Things to remember when using contact lenses

PEOPLE use contact lenses nowadays for varying reasons. Some of them wear them to correct refractive errors and make their vision clearer without having to use eyeglasses, while others have them on their eyes for cosmetic purposes.

Several individuals say they choose to wear contact lenses because it is more comfortable and convenient than their everyday eyeglasses which may be a recipe for disaster, especially if they are active in high-impact exercises or sports. 

This does not mean contact lenses won’t cause a user any problems–they have their own consequences, particularly if not well-taken care of and not used properly.

Actress Maricar Reyes shared her own experience of nearly losing her sight due to improper use of contact lenses. She narrated the incident through a TikTok video to warn all contact lens users.

What happened?

In her video, Reyes shared how she became complacent in wearing colored contact lenses–sometimes, even expired ones–for longer periods since it has not had any adverse effect on her since she started using them in 2010.

But a few months ago, the 42-year-old actress said she began feeling a little pain in her eyes after wearing her colored contact lenses for about 12 hours. She initially thought the pain was only because of tiredness, until the situation had gotten worse.

“At around 3 a.m. nagising ako to the most excruciating eye pain in my entire life. Sobrang sakit. Sa sobrang sakit kinailangan akong dalhin ER [emergency room] at around 5 a.m.,” she recalled.

Her doctor gave her medicines for pain relief and sent her back home at around 7 a.m., she said. But at 11 a.m., Reyes said she felt extreme eye pain again, which is why she was sent back to the emergency room.

“They had to increase my pain medication. So for the next three days, halos hindi ko madilat yung mga mata ko sa sobrang sakit at maga,” she said.

She continued, “I was taking 1,000 milligrams of paracetamol, alternating with 400 milligrams of ibuprofen every six hours, for three days and still, ang sakit-sakit pa rin.”

Reyes then found out that her extreme eye pain was due to corneal abrasions, “a superficial scratch on the clear, protective ‘window’ at the cornea,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

She admitted that she was aware that contact lenses should only be worn for a maximum of eight hours a day, but she insisted on using them for longer hours. She also said that she didn’t realize that the contact lenses she wore that day had already expired.

“Sa tagal-tagal kong nagko-contact lens na sinusuot ko mga 12, 15 hours sa taping, tapos minsan expired pa, bakit ngayon lang nangyari ‘to?” she asked.

Regardless of her excuse, Reyes acknowledged that what she did was “irresponsible.”

Types of contact lenses

Like eyeglasses, contact lenses also correct refractive errors that make vision clearer. But one must consider that there are many types of contact lenses, and it will be best to seek advice from experts in choosing what’s best for them.

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), there are three main things one should know in picking their contact lenses: lens material, how long they will wear them, and how often they will use them.

A common type of lens is the soft contact lenses which are “soft and flexible,” which the NEI said are “more comfortable and easier to get used to.” Then there are hard contact lenses, which “may take longer to get used to” and “harder to clean” but are more durable than soft contact lenses.

There are also contact lenses that are for daily wear and extended wear. Daily wear contact lenses should only be worn during daytime and must be removed at night, while extended wear contact lenses may rest on one’s eyes overnight. The NEI noted that these lenses may still cause serious eye infections if not properly used.

If an individual is not a regular contact lens wearer, they have the option to purchase single-use contact lenses that can only be worn for a day. If not, they may have reusable contact lenses that can be used on other days but only from seven to 30 days, depending on the brand, said the NEI.

Exceptions

Contact lenses are not for everyone, regardless of the purpose of wanting to use them.

Cleveland Clinic noted that contact lenses may be unsuitable for those who have dry eye disease, recurrent eye infections and severe allergies, those who expose themselves to areas with dust or fumes for longer hours, and those who may not be able to clean and care for contact lenses.

The academic medical center also asked people to seek advice from experts about other reasons why wearing contact lenses may not be right for them.

Tips

Putting contact lenses on your eyes may freak out first-timers, but it will be easier once they get used to wearing them. Mayo Clinic has tips on how to properly put them:

· Wash your hands and dry them. It is a must for users to clean their hands first before touching their lenses, and they should dry their hands with a lint-free towel.

· Rinse your lens. It’s important to note that contact lenses should not be rinsed with water but the solution recommended by their eye doctor.

· Use your index finger. Contact lenses should be placed on the tip of their index finger and then placed on the surface of their eye by pulling down their lower lid with their middle finger. They should also put their contact lenses in the same eye–either left or right–to avoid mix-up.

· Release your eyelids. After putting on the lens, they should release their eyelids gently and blink a few times.

When removing contact lenses:

· Wash and dry your hands. The same procedure of washing and drying their hands applies before they remove any of their lenses.

· Use your thumb and index finger. For soft lenses, one must pull down their lower lid, and then look up or to the other side before gently moving their lens to the white part of their eye. They must use both their thumb and index finger to gently pinch the lens and remove it from the surface of their eye. For hard lenses, one must open their eyes wide and pull the skin near the corner of their eye toward their ear. The lens will come out of their eye once they blink.

Advice

Reyes said that her corneal abrasions healed after seven days, but her doctor told her that her situation could have gotten worse.

“Sabi ng ophthalmologist ko, napakaswerte ko raw dahil sa laki ng mga sugat ko sa mata, pwede akong magkaroon ng mga peklat or mga puti-puti sa paningin ko habang buhay,” she said.

“Buti na lang naagapan agad at hindi ako naging pasaway sa paglagay ng gamot na nireseta nila,” she added.

The actress also shared the lessons from her experience, realizing that one type of contact lens may not be suitable for every wearer.

“Hindi pala one-size-fits-all ang contact lens. So para makahinga nang maayos ang cornea, dapat maganda ang fit at material nung contact lens. Kung hindi, para siyang nasasakal,” Reyes said.

She continued, “And if every day for more than eight hours, parang nasasakal ‘yung mata natin. Hindi maiiwasan na baka magkaroon ng complications or damage over time.”

Reyes advised the public to be careful when using contact lenses, especially those who wear them for longer hours and those who still use expired lenses.

“Huwag mong paabutin sa level ko na bigla ka na lang magigising na may sugat ka na sa mata at kailangan mong tumakbo sa ER dahil sa sobrang sakit,” she warned. 

She encouraged them to consult with an ophthalmologist for proper eye care.