Most contact lens wearers know that unless using contact lenses prescribed by your Optometrist or Ophthalmologist for extended wear, they should not sleep with contact lenses on.
However, sometimes even experienced wearers can accidentally take a nap or fall asleep with their lenses on. This is something that should be avoided all the time and is something to constantly remind ourselves not to do. Sleeping with contact lenses increases the risk of eye infection.
Our cornea gets oxygen directly from the air. This means that when wearing contact lenses, our eyes get less oxygen. When we close our eyes, the oxygen supply gets even lower. Combining both can bring down the oxygen level in our eyes drastically.
When there is a lack of oxygen in our eyes, the cornea swells up. This swelling is enough to cause gaps between our eye’s surface cells. Bacteria can then enter the eyes through such gaps and possibly cause an infection.
If you accidentally take a nap or fall asleep with your contact lenses on and experience any of the symptoms below, consult your Optometrist or Ophthalmologist immediately.
•Blurry vision
•Unusual redness in the eye
•Tearing or discharge from the eye
•Sensitivity to light
•Burning sensation in the eye
•Grittiness
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