What are the negative effects of contact lenses?

Question

I stopped wearing glasses a few years ago and have been wearing soft contacts ever since. However, as I don't own a pair of glasses, I wear my contact lenses pretty much 10+ hours a day, 7 days a week. Also, a 3-month supply can last me up to a year - they still seem fine after a month so why should I throw them out?

Just wondering what the long term effect of this is? I am looking at purchasing a pair of glasses soon, but I'm just wondering if damage is already done.

Oh, and my prescription is -3 if that matters at all.

It's not a matter that I dont know how to put them in or take care of them. I have plenty of solution and clean them frequently, plus use eye drops in the odd case my eyes to get dry.

Answer 1

I wear gas permeable hard lenses and have for many years; I wear them all of the time (approximately twelve to fifteen hours a day), and, like you, have no glasses, but, of course, they are different from soft lenses, are easily cleaned, and do not require replacement unless I lose or break one. However, as you surely know, there is a reason why soft contacts are prescribed as they are, mainly the possibility of your developing a bacterial infection or ulcer from wearing them beyond their expiration date. Apparently, you do not currently have either problem. If you are cleaning and disinfecting them properly, you most likely aren't damaging your eyes. I can certainly understand from a financial point of view why you would want to obtain the greatest amount of use from them possible. If you have no medical manifestations and have been using contacts for several years, you are probably in no immediate danger and have not done any harm to your eyes. Naturally, you should see your eye care professional regularly; I say that but do not necessarily follow my own advice!

Answer 2

I do the same thing. I lost my glasses so I had to wear my contact all the time plus I kept the same pair for a month at a time been about three years doing it. As long as you take them out each night and clean them like the eye doctor showed you. You should be fine but there is a slight risk of getting an eye infection.

Answer 3

For disposable soft lenses, I think if you clean them properly daily with weekly protein removal (in actual fact, the material of disposable lenses is usually not made to withstand regular protein removal since they are meant to be disposed after some time), they may be able to last longer than stated. But the material they are made of is not the durable type that can last too long (compared to those for permanent wear), so they will wear out faster than permanent types, which may affect your comfort, vision clarity and eye health (in terms of oxygen level passing through and perhaps protein buildup) if used too long overdue.

Hm..if you are wearing contact lenses long hours and everyday, my eye care practitioner said that it would be better to wear semi-hard contacts as they allow more oxygen to go through and are healthier for the eyes. It also seems that semi-hard lenses can help prevent myophia from getting worse, which soft lenses can't. But semi-hard lenses take a little while to get used to, but are as comfortable as soft lenses after getting used to.

Answer 4

You will risk your eyes by put that thing in your eyes.

Answer 5

They irritate the s*** out of the windows to your world, if you don't know how to use them with precautions.

Answer 6

they are hard to put on sometimes