6 Risks of Wearing Contacts

Wearing contacts can be harmful to your health if you don’t take proper care and caution. These are just some of the risks you face while wearing them:

1. Over Night Risks
   Contact lenses naturally block oxygen to your eyes. If you wear them overnight or longer than prescribed by your doctor, you gain the risk of corneal ulcers that can scar your cornea or even cause blindness.
2. Contacts VS. Medication
   Certain types of medication can negatively impact contact lens wear. Birth control pills for instance, boost estrogen and can make a woman’s eye more sensitive. They can also decrease tear output and make eyes drier. Antihistamines can also dry your eyes out while wearing them and certain types of acne medication can cause your eyes to itch.
3. Dry Eyes
   Since they cover the surface of the eye and restrict oxygen, many wearers experience dry eyes now and then. The dryness can worsen in certain situations such as a long flight, being in an arid environment or while drinking alcohol.
4. Outdoor Risks
   Tiny airborne irritants like dust, pollen, mold, smoke and pet dander can stick to your contacts, which can irritate your eyes. Excessive tearing due to allergic reactions can also make it uncomfortable to wear contacts.
5. Swimming
   Wearing contact lens in a chlorinated pool or any natural body of water puts your lenses at risk of contamination. Take them off before going swimming and wear them again an hour after you get out of the water.
6. Smoking Risks 
   Smoking in general is a huge risk. Smokers who wear contacts face a risk of developing corneal ulcers eight times higher than smokers. (Adapted by Jessy Pearl)

Source: www.visianinfo.com