Contact Lens Risks?!


Question:

Contact Lens Risks?

I am 25 and about -15 diopters in both eyes. I am deciding on whether I should stick with contact lenses for the rest of my life or go through surgery.

If I wear contact lenses normally for the rest of my life what diseases or conditions can I have? I know I could have a retinal detachment but that would happen anyway.

Thanks.


Answers:

The biggest risk is of corneal ulcers. These can occur due to improper care and/or use of the contacts. For example, not thoroughly cleaning/disinfecting your lenses daily, sleeping with 'daily wear' lenses in, not removing and cleaning extended-wear lenses daily (even though you are supposed to be able to wear them a week straight, my eyes always felt better and less fatigued when I cleaned them daily), and wearing ripped/scratched lenses. Any of these can also lead to callouses on your eyelids (not serious, but very unpleasant, and they take a week or more to heal -- You can't wear a contact in that eye, since the medication will dissolve it, so you either have to switch to glasses or wear a patch) I wore contacts for several years, but I actually developed an allergy to them, so I am back to glasses. But if you are responsible with them and take care of them, your risk of problems is very low.

As for the LASIK surgery, all I can say is: To each his own. The cost of the 100% laser procedure is in the neighborhood of $1000-$1500 per eye. (traditional LASIK involves physically cutting the cornea with a knife, then reshaping the lens with a laser). Also, some people (myself included) get a little jittery when it comes to the thought of someone cutting their eyes while they are awake (you are given a local anesthetic - they don't knock you out due to the short length of the procedure, which is about 10 minutes per eye). Millions of people have had LASIK, and it does seem to deliver as promised. But they are your eyes. How you deal with the defects are your decision and yours alone. We can give you the facts, (and I STRONGLY recommend that you do a lot of research, and talk to your eye doctor about it), but you are the one who ultimately has to make the decision.

And LEATH3R, that is such a crock. Ciba's Night & Day brand lenses are FDA approved to be worn 24/7 for 30 days straight. The cornea does not 'grow', and it is impossible for a lens to become 'fused' to the cornea. Stop trying to sound cool, because it makes you sound like a moron.




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