8 Mistakes With Contact Lenses That Could Damage Your Eyes

Contact lenses have made life easier for many. But every good thing comes with the cost, and contact lenses are not an exception. When you take your contact lenses lightly, you end up making several common mistakes, that could be hurting your eyes. Here are the common mistakes, people make with contact lenses, that could damage your eyes.

1- Wearing contacts for too long

Wearing contacts for too long, is bad for your vision health. It can lead to permanent scarring, and even loss of vision. Contact sit on top of your corneas, which do not have blood vessels, to bring oxygen to them. It is the tears that do this important job. But tears cannot reach your corneas, while you're wearing contacts, as they act as a shield. By removing your contact, from time to time, you allow oxygen to reach the corneas.

2- Wearing your contacts, past the expiration date

Everything comes with an expiration date, including your contact lenses. Old, expired lenses become a breeding ground for germs. With use, they also accumulate a buildup of proteins, and other residues. Wearing such lenses can be uncomfortable, or worse, it can lead to infection. Never risk your eye health, to prolong the use of a pair of contacts. By wearing old contact lenses, you are not saving money, instead, you are calling for expensive medical bills.

3- Sleeping in your contacts

Just like you shouldn't wear your contacts, for more days than they're prescribed length, you also shouldn't wear them, for more hours in a day, than recommended. And you especially shouldn't sleep in them (unless you have the type, that is specifically meant to be worn, while you sleep).

4- Wearing your contacts in water

Whether it's the swimming pool, a hot tub or the shower, exposing your contacts, to any kind of water, is something you should avoid at any cost. Water is a breeding ground for different types of bacteria, and other harmful pathogens, that can lead to eye infections. In severe cases, it can even lead to vision loss.

5- Using tap water, to clean your contacts

Showering, swimming, and even using tap water to clean your contacts, can lead to serious eye damage. Tap water may be pure enough to drink, but it's not sterile. Acanthamoeba can live in tapped water, therefore, soaking your lenses in water, from the sink can lead to eye infections. Avoiding this will prevent the cornea, from getting inflamed, or scarred, which can impair vision.

6- Handing lenses with unclean hands

Contact lens wearers often forget to wash their hands, before handling the lenses. To avoid getting germs into your eyes, it is imperative that you wash your hands, thoroughly before touching your contact lenses, even the case. Always wash your hands with soap, and warm water before handling your contact lenses.

7- Wearing contacts even when your eyes hurt

Make sure to immediately take off your lenses, if you notice symptoms like redness, itching, swelling and burning in the eyes. Do not, in any case, suffer through the discomfort, wearing your lenses, and risk developing an infection. At times, your eyes may be hurting, due to something wrong in the lenses. Remove your contacts immediately, and inspect them carefully for any signs of chips or tears.

8- Improper care of contact lenses, and storage cases

Both your contact lenses and storage case need proper care, and handling. In fact, one of the biggest mistakes, that contact lens users make is that, they don't diligently follow the instructions, on handling contacts and cases. Not following proper care and safety measures, put you at a higher risk of damaging your lenses, or even worse, making yourself vulnerable to serious eye infections.