July 17, 2014

Your Contact Lenses Could be Harboring Bacteria!

Sarah Comeau on Unsplash

Whether you wear contacts for medical reasons or just to make a fashion statement, it’s pretty common knowledge that regular care for your contacts is important. Germs and other forms of bacteria can do permanent damage to your eyes, and even lead to blindness! That is why, whenever you purchase contact lenses, it is crucial that you do your utmost to maintain the cleanliness of your contacts.

There are many conditions that can develop due to not properly maintaining your contacts, including acanthamoeba keratitis, an amoeba that can actually eats the surface of your eyeball and cause blindness. One of main things to make sure you avoid when you have your contact lenses on is swimming and showering. Contact lenses act as sponges in the water, absorbing parasites and other bacteria. Acanthamoeba thrives in water – even in water that appears to be clean. Because contact lenses deprive your eyes of oxygen and can cause micro-tears on the cornea, your eyes then become the perfect breeding grounds for bacteria.

Several human clinical trials have indicated that supplementing with a combination of specific, powerful antioxidants, minerals and herbal constituents can have a very positive effect on eye and vision health and overall function.

To make sure your eyes are free of any contaminants, follow these instructions:

• Do not wear your contacts in a wet environment. (That means no pools, showers, saunas, or hot tubs!)
• Do not sleep in your contacts.
• Change your contacts regularly. If your lenses have a 30-day lifespan, don’t try to squeeze an extra week out!
• Try to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before touching your eyes.
• Make sure to visit your eye care provider regularly. They are best suited to detect any early signs of infections or damage from the lenses.