Every contact lens wearer has at least once forgotten to remove their lenses before going to bed.
Some people even believe that sleeping with them is not something potentially dangerous for the eyes.
The article will tell you what can actually happen to the visual organ due to wearing contact lenses around the clock and how to minimize the consequences.
Benefits of Using Contact Lenses
For a modern person, contact lenses have an advantage over glasses. They do not cause discomfort, are comfortable to wear, and do not change a person's appearance.
The lenses do not restrict movement during sports and do not fog up like glasses.
In addition, lens models today are available in different shades, so they can be used to correct eye color.
But all this can be achieved only with careful use, because even such thin and elastic silicone hydrogel material can cause irreparable damage to health.
Sleeping with lenses: what happens to the eyes
Sleeping in contact lenses is a direct route to corneal infection due to the growth of pathogenic bacteria under the material adjacent to the eye. The cornea needs oxygen, which it receives during the day.
At night, oxygen supply is reduced several times, and with the lens, it practically does not reach the eye. This can lead to dry eye syndrome, itching, redness, lacrimation, irritation, and hypoxia with infection.
During sleep, the tear film on the eyes cleanses the surface of the visual organ from dirt and bacteria.
Lenses that cover a significant area of the eye block the natural cleansing process.
Coupled with oxygen starvation, the cornea cannot renew cells, heal damage, or fight infections that penetrate into the deep layers of the visual organ.
Ways to Restore Your Eyes After Sleeping in Contact Lenses
Dryness and discomfort from sleeping in lenses can wake you up in the middle of the night. There is no need to panic about the situation. A person should immediately remove contact lenses and moisturize their eyes with drops.
Throughout the next day, you should periodically use a specialized moisturizing product to minimize the consequences.
An excellent solution would be to give your eyes a rest for the next day, replacing lenses with glasses. This will help to saturate the organ with oxygen.
Pool and shower: should you remove your lenses?
Often contact lens wearers wonder whether they need to remove their medical device before going into the shower or swimming pool.
Doctors strongly recommend removing lenses from your eyes even before simply washing your face.
The fact is that tap water, which contains bacteria and microbes that can harm the cornea, can get under the lens.
Before any contact with water, it is necessary to put contact lenses in a case, especially before swimming in a pool or on the beach with millions of germs.
Sleeping in contact lenses is strictly prohibited. They prevent the eye from performing natural cleansing with tears, cause corneal infections, and block restorative processes at the cellular level.
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