Contact lenses are ideal for many people because they help improve vision without the hassle of wearing eye glasses. However, many people admit to falling to sleep while still wearing their contact lenses. It is therefore important to raise awareness of the dangers of sleeping with contact lenses.
Approximately 40 to 90 percent of contact wearers in the U.S. do not follow the proper instructions for using contact lenses, Medical Daily reports. Learning about the dangers of sleeping with contact lenses can help save your eyes and vision.
1. Hypoxia Of The Eyes
Our eyes need sufficient oxygen supply in order to work. When you wear contact lenses during sleep, there is a bigger risk of depriving the eyes of sufficient oxygen. This can lead to neovascularization which can then cause vision loss.
2. Ulcers Of The Cornea
One of the biggest dangers of sleeping with contact lenses is the higher risk of corneal ulcers. Wearing contact lenses during sleep scratches the surface of the cornea. Corneal ulcers cause pain and can also make your eyes vulnerable to infections and hypoxia.
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3. Presence Of Parasites
"A shortage of oxygen can destroy the surface of the epithelial tissue, creating tiny wounds into which the bacteria can easily infect, spreading to the rest of the eye and providing a perfect breeding ground," ophthalmologist Wu Jian-Liang shared with Medical Daily. This can happen if a person constantly wears contact lenses during sleep.
4. Blindness
Being able to observe the things around us is a gift we should never take for granted. One of the scariest dangers of sleeping with contact lenses is blindness. This is exactly what happened to Chad Groeschen, a man who lost vision in his one eye after wearing contact lenses while sleeping, Huffington Post reports.
