Eye infections (and even worse complications) are going up. As a whole, we take advantage of our health (something that I think will come to a head as antibiotic resistance becomes a more prominent problem). One place doctors are really noticing an obvious decline is eye health.
With the expectation of high-quality tap water and dozens of options in contacts (super breathable, one day wear or one month, for stigmatisms or not—–things have come a long way since hard lenses), people are too trusting that they won’t mess up their eyes.
Here are the most common mistakes:
-Not changing your contacts often enough. Just like you’re supposed to replace your toothbrush every three months, you should be replacing your contacts on whatever schedule is recommended. Plastic wears down, and as it does it more easily accumulates germs. It can also develop rough spots that irritate your eyes (making it easier for those germs).
-Sleeping in your contacts. Generally, 8 hours is the recommended wear time, and doctors will recommend you take breaks even with a 24 hour contact.
-Mixing water and contacts. Contacts facilitate parasites getting in your eyes, which is why you aren’t supposed to wear them when showering or swimming. You should also never substitute water for contact solution. Contact solution is sterile, while water and introduce germs, parasites, and more.
-Always wash your hands before touching your eyes. While there are just general germs that might get in, you can transfer illness to your eyes, too, like the flu, herpes (including shingles), a virus from a sinus infection, and more.
If you’re eyes feel scratched, look red, or are dry, you might have an infection, or you might have developed an allergy to one of the numerous chemicals involved with contacts. See your eye doctor to make sure your contact wearing isn’t damaging your eyes.
Then, there’s traditional pink eye, which can affect people who don’t wear contacts just as easily. Hand-washing is the best prevention. If an eye does go pink and itchy, most viral conjunctivitis settles on its own within one to two weeks — but see a clinician if there is pain, light sensitivity, changed vision or thick discharge, and especially if you wear contact lenses. (The historical practice often cited here used silver nitrate, a pharmaceutical compound, not colloidal silver, and it was retired in favour of antibiotic ointment. Full explanation in Can Colloidal Silver Be Used in Eyes?)
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