NEHW 2015 - The 7 Eye "Sins" - Sin No.2: Abusing Your Contact Lenses!

* WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT *

Although not everyone is a candidate, contact lenses when used sensibly are a great solution to correcting your vision without having to wear glasses, especially if you have a high prescription or participate in sports. However, did you know that if you don't follow the guidelines to using them responsibly, they have the potential to blind you, yes actually BLIND you!

This is a topic I haven't yet covered on SarahKnowsEyes, but is definitely in the "potential future posts" pile!

The thing is, spectacles typically sit approximately 12mm from the front of the cornea (give or take). Contact lenses do exactly what they say on the tin - make contact with the cornea, and this warm, moist environment is the perfect breeding ground for microscopic bacteria - yuck!

The big "sins" of contact lens wearers are over-wearing them and not cleaning them sufficiently (if they are of the multi-use variety). The two big risks from doing either (or Lord forbid, both!) of these things are corneal ulcers and acanthamoeba kerititis. Trust me, neither of these are pleasant! They are hugely painful and if left undiagnosed/untreated for too long, honestly do have the potential to blind you. It's just not worth the risk people!