Extensive and Unneeded Use of Contact Lenses can Lead to Blindness
Study conducted by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States says that contact lenses used for cosmetic purposes can cause infections that eventually lead to blindness.
Another study says that 45 per cent of people in Saudi Arabia, particularly women, are addicted to using contact lenses.
Tasser Hammaid a veteran ophthalmologist at Al Maghrabi Eye and Ear Hospital warned that Contact lenses are not as reliable as eye glasses and opticians must be consulted before using them, as sometimes the cornea might not provide a good fit for the lenses,
Acanthamoeba, also known as Corneal Ulcer Acanthamobea‚ is a microscopic, waterborne parasite that may invade the cornea and causes a potentially devastating eye condition known as Acanthamobea Keratitis, an infection almost exclusive to contact lens wearers, and in extreme cases can end with scarring of the cornea and blindness. Recovery itself can take almost a year with treatment.
Veronica Ramos, an OD Optometrist, and contact lens specialist at Al Magarabi Hospital warned that Acanthamoeba is virtually everywhere in the environment, including soil, dust, swimming pools, hot tubs, domestic tap water, and even bottled water.
As such, wearing contact lenses with home-made solutions raises the risk of contracting Acanthamoeba Keratitis. Many contact lens users ignore the advice of their practitioners and lens care institutions and rinse their lenses or storage case in tap water, which may introduce Acanthamoeba to the storage case. Once inside the case, Acanthamoeba can survive and grow, and can end with the need for a cornea transplant.
Expert says contact lenses even obstract the natural flow of the tears and oxygen to the cornea and leaving the eye vulnerable to infection.
Experts also warned that sleeping with lenses is like killing the cornea.
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