Don’t take the
handling of contact lenses lightly, warns Nadia Badarudin. It may lead to
irreversible damage to the eyes.
Nina Ridzuan (not
her real name) wore contact lenses simply because she felt spectacles made her
look less attractive and restricted her freedom to enjoy outdoor activities.
However, she was
ill-informed and did almost everything that a contact lens wearer shouldn’t do.
She wore her contact lenses for more than the recommended eight hours. She put
them on at 6am before she left for work and took them out only after she
reached home at about 8pm (sometimes, she was so tired she even slept with the
lenses on).
If she ran out
of disinfecting solution, she would just clean the lenses with normal saline
solution. The 25-year-old bought solutions that were cheaper or on sale without
seeking the advice of her optometrist. Worst of all, she kept the contact lens
casing on the toilet sink.
One day, she
experienced excruciating pain in her left eye. It was red and watery. Within
minutes, she suffered partial vision loss. Then she went blind in her left eye.
Nina did regain
her vision after undergoing treatment but she still has a scarred cornea which
takes time to heal.
IGNORANCE
ISN’T BLISS
Nina’s ordeal
(and daily habits in the episode) is one of the many sorry stories which stem
from the wearers’ ignorance or indifferent attitude towards the importance of
proper wear and care of contact lenses.
“Wearing contact
lenses is safe for all. It’s the way we handle the lenses that can be hazardous
to the eyes and lead to such horrible stories,” says associate professor Dr
Haliza Abdul Mutalib, an optometrist from the Faculty of Health Sciences,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
“Many first time
wearers don’t realise that contact lenses can affect their vision if
mishandled. Most wearers put the lenses not knowing that insertion or removal
can cause various injuries such as corneal scratch,” she says.
And while some
are clueless about proper disinfecting procedures, there are those who don’t
know that the lenses must be used with disinfecting solution and kept in proper
casing.
“Incorrect
wearing technique and handling can bring infections, allergies, ulceration and
eventually cause blindness,” says Dr Haliza, adding that incompliant wearers
would usually get infections in less than a year of using the lenses.
COSMETIC,
THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS
Contact lenses
can do more good than harm. Besides providing cosmetic benefits to almost
everyone - from newborns to the elderly - it can help improve vision,
particularly in those who are aphakics (people who lack the eyes’ natural
lenses), or suffer from ocular conditions or diseases such as keratoconus
(degeneration of the cornea structure) or recurrent cornea erosion syndrome.
“Contact lenses
also benefit babies born with congenital cataract. They can also perform as
‘bandage lenses’ for therapeutic reason,” says Dr Haliza.
She says it is
crucial to get the eyes checked by eye care practitioners before wearing contact
lenses. The practitioner would run a series of tests to ascertain whether a
person can wear contact lenses or not.
“If a person is
deemed suitable to use the lenses, the practitioner will determine the lens
type (either soft or rigid gas permeable contact lenses) and the right lens
care products that suit the person’s lifestyle,” she says.
“If the wearer
uses heavy make-up or is active in sports, the practitioner would normally
recommend daily disposable lenses that can be used up to 10 hours.
“There are also
contact lenses that can be worn for more than 14 hours (extended wear) or 30
days (continuous wear) without the need to take them off during the period,”
she adds.
NOT SUITABLE
Dr Haliza says
individuals with severe dry eye syndrome or allergies are among those who
cannot wear contact lenses. She says dry eye syndrome is where the tear glands
produce fewer tears and is normal among those who take heavy medication. Then
there are those who can’t wear contact lenses because of the shape of their
eyes.
“Individuals
with severe nearsightedness may also find it hard to wear them because there
aren’t many lenses with high enough power to correct their vision,” says Dr
Haliza.
“There are also
those allergic to disinfecting solution or the contact lenses and those with
previous trauma, infection, ulceration are likely to get the painful episodes
repeated if they wear contact lenses.”
She adds that
some experts have suggested that diabetics don’t wear contact lenses because
they are prone to infections.
NOT ACCESSORIES
Thinking of
buying trendy contact lenses to imitate Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance video
anime-look, or to appear childlike, doe-eyed like your favourite Korean Pop
idol for your Facebook profile picture? Think again.
The
eye-enlarging circle lenses make the eyes look bigger (or most of the times,
disturbing!) by covering the iris as well as part of the whites. Popular among
female teenagers with mostly good vision, circle lenses are cheap and easily
available at night markets or sold on the Internet.
Dr Haliza says
youngsters should understand that contact lenses are not accessories, and be
warned about the consequences of buying lenses from unqualified sources.
“Trendy, cheap
contact lenses have low oxygen and water content and are meant for occasional wear.
The lenses come in standard sizes and may not fit the wearer’s eyes.
Ill-fitting lenses can deprive the eyes of oxygen, resulting in various
complications,” she says.
It is also a
risk to share contact lenses with friends. “There is a risk of getting HIV
through shared contact lenses. With the right concentration, the virus can
spread through tears,” she explains.
HANDLE WITH
CARE
Dr Haliza
continues: “Despite lack of care, the lenses will still look good and wearable,
but when put under the microscope, it’s a different story. Dirty lenses are
full of deposits, germs and whatnots that can cause discomfort and trigger
giant papillary conjunctivitis where the inner surface of the eyelids becomes
irritated and inflamed.”
She says that
compromising on the efficacy of disinfecting solutions is also another common
mistake. She recalls a patient who “treated” the solution like shampoo or body
lotion and re-poured the solution into 30 small casings for the convenience of
daily use.
Moreover, she
says, many are ill-informed that different solution has different efficacies.
“Eye care
practitioners will recommend products that best suit the wearer’s lens type and
ocular health. So buying non-recommended mix-and-match products over the
counter may not fulfil the need,” she says.
TIPS FOR
CONTACT LENS HANDLING AND CARE
DON’T
1. Wear the
lenses for longer than the recommended period.
2. Sleep with lenses
on.
3. Handle
contact lenses with dirty hands and long nails.
4. Top-up or
reuse disinfecting solution.
5. Transfer the
disinfecting solution to other containers.
6. Leave contact
lens casing without the lids on.
7. Expose your
contact lenses to tap, bottled, distilled, lake or ocean water (tap and
distilled water have been associated with Acanthamoeba keratitis, a corneal
infection that is resistant to treatment and cure).
DO
1. Get a
thorough eye examination from a qualified optometrist or optician before
deciding to wear contact lenses.
2. Rub and rinse
the contact lenses as recommended by the eye care practitioners. Rub the lenses
immediately after taking them off.
3. Rub the inner
part of the casing while cleaning, and let it air-dry. Keep the casing in a
clean, hygienic place.
4. Use daily
disposable lenses when going for swimming, camping or other outdoor activities
as well as while travelling.
5. Replace the
casing every three to six months.
6. Use
disinfecting solution as advised by the eye care practitioners (what the
manufacturer recommends on the product label might not be suitable to the
wearer’s need).
7. Use
re-wetting drops, as prescribed by eye care practitioners, to moisten the eyes
when the environment is dry.
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