Overwearing contact lenses: red eye treatment
What are the side effects from overwearing contact lenses, and what is contact lens overwear syndrome? As you may know, eye doctors have a recommendation for how long you can wear contacts before the lenses start to cause fatigue and strain on your eyes. This can vary depending on the type of contact lens that you wear. Most contact lenses on the market today are soft contact lenses which allow for high oxygen permeability, and can thus be worn for a longer period of time.
However, every contact lens type has its limit, and after a while, your eyes begin to feel the effects of the reduced amount of oxygen reaching the eye. The point at which this occurs can depend on the type of and thickness of the contact lens, as well as the way that you use them.
If you wear your contacts for significantly longer than the recommended limit, such as falling asleep with your lenses in or going several days without taking the lenses out, you can develop what is called contact lens overwear syndrome.
Contact lens overwear syndrome
Contact Lens Overwear syndrome is an eye condition that often develops in patients that wear their contact lenses for more than the recommended length of time, such as during sleep. Contact Lens Overwear syndrome may also be brought on by wearing the same pair of contact lenses for longer than their recommended use, instead of regularly replacing them with fresh lenses.
Symptoms of contact lens overwear syndrome include eye pain, redness, excess tear production, or even blurred vision and sensitivity to light. If the contact lens is not removed, it can even become stuck in place and increasingly difficult to take out.
It can be difficult for people to realize that they are developing Contact Lens Overwear Syndrome because the sensitivity of their eyes gradually decreases as the oxygen deprivations increases.
Overwearing contacts red eye treatment
To treat Contact Lens Overwear Syndrome, afflicted patients should remove their contact lenses and take a break from wearing lenses for a while, in order to give their eyes reprieve from the lack of oxygen. You can wear contacts and avoid developing Contact Lens Overwear Syndrome by regularly replacing your contact lenses for a fresh pair and remembering to remove your contact lenses and let them soak in cleaning solution overnight, if you wear biweekly or monthly contacts. You can keep your contact lenses sanitized by regularly using contact solutions and eye drops to alleviate redness and irritation.
Always make sure to have a spare pair of contacts available -- you can stock up with ContactsDirect and order contacts online. With ContactsDirect, you can order contacts online with insurance, together with contact lens cleaner and eye drops, and have them shipped to your home.