Contact Lens Correction
Contact lenses are a very common way that patients choose to correct their vision. They have several advantages over glasses, but can cause problems too.
Advantages include better vision due to correction on the surface of the eye, and complete field of vision.
Several problems can occur as a result of contact lens wear too, so care must be taken to avoid these issues. Many doctors refer their patients to ophthalmolgists for evaluation and treatment of their lens related problems.
How can contact lenses damage the eye?
Contacts can cause many problems in the eye, but only a few commonly encountered diagnoses can cause severe problems. Giant papillary conjunctivitis, punctate keratopathy and ulceration are the three most problematic issues.
Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC)
GPC occurs due to overwear of contact lenses, either too many hours per day, or too many days in a row. Symptoms include itching, inability to wear lenses all day, and mucous discharge.
Punctate Keratopathy
Overwear can also lead to a problem on the surface of the cornea, where the top layer of cells are damaged. The eye doctor sees tiny pinpoint scratches on the cornea caused by decreased oxygen to those cells.
Ulceration
The most potential for a threat to vision is the corneal ulcer. In this case, bacteria penetrates the surface of the cornea, causing an infection that appears as a white spot. If untreated, this infection can penetrate and cause infection inside the eye.
How can we prevent contact lens problems?
The most important thing for patients to do is control their contact lens wear. Although many lenses are designed and approved for overnight wear for between 2 and 4 weeks, most eye doctors recommend nightly removal and cleaning. The single most common cause of contact lens related problems is overwear, and a large study showed that overnight wear is fourteen times more likely to cause ulcers than any other risk factor.
Are there safer alternatives to wearing contact lenses?
Of course, glasses are the safest way to correct vision without running the risk of contact lenses. Since glasses do not touch the eyes, they cannot cause problems. On the other hand, since they are away from the eyes, the do not give vision that is as sharp as contact lenses. Rigid or hard contact lenses are even better since they float on the surface of the eye, effectively smoothing out any rough spots, giving the best vision.
Recent studies also show that LASIK has less risks than contact lenses, even though it is a surgery. It is much more common for contact lenses to cause infection, inflammation etc vs. LASIK.
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Go to LASIK Detroit website now to arrange a free LASIK evaluation with Dr. Goldstein
Information regarding LASIK eye surgery in Michigan is available at Dr. William Goldstein’s website, LASIK eye surgery in Michigan.