Escape from contact lenses? It’s possible!

1. Recently, colored contact eye lenses have become extremely popular, helping a person seeking self-expression to discover their uniqueness, reveal interesting aspects of their personality, and even fit into fashion.

It is estimated that about 30 million people worldwide wear contact lenses, often very young individuals, sometimes even hiding this from each other. It is understandable why multicolored or natural-colored contact lenses appeal to many people – they are the best alternative for hiding vision defects. But are contact lenses truly harmless to humans?

Just a couple of months ago in Great Britain, news spread about a young girl who went blind because, while swimming in a pool, an acanthamoeba (a microorganism found in water) got under her contact lenses. When stagnant water gets under the lenses, protozoa can grow on them. The same applies to dirt when an eye infection occurs. Just a couple of days are enough for a person to permanently lose their sight. This happens because such inflammation is very difficult to treat, and a person can be considered lucky if, after swimming in a lake, sea, hotel pool, or a pond on private property while wearing lenses, they end up being treated in a hospital and “limited” only to losing the cornea.

The same problem can arise due to dirt that thrives in special containers designed for storing contact lenses if they are not cleaned, as well as in the solution where the lenses are kept. By changing this solution only once a month, one risks cultivating microorganisms that settle on the lenses and become very dangerous for the eyes.

What solutions can be suggested to avoid eye inflammation, corneal loss, or even complete blindness and even eye amputation?

First, contact lenses should be purchased only directly – with a doctor checking the mobility of the lenses and how they fit the eye. Second, lenses must be worn according to all strict instructions, i.e., if water gets into the eyes, the lens must be thrown away, even if it is not a single-use lens and can be worn for a whole month. If the eyes redden, unpleasant sensations appear, or a speck falls into the eye, the contact lenses must be removed, so it is very important always to have special lens storage containers with you. When working at a computer, it is necessary to use eye-moisturizing drops because the eyes dry out. And in the worst-case scenario – if due to forgetfulness you submerge yourself in a bathtub, lake, or sea while wearing contact lenses – you must immediately consult a doctor. By the way, places where repairs, painting work, or hair-spray use occur leave behind chemical substances, acetone; in such rooms, wearing contact lenses is strictly prohibited – the materials from which they are made tend to absorb this type of chemical, which is one of the most harmful things for the eyes.