Eye complications due to the use of contact lenses

Contact lenses are considered as a foreign body to the eye, but little or no disturbs the eyeball's biological properties and causes complications. However, complications from wearing contact lenses (ktx) are usually mild and can be treated and often leave no complications.

The most effective way to deal with complications of contact lenses is to prevent it from happening

Choose suitable glasses

On the market today, often present mainly soft contact lenses, because this type is often easy to install, creating a pleasant feeling immediately for the wearer. However, to select the glass with the best curvature radius for the patient, the method of using the test kit is the most accurate.

The type of gas-absorbent hard contact lenses requires a high level of expertise to select and install appropriate lenses as suitable for the corneal curvature radius, other specifications to not cause harm later.

The type of toughened glass also requires the choice of suitable glass according to the method of fitting the test glass (so a test kit is required), on the other hand this type of glass usually does not give an immediate pleasant feeling that usually takes 2 to 3 weeks adapt. However, due to the characteristic that soft contact lenses are larger in diameter than corneal diameter, they often cause more complications.

Common complications

1. Corneal hypoxia

Renewal of the cornea (or the condition of a blood vessel that crawls into the cornea, which is an avascular organ). This may lead to corneal opacity, which reduces vision.In the picture, the arrows show the blood vessels crawling into the cornea.(Photo: TTO)

Materials that make soft contact lenses usually only meet the need for oxygen to the cornea when the eyes are active but cannot guarantee oxygen when sleeping. High-capacity contact lenses (near and far) or astigmatism can often reduce the amount of oxygen in the eye more. Traditional materials for contact lenses often do not allow wearing glasses to sleep overnight.

2. Renewal of the cornea

This is a common complication of chronic corneal hypoxia due to contact lenses (especially contact lenses with low air permeability index).

Frequent arteries appear more often on the extreme edge of the cornea.

If neuralgia occurs in corneal parenchyma, patients need to stop wearing glasses immediately and if they want to continue wearing, they must switch to glasses made of new materials with high air permeability, ensuring enough oxygen supply to the eye even when sleeping like: Silicon Hydrogel.

3. Change corneal curvature

Wearing contact lenses can cause distortion and change corneal curvature. The cause may be due to corneal hypoxia, or by wearing contact lenses with a radius of curvature that is inconsistent with corneal curvature. This will lead to a fuzzy feeling when wearing glasses afterwards.

4. Conjunctivitis

Soft contact lenses with hydrophilic properties therefore often contain sensitive chemical agents.

Patients wearing soft contact lenses are at risk for sensory reduction and allergic reactions to toxic substances. All preservatives and chemicals that have antiseptic effects can cause a sensitive reaction and sometimes cause an increase in seed production. Thimerosal is the most toxic preservative .

5. Giant papillary conjunctivitis

This is the papillary conjunctivitis in the upper cartilage. It is common in both eyes but sometimes on one eye, which is more common in people who wear soft contact lenses (KTX) than gas-tight KTX. Giant papillary conjunctivitis is caused by an immune response related to the use of the drug, but it can also originate from chronic rubbing on the cartilage conjunctiva.

The first step in treating giant papillary conjunctivitis is to eliminate the agent that causes it. Should stop wearing KTX until the inflammation has been treated .

6. Corneal inflammation

Usually, shallow keratitis, if mild, usually have no symptoms when examination of microscopic examination usually has a slight coloration.

Bacterial keratitis is more common in people with KTX softer than hardened glass and this risk will increase 10-20 times if wearing glasses overnight.

Over-the-night glasses often increase the risk of infection, infection in the margin of the cornea, and acute red eye syndrome. The above conditions associated with the presence of gram negative bacteria cause an inflammatory reaction. Wearing soft KTX is also at risk of getting Acanthamoeba which can cause inflammation of the cornea. Soft KTX should not be exposed to unpasteurized water such as bottled water, tap water, river water.

7. Symptoms of dry eyes when wearing KTX

Eye dryness can occur when wearing the KTX, which may be due to insufficient tears produced or poor quality of tears and this situation becomes more uncomfortable when wearing contact lenses especially when wearing soft contact lenses. country. Patient or complain: most irritable, uncomfortable, blurred, especially at the end of the day. Can be treated by adding artificial tears (preferably those without preservatives). This symptom can be resolved by wearing glasses with Silicone Hydrogel.

Some advice

- Wash your hands clean and wipe with a clean dry cloth before removing or attaching your eyes to the eye.

- Should do rubbing glass and rinsing glass carefully. Soak the glass in the solution for enough time before putting on the eye.

- You should empty the glass tray every time you put on your glasses. Then dry, open the lid and leave in a clean, clean place. Replace glass trays every month.

- Replace glass on time (should not wear beyond the time limit, though nothing has happened).

- Stop wearing contact lenses as soon as there are symptoms: red eyes, blurred vision, or feel uncomfortable and go to see an ophthalmologist right away.

] - There should be a pair of glasses to wear when you go home or when your eyes are inflamed. For contact lenses made of normal materials (not Silicone Hydrogel), the wearing time every day should not exceed 8 hours then need to remove the glasses and wear eyeglass frames to rest your eyes.

- Need for regular follow-up: After 1 month for the first wearing, and every 6 months for the next visit.