monthly contact lenses

[tinkerbell23]

i hav a habit of falling asleep with mines in...is this bad for you??

also a whle ago i lost a lens and went around with just the one in for a while...is this bad too??

i know the answer is probs yes...i think i really hav to get a grip coz im sure they have to b taken out for a reason!!!

thanks ,,,xx

[Clanad]

Keep leaving them in overnight and you'll be making a trip to the optometrist (or worse) to have it removed from your cornea. At the very least, if you leave it in overnight squirt several rounds of saline solution as soon as you get up and remove the lens and hydrate it by saking at least an hour.

On the other issue, several people have monocular lenases... only one eye corrected for disant vision while the other is left uncorrected for near vision. Friends I know report varying success (and some headaches)...

[tinkerbell23]

thanks....i know i shouldnt do it xx

[Lil O'lady]

what you need to bear in mind is that your cornea gets its oxygen supply from the air - so if you cover it up with a lens for too long, cells will die and become opaque. If you are using soft lenses, these are quite porous so you can get away with the odd 24-hour spell, but you are risking damage to your cornea and eye infections. The old rigid plastic and even earlier, glass, lenses really let you know if you left them in too long. You can get lenses that are designed to be worn 24 hours, but personally I don't trust them. Sounds like a great way to get an eye infection to me.
As Clanad says, many people wear just the one lens. It depends on your own eyes, but if you are just slightly short-sighted then you could probably get along fine with just the one.

[tinkerbell23]

yeah u r right about infection...thanks guys!! now i know!! x

[york310]

Some monthly contact lenses are designed so that you can sleep in them, some occasionally and some for full time. Older types of lenses (hydrogels) rely on the moisture content of them to help transport the oxygen from the air around to the cornea. The cornea is naturally clear and has no blood vessels to give it the oxygen it requires just like other structures of the body. When these lenses dry from prolonged use through the day or even more excessively from overnight wear less or even no oxygen gets through to the cornea and several problems can arise. The most common issues are:

1. corneal oedema (swelling) - in mild cases will self resolve with ceasing lens use and vision remains normal. In more severe cases vision can be reduced and will be a problem for a few weeks.
2. Inflammation - most likely to be infiltrative keratitis - your eyes will be red, tender, pain on blinking and sensitive to lights. This needs to be seen by your contact lens provider or optometrist to detmine if this needs referral for treatment or to be monitored. Sometimes needs treatment but often resolves by itself.
3. Infection - Often people get corneal ulcers and sometimes bacterial keratitis as a result of sleeping in their lenses which can be extremely painful with red eyes.

If you have had severe problems with your ees due to contact lens wear this can mean you may not be suitable for laser refractive surgery or even continued contact lens use.

Newer monthly disposable lenses are made of a different material (silicon hydrogels) which do not dry out as much and transmit a higher amount of oxygen without relying on the moisture content to do this. These are less problematic for those who 'accidentally' sleep in thier lenses but it is always advised not to sleep in your lenses unless they are provided for that purpose.

Luckily, most people who accidentally sleep in their lenses have none of these problems but just

[york310]

..... because they are fortunate the first time does not mean they will continue to be so. Be careful

[tinkerbell23]

thank york thats really helpfull i had been keepin them in for ages at a time and i knew it was wrong!! will have all my solution sitting out from now on so i remind myself to get the lenses out!! its lazyness on my part really!! xx