CONTACT CONSEQUENCES

Emily Lenna 2015Contacts I

GLASSES VS CONTACTS Glasses: do not touch eye less likely to cause infection or irritation, wont cause you to want to touch your eyeContacts: sit right on your eye, so it reduces the amount of oxygen reaching your eye suffocates cornea, increases dry eyeGlasses: cheaper in long term wont have to replace near as oftenContacts: while convenient to wear, you have to clean them properly EVERY TIME or else it could cause severe infectionsGlasses: stylish without risksContacts: can change your eye color, but carry more risks than regular prescription contacts***allaboutvision.com***

NEOVASCULARIZATION Growth of blood vessels into cornea due to lack of oxygen reaching cornea. Contacts cannot allow as much oxygen through as the cornea needs, so blood vessels grow into it to provide nutrients. Can cause blindnessThis is why it is important that you do not wear contacts 24/7. give your eyes a break so that your cornea wont suffocate

GIANT PAPILLARY CONJUNCTIVITIS GPC Affects underside of top eyelid (palpebral conjunctiva)Symptoms: itchy eyes, increased mucus production, gritty feel after removal of contacts, may feel like contacts move around more or don’t fit as well as they used to.Causes: allergies, protein build-up on contact lens, constant blinking while wearing contacts (body thinks contact is a foreign substance and reacts to it).

CORNEAL ABRASIONS dirty or poor fitting contacts, or improper removal of contact lensA scratch on the cornea, with loss of epithelial cellsExposes cornea to foreign objects, including bacteriaCan lead to other infections ***webmd.com***

CORNEAL KERATITIS Inflammation of the corneaSymptoms: redness, pain, excess tear or discharge, difficulty opening eyelid because of pain or irritation, blurred or decreased vision, sensitivity to light, foreign body sensation.Causes: injury, contaminated contact lens, viruses (herpes simples and zoster, and the virus that causes chlamydia),and contaminated water***mayoclinic.org***

ACANTHAMOEBA Caused by a single-celled organism found in water, soil and airCause: contaminated contact lensSymptoms: eye pain, redness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, excessive tearing, foreign body sensation***cdc.gov***

PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSABacteria found in the environment Symptoms: redness, swelling of conjunctiva and/or lid, excessive mucus discharge, light sensitivity, pain, decreased vision, clouding of corneaCauses: contaminated contact lens***dro.hs.Columbia.edu***

DENDRITIC ULCERA grey to white open sore on the corneaCauses: bacteria, herpes simplex, varicella, and fungal infectionsSymptoms: redness, pain, foreign object sensation, pus or thick discharge draining from eye, light sensitivity *** medicinenet.com***

DO’S AND DON’TS DO NOT expose your contact lenses to any type of waterDO NOT substitute saline for multipurpose solution (saline doesn’t disinfect)DO NOT “top off” your solution. Never reuse solution ALWAYS empty solution out of your case and air dryALWAYS clean and care for your contacts as directed by your eye care professionalALWAYS remove contact lenses and contact your eye care professional if you experience any symptoms of irritation or an infection***fda.gov*** DO NOT sleep in your contacts!!! This suffocates your cornea even more!!!!

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR SOFT CONTACTS