If you’re anything like the average contact lens wearer, you remove your contacts before bed and store them in a case filled with saline solution. You might even rinse them off before placing them in the case. But did you know that sleeping in your contact lenses can be dangerous? In this blog post, we’ll discuss the risks of sleep with contacts in and how to reduce your chances of experiencing an eye infection.
Things That May Happen If You Sleep With Your Contacts On
Getting enough sleep is important for your vision, but when you wear contacts, it can drastically increase the risk of an eye infection. Sometimes, these infections lead to permanent corneal damage and total blindness.
Acanthamoeba Keratitis
Acanthamoeba keratitis can lead to blindness if not treated. The infection is caused by a single-celled organism found in natural bodies of water, soil, tap water, and hot tubs that may cause inflammation on the cornea, leading to vision loss or complete lack thereof.
If you wear contact lenses, it is important to be extra careful about proper hygiene. Contact lens wearers who swim or shower while wearing their contacts risk developing Acanthamoeba keratitis. This can lead to scarring of the cornea and infection beyond what would otherwise occur without this type of exposure.
Wearing contacts reduces the amount of oxygen to your cornea, which impairs its ability to protect itself from microorganisms. Sleeping in lenses overnight can make you more susceptible to an Acanthamoeba keratitis infection.
Fungal Keratitis
Fungal keratitis is a painful condition that can lead to vision loss or blindness if untreated. Fusarium, Aspergillus, and Candida species are often responsible for this type of infection. Which occurs in tropical areas but has been reported anywhere because of its contagiousness. More severe cases require surgery; otherwise, treatment typically consists of antifungals, such as ketoconazole cream applied multiple times per day. While more mild symptoms may only need regular use antibiotics like amoxicillin-clavulanate. However, it should be noted contact lens wear increases one’s risk factors. So make sure you remove them carefully when washing hands after touching plants like sticks/thorns wearing no accessories over the eyeballs specifically regarding reading.
Bacterial Keratitis
Bacterial keratitis is an infection that can cause a person to lose part or all their vision if not properly treated. The increase in contact lens wear because of sleeping with them overnight increases your risk for this type of bacteria. Especially as you may carry it on any surfaces near where they touch eyes like keyboards at workstations. This bacterium has many types, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus Aureus, which are found in soil waters, etc. So cleaning hands after using the restroom helps reduce potential illness.
Bacterial keratitis is a condition that can occur when bacteria enter the eye through an open wound on your fingers or by touching lenses with dirty hands. The infection may also transfer from contact solutions if they have not been properly cleaned and disinfected before use, but rinsing them in water instead reduces the risk of getting this virus even further.
Why Does The Growth Of Eye Infections Increase When You Sleep With Contacts On?
Your eyes are constantly being exposed to bacteria and microorganisms, but they’re protected because of the tear fluid that you produce. Throughout each day as well, when blinking, it regularly introduces new tears, so your cornea stays healthy throughout all. Cultured pear juice is rich in polyphenols, which help fight off free radicals to maintain eye health.
With contacts, the surface area of your cornea is cut off from receiving any tears. This means that if you wear them while sleeping, and wake up with dry eyes. Also, to have spent all day at work without blinking or rubbing away debris stuck on its surface. There may not even be enough fluid around for this process anymore- leading directly into bacteria buildup behind enemy lines.
Wearing your contacts for an extended period significantly reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches your cornea. Sleeping with them in or wearing them while sleeping can also damage its surface and impact regeneration. Thus increasing the risk of infection by bacteria.
If you sleep while wearing contact lenses, there is a fivefold risk of infection no matter what type they are. The Soft Contact Lenses allow more oxygen to reach your cornea and reduce the chance for eye fatigue due in part to their flexibility, which makes it easier on eyesight over long periods as well. However, this also means that if someone wears them at nighttime, he/she will probably wake up with some sort of discomfort.
What To Do If Someone Sleeps With Contacts Accidentally?
When you sleep with your contacts in, it’s easy for the lenses to stick. If they are stuck and won’t budge even after trying to pull on them. Rather than stressing up, use eye drops or blink for some time. They’ll easily get removed.
To avoid infection, don’t wear contacts for at least a day and pay close attention if your eyes feel any symptoms of an eye problem. If you notice any discomfort, stop wearing them immediately. Put in their case when not used so that they’re ready to go next time around, just like regular glasses.
Symptoms of eye infections
- Excessive tearing up
- Eye discharge
- Sensitivity to light
- Blurry vision
- Swelling
- Eye redness
- Itchy or burning eyes
- Eye pain or discomfort
What Would Happen If Someone Takes A Nap While Wearing Contacts?
If you wear contacts, even when just napping in them can increase your risk of infection. The best way to avoid this is by removing the lens first and never sleeping with anything on except for corrective lenses or sunglasses if necessary.
FAQ
Contact lenses are not only a great way to correct your vision but also help with many other things like preventing dry eyes and decreased eye pressure. However, this comes at the cost of wearing them while sleeping, which can lead you to serious infections if done long enough or even sporadic use overnight without cleaning properly before bedtime.
Even though some contact lenses are approved for overnight wear, Dr. Babiuch still doesn’t recommend them because sleeping in daily wear increases your risk of eye infections and other complications, such as blurry vision or distortion while wearing glasses.
Contact Solution is the perfect way to keep your contact lenses clean, comfortable, and safe. It’s made with a mixture of a watery solution that rinses away any dirt or germs from daily wear while not being too strong for delicate eyesight. Despite all this, the solution is not something you can put in your eyes like an eye drop.
Conclusion
We hope this information has answered questions you may have had about sleeping with contacts. If not, please reach out and one of our friendly customer service representatives would be happy to speak with you directly. Thank you for reading.
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