eyes are red.

The consequences of wearing lenses, such as swelling, are easy to eliminate if you immediately consult a doctor. By starting treatment on time, swelling can be removed in a few days.

protein deposits

These consequences of wearing lenses are very popular, but harmless.

Fats, calcium and proteins that are on the lacrimal surface begin to come into contact with the surface of the contact lens. Subsequently, an uneven and rough film appears on it. It is almost imperceptible to the human eye, you can only pay attention to the oily surface structure. But under a microscope, everything is clearly visible.

Thus, these deposits accumulate and cause eye irritations. They begin to itch and blush. In this case, you need to wear lenses less time. If nothing is done, then an infection is possible, which will lead to more serious consequences.

A multipurpose solution that contains enzymes can help in this situation. And in order to control such consequences of wearing contact lenses as protein deposits, it is recommended to use disposable devices for some time.

In cases where such problems appear very often and in large quantities, it is advised to use lenses that are made from a material using crofilcon A or netrafilcon A. They are the most resistant to such complications.

It is worth remembering that such protein deposits can be dangerous for the eyes, as they are potential carriers of germs and infection. In addition, a rough and uneven lens surface can scratch and injure the cornea.

Conjunctivitis

Considering the consequences of wearing contact lenses, conjunctivitis should be mentioned. It is formed in the form of a tubercle on the inner upper part of the eyelid. This happens due to the large number of accumulated lymphocytes, eosinophils. Over time, the tissues begin to thicken, and the tubercle increases in size.

The cause of conjunctivitis is considered to be an allergy to accumulated deposits or to a cleansing fluid. Such a disease is rare in cases where there is a frequent replacement of lenses.

Signs of capillary conjunctivitis:

• Allocations.
• Irritations.
• Microorganisms.
• Sensation of a foreign object in the eye.

To cure giant capillary conjunctivitis, you need to wear lenses less often, and it is better to stop wearing them altogether. You can try to choose a different version of the lenses, from a different material and a different shape. In addition, it is worth using drugs that prevent the development of mast cells. And drops will help get rid of pain in the eyes.

If the treatment is carried out correctly, then the signs of the disease quickly disappear, but the tubercles themselves disappear after a few weeks.

Proliferation of blood vessels on the cornea

Such consequences of wearing lenses, such as the growth of blood vessels on the cornea, can have a very bad effect on a person's vision. The reason for this is usually the use of soft lenses that do not allow air oxygen to pass to the cornea, and it begins to starve.

Microbial keratitis

There are other unpleasant consequences of wearing contact lenses, in particular microbial keratitis. This is the most serious and dangerous complication. This disease can lead to vision loss.

Despite the fact that the eye itself prevents infection by the fact that its surface is cleaned for centuries, the cornea is washed with tears, obsolete cells die off, and new ones appear in their place, people who suffer from microbial keratitis are quite common. Most often, these are those who wear lenses continuously for a month or more. During this time, microorganisms such as staphylococcus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are formed on the surface of the eye, which are the cause of the disease.

Signs of the disease:

• Burning in the eyes.
• Fear of the world.
• Tears flow from time to time.
• Pus is released.
• Vision drops sharply.
• Rapid progression.

The consequences of wearing lenses longer than the prescribed period should be treated as soon as possible, immediately after the first signs appear.

Causes due to which microbial keratitis may occur:

• Wearing lenses for a very long time without interruption.
• Lens replacement is very rare.
• Diabetes or eye injury.
• "Dry eye".

Acanthamoeba keratitis

This disease can be found quite rarely, but it is the most dangerous, because if you do not start treatment on time, you can lose not only your eyesight, but also your eyes.

The cause of this disease is acanthamoeba, which lives and moves easily in soil, water, even drinking water. It can appear on the surface of any

Therefore, you should not swim in the pool, in ponds or even in the bath while wearing lenses. Also, do not wash or rinse lens cases in tap water.

Corneal ulcer

A corneal ulcer should also be discussed, considering the consequences of wearing lenses for a longer period and non-compliance with personal hygiene rules. Also, this disease can occur in case of damage to the surface of the eye.

Corneal ulcer can be in the form of two forms:

• Infectious.
• Sterile.

The infectious form is usually accompanied by severe pain, copious discharge of pus, often after an illness, a hole remains in the corneal epithelium. The rate of ulcer development depends on the type of microorganisms that live on the surface of the eye. Antibiotics will be the most effective treatment here.

The sterile method proceeds very gently, without the appearance of a hole in the cornea and without pain syndromes.

Allergy

The negative consequences of wearing lenses can manifest themselves in the form of an allergic reaction to the material from which the lens itself is made, as well as to the components of the solution in which it is processed.

Deposits that form on the surface of the lens can also cause eye allergies. In this case, the transition from allergy to conjunctivitis is not uncommon.

If you are allergic to the material from which the lens is made, then you should simply replace them with another type.

The consequences can manifest themselves in the form of allergic conjunctivitis. It is accompanied by itching, lacrimation, fear of light, swelling and general discomfort. In this case, it is necessary to use in the form of drops that are injected into the cornea of ​​​​the eye before placing the lens in it.

Fissures of the conjunctiva

A few years ago, another negative consequence of wearing lenses was diagnosed - a conjunctival fissure. It can occur if the lenses are made of silicone hydrogel. Cracks mainly occur in places where the edge of the lens comes into contact with the conjunctiva. Usually this consequence proceeds without pain and any symptoms.

When wearing contact lenses, the cornea experiences daily stress, microtraumas may appear on its surface, accompanied by pain symptoms, sensation of a foreign body in the eye, lacrimation and redness of the conjunctiva. To restore the tissues of the ocular surface, after injuries (with prolonged wearing of contact lenses and in a situation of accidental trauma to the cornea of ​​​​the eye when using lenses), as an adjunctive therapy, agents with dexpanthenol, a substance that has a regenerating effect on tissues, in particular, ophthalmic gel, can be used. Korneregel. It has a healing effect due to the maximum concentration of dexpanthenol 5% *, and the carbomer included in its composition prolongs the contact of dexpanthenol with the ocular surface due to its viscous texture. Korneregel remains on the eye for a long time due to its gel-like form, is easy to apply, penetrates into the deep layers of the cornea and stimulates the process of regeneration of the epithelium of the surface tissues of the eye, promotes the healing of microtraumas and eliminates the sensation of pain. The drug is applied in the evening, when the lenses are already removed.

Mucin balls

These balls can be found on the inner surface of the contact lens in the form of small round formations. More often, this negative consequence occurs with prolonged exposure to silicone hydrogel material. This usually goes away without pain and serious consequences, but there are cases when rounded formations are pressed against the cornea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe eye.

Refractive error

Long-term wear of silicone hydrogel lenses may occur. This occurs when the material is very resilient compared to the surface of the eye. Upon contact, the lens will compress and seal the cornea in its center. Sometimes the opposite can happen, leading to the formation of myopia.

Corneal staining

Wearers of contact lenses may, in rare cases, stain the cornea in the form of an arc. Most often it appears due to pressure of the upper eyelid on the lens. Due to the force of friction, an arc of lens displacement begins to form on the cornea.

endothelial vesicles

Endothelial vesicles are dark-colored parts that appear after the lens is put on. The appearance of these bubbles does not indicate pathology, but may be the cause of hypoxia in this part of the cornea.

Consequences of wearing lenses at night

The risk of infectious diseases when wearing lenses at night increases, so you should give your eyes a rest from them. If you use special ones, then such consequences occur much less frequently, but these devices are much more expensive and do not always justify themselves. It should be remembered that any lenses must be properly looked after and changed periodically.

Sleeping in ordinary lenses that are not intended for night rest is, of course, not recommended. Due to the release of proteins and lipids, plaque can form on their inner surface, which can damage the cornea.

Conclusion

The most severe consequences of long-term wearing of contact lenses occur due to untimely visits to an ophthalmologist.

Therefore, in order to warn yourself against such unpleasant complications, it is necessary to properly care for the lenses, not to wear them for a very long time. And if any of the above symptoms occur, then you should immediately contact a specialist who can find out the cause and prescribe a course of treatment. Be healthy!

*5% - the maximum concentration of dexpanthenol among ophthalmic forms in the Russian Federation. According to the State Register of Medicines, State Medical Devices and organizations (individual entrepreneurs) engaged in the production and manufacture of medical devices, as well as according to data from open sources of manufacturers (official websites, publications), April 2017.

There are contraindications. It is necessary to read the instructions or consult with a specialist.