Our Cornea is meant to be a clear ‘window’ to our eyes. The clarity of our vision and eye appearance is due to the integrity of our transparent cornea. Any compromise to our cornea will not only affect our vision, but also affect the way our eye looks. This translates to the ‘look’ and ‘feel’ of our eyes.
People who wear contact lenses daily for a prolonged length of time (years) are liable to contract Contact Lens Overwear syndrome, which shows up as signs of chronic eye redness, itching, pain, dry eyes, intolerance of contact lenses and blurring of vision. The cornea cells may become oxygen deprived leading to irreversible loss of cells. Any inadvertent injury to the cornea then leads to poor corneal healing or scarring.
The most dreaded complication of contact lens use is corneal infections. Infections may be bacterial, viral, fungal or protozoal. Depending on the severity of the infection, treatment could be long-drawn and may require corneal transplantation. It is always better to prevent an infection rather than to have to treat it. Contact lens hygiene is of utmost importance.
