| Many contact wearers consider contacts as | | | | are comfortable to wear for extended periods of |
| regular merchandise, and not medical devices. | | | | time, and therefore increasing the potential to |
| Because of the health risks associated with | | | | wear them past the time that they should be |
| improper care of contact lenses, it is imperative | | | | worn. In the U.S., there are an estimated 12,000 |
| that consumers are educated about the | | | | corneal ulcers per year with people who wear |
| importance of using them properly. One such | | | | contact lenses. |
| error many people make is wearing contacts too | | | | Another condition that can occur when wearing |
| long and the contacts eventually become over | | | | over worn contact lenses is the development of |
| worn. | | | | sensitivity of the eyes and lids. Symptoms include: |
| Many contact lens wearers have experienced | | | | increased mucus and redness of the conjunctiva. |
| wearing over worn contacts. Studies conducted | | | | Abrasions of the cornea can occur as a result of |
| on the side effects from long-term wearing of | | | | the wearing of over worn lenses. Symptoms of |
| contact lenses, such as by Zuguo Liu et al., 2000, | | | | corneal abrasions are moderate pain and tearing, |
| concluded that "Long-term contact lens wear | | | | stabbing pain, extreme sensitivity to light, and |
| appears to decrease the entire corneal thickness | | | | cloudy and blurred vision. |
| and increase the corneal curvature and surface | | | | Extended uses of contact overwear results in |
| irregularity.", Excessive wear of over worn | | | | lack of oxygen to the eye that can produce such |
| contact lenses can affect the eyelid, the | | | | conditions as: |
| conjunctiva, the various layers of the cornea, and | | | | Atypical blood vessels growing in the clear part of |
| even the tear film that covers the outer surface | | | | the cornea known as Neovascularization. |
| of the eye.(John Stamler, "Contact Lens | | | | Thinning of the cornea. |
| Complications." ) | | | | Irregularities of endothelial cell size known as |
| Long-term wear of rigid contact lens is also linked | | | | Polymegethism. |
| to a decrease corneal keratocyte density and | | | | Irregularities of endothelial cell shape known as |
| increased number of epithelial Langerhans cells. | | | | Pleomorphism. |
| (Zhivov A, Stave J, Vollmar B, Guthoff R, January | | | | One should stop wearing their contact lenses if |
| 2007 "In vivo confocal microscopic evaluation of | | | | their eyes become red or infected, if vision |
| Langerhans cell density and distribution in the | | | | becomes blurred, or if the lenses becomes |
| corneal epithelium of healthy volunteers and | | | | uncomfortable or too painful to wear. If |
| contact lens wearers.) As well, over worn lenses | | | | symptoms do not resolve within a couple of |
| can irritate the eye because of the excessive | | | | hours, one should see their eye doctor. |
| dryness due to problems with tear production. | | | | Contact lenses wearers must take great care |
| The most probable risk of contact lens over wear | | | | when wearing their lenses. Your eyes are precious |
| is corneal ulceration, or infection. Corneal | | | | and the last thing you want to do is develop an |
| ulcerations occur more commonly in people who | | | | eye disease or possibly even lose your sight. |
| wear soft contact lenses because these lenses | | | | Never wear contact lenses longer than directed. |