Contact lens complications
Copyright 2012 Complete Eyecare
423 Hawthorn Road
South Caulfield, Vic 3124
423 Hawthorn Road
South Caulfield, Vic 3124
Complete Eyecare - Contact Lens and Orthokeratology Centre
Corneal infections or scarring
The cornea is the front barrier to the internal eye and is very tough. It is made up of several layers and protects the eye from the environment. Like any part of your body, the cornea is susceptible to injury or infection. While your body may not noticeably scar after injury, if the cornea becomes scarred it may interfere with your vision.
Steps to take to reduce the chance of complications
Have regular checkups and carefully follow lens care routines, hygiene protocol and change your lens case and storage solutions every month. When removing your contact lenses, always check to make sure they are moving first before attempting to remove them. Lens suckers are available to remove your lenses and while they mostly offer a safe alternative to the finger technique, may add an increased risk of infection and thus should be changed two monthly and stored in a separate container in contact lens solution. Tilt the sucker to the side to remove the lenses, do not under any circumstance pull the lenses straight out of the eye - you may remove some of the epithelium too!
Rinsing RGP or Orthok lenses
It is important to remove all traces of the contact lens cleaner from the lenses before storing them. The lenses are cleaned after removal from the eye and are rinsed in saline solution. Make sure the lenses feel clean and look clean before storing them in wetting solution. Some people prefer to rinse their RGP lenses in tap water. There is an added risk of infection with tap water but generally in Australia the tap water is of very good quality. If you choose to rinse in tap water knowing the risks involved, make sue you rub the lenses in the soaking solution before storing them to remove all traces of the water.
What to do if there is a problem
Quick response is the one single thing you can do to protect yourself. At the very first sign of eye irritation, infection, pain or cloudiness or at the onset of any other new or unfamiliar symptom, it is very important that you contact our office. You will have been given our emergency telephone number - please keep it in a safe place and call at any time if there is a problem. In the case of a corneal infection, quick treatment is the key to restoring your natural vision. Do not hesitate to seek treatment - it is far better to make sure that the eyes are healthy than to take a chance and "leave it" to settle on its own.
Contact lens wear is usually a very safe and comfortable alternative to glasses. Lenses are made of very high technology lens materials and generally deliver unsurpassed levels of comfort and clear vision. Always be mindful though that contact lens wear carries an increased risk of eye infection. In severe cases, this may lead to blindness and this must always be remembered when entering into an agreement to have contact lenses fitted.
The cornea is the front barrier to the internal eye and is very tough. It is made up of several layers and protects the eye from the environment. Like any part of your body, the cornea is susceptible to injury or infection. While your body may not noticeably scar after injury, if the cornea becomes scarred it may interfere with your vision.
Steps to take to reduce the chance of complications
Have regular checkups and carefully follow lens care routines, hygiene protocol and change your lens case and storage solutions every month. When removing your contact lenses, always check to make sure they are moving first before attempting to remove them. Lens suckers are available to remove your lenses and while they mostly offer a safe alternative to the finger technique, may add an increased risk of infection and thus should be changed two monthly and stored in a separate container in contact lens solution. Tilt the sucker to the side to remove the lenses, do not under any circumstance pull the lenses straight out of the eye - you may remove some of the epithelium too!
Rinsing RGP or Orthok lenses
It is important to remove all traces of the contact lens cleaner from the lenses before storing them. The lenses are cleaned after removal from the eye and are rinsed in saline solution. Make sure the lenses feel clean and look clean before storing them in wetting solution. Some people prefer to rinse their RGP lenses in tap water. There is an added risk of infection with tap water but generally in Australia the tap water is of very good quality. If you choose to rinse in tap water knowing the risks involved, make sue you rub the lenses in the soaking solution before storing them to remove all traces of the water.
What to do if there is a problem
Quick response is the one single thing you can do to protect yourself. At the very first sign of eye irritation, infection, pain or cloudiness or at the onset of any other new or unfamiliar symptom, it is very important that you contact our office. You will have been given our emergency telephone number - please keep it in a safe place and call at any time if there is a problem. In the case of a corneal infection, quick treatment is the key to restoring your natural vision. Do not hesitate to seek treatment - it is far better to make sure that the eyes are healthy than to take a chance and "leave it" to settle on its own.
Contact lens wear is usually a very safe and comfortable alternative to glasses. Lenses are made of very high technology lens materials and generally deliver unsurpassed levels of comfort and clear vision. Always be mindful though that contact lens wear carries an increased risk of eye infection. In severe cases, this may lead to blindness and this must always be remembered when entering into an agreement to have contact lenses fitted.