Contact Lenses Complications

With the advances being made in materials and manufacturing techniques, contact lenses have never been safer or cheaper at any time in the past. With that being said, though, there are still people who may experience certain symptoms or complications when they try to wear their contact lenses.

Dry Eyes

• The most common complaint from people who wear contact lenses is that they experience dry eyes. A layer of tears over the eye is very important to good vision. The tears are the first thing that light, and contact lenses, encounter. As such, eyes that dry up may have insubstantial tears, which can cause irritation and poor vision. Typically, those who experience dry eyes should reduce wearing their contacts, and use eyedrops while they do have them in.

Corneal Hypoxia

• Corneal hypoxia is a condition where contact lenses alter the layers in the cornea of the wearer's eye. There are a variety of small changes and complications, but over time they result in what's called corneal exhaustion syndrome. This means that for contact wearers, even those who used to be able to wear them regularly, their eyes can't tolerate wearing contacts as long anymore. Blurred vision, trouble focusing, and other side effects are common. The best solution is usually to reduce the amount of time that a person wears her contacts, bringing down the number of hours per day that she has them in to reduce strain.

Solution Reactions

• Some people may have no reaction at all to contact lenses. They may on the other hand have an allergic reaction to the solution that their contact lenses are kept in. These reactions can vary between patients, but there are only two ways to prevent further reactions. The first is to change the sterilization solution that their contact lenses are kept in, and the second is to switch them over to daily, throwaway contact lenses to eliminate the need for solutions.

Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis

• One of the most uncomfortable complications caused by wearing contact lenses is giant papillary conjunctivitis. This condition manifests as tiny swellings on the inside surface of the wearer's eyelid, particularly in the upper tarsal plate. This is usually caused by an allergic reaction to the lens material, the lens solution or lens protein deposit. It's best that contact lens wear be discontinued until the condition is gone, and doctors have given the patient the green light to try wearing contacts again: hopefully a different variety, and with a different solution.

Corneal Abrasion

• Corneal abrasion, or a cut in the eye, can also result from contact lens wear. One of the ways this can happen is when some foreign body is trapped between the contact lens and the eye, which allows it to damage the eye instead of being washed away by tears. Another way this can happen is that if the lens is defective, it can be responsible for the abrasions. There's usual some pain and discomfort, but generally flushing the eye before wearing contacts, and making sure that the lenses to be worn are in top condition, can prevent corneal abrasions.