You may have seen in the news recently that several people have had eye infections to do with their contact lenses, for example in the Metro: https://bit.ly/2OTdgEI
Wearing contact lenses does come with a slightly increased risk of eye infection, but if you are careful and follow the advice given by your optometrist and attend your regular checks with your optometrist there is no reason why you should have any problems.
Acanthamoeba keratitis is caused by germs that lives in water but cannot normally harm humans. However, wearing contact lenses in water (this includes all water bodies; swimming pools, showers, hot tubs, open water) means that it can infect the eyes. This happens when the microbe is absorbed into the contact lens and can then transfer into the eye, causing an infection which can result in blindness within a few days.
For this reason we recommend not wearing contact lenses in water at all to minimise the risk. However, the College of Optometrists says contact lenses can be worn in water IF: they are daily lenses with tight swimming goggles worn over the top of them, and that the lenses are removed and thrown away as soon as you leave the water.
Here are some top tips for looking after your eyes when you wear contact lenses:
· Never wear contact lenses in the water
· Always wash your hands before you put the lenses in and before you take them out.
· Never sleep in your contact lenses (unless your optometrist has told you that you can do so)
· Have regular check ups with your optometrists to check your contact lenses and spectacles
· If you ever have any problems (eg. Red eye, eye pain, vision problems) remove your lenses and contact your optician immediately
If you have any concerns or questions please contact us.
For more information check the Association of Optometrists website:
https://bit.ly/2Ii3k4a