“I have contact lenses, but I wear them every day, and at the end of the day I can make all the excuses I want. I don't take them out. I sleep in them. It's unhealthy. You have to change them,” Spelling told her co-star.
WITH a third of people wear contact lensesthere is a chance that you fell asleep with your contacts, such as Spelling.
However, serious complications can develop if you sleep or nap with your contact lenses on, even if the contacts are labeled “extended wear.” Serious eye infections can lead to blindness and affect 1 in 500 contact lens wearers each year.
Around Between 40% and 90% of people do not follow proper care instructions. When it comes to contact lenses, we asked eye experts when you should take your contact lenses out, as well as the do's and don'ts of wearing them.
Sleeping in lenses can be dangerous – even just taking a nap
Arvind Saini, a clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told BuzzFeed News that sleeping with contact lenses increases the risk of getting an eye infection due to the lack of oxygen reaching the eyes.
“Usually without contact lenses, oxygen and nutrients can easily reach the skin on the surface of the eye because it is covered with tears,” Saini said. When you blink, you replenish the tear layer that covers the surface of the eye.”
Most people can safely wear contact lenses up to 14-16 hours straight. While you're awake, blinking keeps your eyes moist, which protects their surface. However, when the eyes are closed, there is no oxygen or moisture to protect the eyes. Without moisture or tears, there is an increased risk of eye infections, as well as severe dry eyeseye inflammation, ulcers and loss of vision.
“If you sleep with your contact lenses on, you're holding a piece of plastic filled with bacteria pressed against your cornea,” Saini said. “In an environment with less tear turnover and the presence of oxygen to protect the ocular surface, this is a recipe for disaster.”
While new contact lenses may be marketed as long-wear lenses with increased oxygen permeability and less drying, there are still risks associated with sleeping in these lenses. Manufacturers of extended-wear contacts say you can wear them continuously for a week or month (depending on the type) and even sleep in them, but the experts we spoke to said it's probably best to take them off at night.
“When you wear them, there will be less damage to the skin layer,” Saini said. “However, the skin layer will still be exposed to stress from the contact lenses, and tears may occur in the protective barrier.”
All contact lenses, whether daily, weekly or long-term wear, should be removed at the end of the day or as recommended. If they are dailies, you throw them away; with other types, you can put them back the next day, but you shouldn't sleep in them if you can help it.
Corneal ulcer is an infection that threatens vision
Corneal ulcer, or keratitis, is open wound on the cornea – the transparent part of the eye that covers the iris and pupil. The ulcer may or may not be visible to the naked eye (it may appear as a white spot), and it may be caused by bacteria, viruses or parasitesor eye injury. Symptoms may include eye pain, blurred vision, and photophobia, or eye discomfort in bright light.
Corneal ulcer and pink eyeA common eye infection, there may be overlapping symptoms, including redness and watery eyes. However, unlike conjunctivitis, a corneal ulcer affects the surface of the eye and can impair vision if left untreated. (Spelling said on the podcast that people have asked her if she has pink eye.)
Corneal ulcers are usually treated with antibiotics, antiviral or antifungal drops, and a protective eye patch.
You can reduce the risk of infection by 60-70% Don't sleep with your contacts on.
Contact lenses: Dos
“Eye infections and other contact lens-related injuries can cause long-term damage, but they are often preventable. [There are] many common care errors, including failure to clean and store lenses as directed by your optometrist,” said Robert K. Layman, former president of the American Optometric Association.
- Wash your hands before and after putting in and taking out contact lenses to avoid transmitting bacteria.
- Clean or replace your contact lens case every three months. Cases may contain biofilm and debris. (Biofilm is a slimy layer of bacteria.)
- Remove contact lenses before swimming or showering.
- Remove the contacts if your eyes become irritated, red, or if your vision becomes impaired.
- Follow the instructions on your contact lens packaging exactly.
Contact lenses: not allowed
“If your contact lenses are not approved for continuous nighttime wear, you are putting yourself at risk for potential eye and vision damage,” Layman said. “Even those contact lenses that are approved for continuous nighttime wear deprive your eyes of oxygen and should be removed regularly to give your eyes a break and a chance to breathe.”
You should try not to:
- Wear contact lenses longer than 14 to 16 hours.
- Wear 30-day, daily, or any contact lenses at night.
- Continue to wear your contact lenses day after day in ways that are not recommended.
- Store or clean lenses in tap water. It's not sterile!
- Reuse saline contact lens solution.
“In general, we don't want bacteria to be in close contact with the surface of the eye, especially if there are open breaks in the surface of the eye,” Saini said. “Microorganisms can grow and multiply on contact lenses. Our skin barrier is important in preventing bacteria from entering and causing infection. Likewise, the surface of the eye is covered by a clear layer of skin that protects the deeper layers of the cornea from infection.”
