Sleeping with Contacts In: How Bad Is It For Your Eyes?
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But isn’t it safe to sleep in contacts if they’re approved for sleep?
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Serious eye infections can lead to corneal damage, surgery, and in rare cases, loss of vision.
It’s important to note that these infections can occur whether you’re wearing contact lenses to correct your vision or purely decorative lenses.
Who’s at risk?
According to researchers, just about everyone.
The most common risk taken? Sleeping or napping in contacts.
How does sleeping in contacts raise your risk of infection?
Corneas come into contact with bacteria every day, yet infections rarely occur. That’s because a healthy cornea is part of your eye’s natural defense against contaminants. But to function in a healthy way, your cornea needs both hydration and oxygen.
While you’re awake, blinking keeps your eyes moist, and oxygen can flow in through the tears you produce. Contacts fit over the surface of your eye, significantly cutting the amount of oxygen and moisture your eyes can access.
While you’re sleeping, that decrease becomes even more severe. Without enough oxygen — a state called hypoxia — the cells in the cornea
What can go wrong?
Sleeping in your contacts could result in one of these serious eye conditions:
Bacterial keratitis
Bacterial keratitis is an infection of the cornea, generally resulting from either Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, both of which are bacteria found on the human body and in the environment.
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If left untreated, your cornea could be permanently scarred by the infection.
Acanthamoeba keratitis
The amoeba that causes this infection can be found in lots of water sources, including tap water, hot tubs, pools, lakes, and rivers.
The American Optometric Association says acanthamoeba keratitis often occurs at the same time as a microbial eye infection. So, if you’ve been rinsing your contacts in tap water, swimming in them, and also sleeping in them, you may be at risk.
Treatment for this condition requires a long regimen of medicated eye drops, and if the eye drops don’t resolve the problem, you may need surgery.
Fungal keratitis
Sleeping in your contacts increases your risk of getting fungal keratitis. But most people who get it also have experienced some kind of eye trauma involving a plant, branch, or stick.
Treating fungal keratitis quickly is important, because if left untreated, it can cause you to lose sight in the infected eye. In fact, fungal keratitis is among the leading causes of blindness in India.
What if I accidentally fall asleep in them one night?
If you fell asleep with contacts in, remove them as soon as possible. If you can’t remove them easily, don’t tug at them. Place several drops of sterile contact solution in your eyes, blink, and try again. The extra lubrication should help dislodge them.
Don’t wear your contacts for one full day, and pay attention to how your eyes are feeling. If you notice any of the symptoms of infection, contact your eye doctor immediately.
Sourced from Healthline
