Lost Vision After Reusing Disposable Lenses Due to Bacterial Infection
Expert: "If You've Worn Them Once, You Must Throw Them Away Without Hesitation"
Disposable contact lenses are popular because they are easy to wear and manage. However, due to the high cost, many people reuse them, thinking, "It should be fine for a few more days." A warning has now been issued that this habit can lead to blindness.
According to the Daily Mail on the 3rd (local time), Katie Carrington (36), a nurse living in Romford, Essex, United Kingdom, lost vision in one eye after wearing disposable lenses for extended periods.
Carrington had been using disposable lenses since her teenage years. At first, she would simply fall asleep with her lenses in on days when she was tired, but over time she developed the habit of not replacing them for one to two weeks. She only removed the lenses when her eyes became extremely dry, and if a lens rolled up and slipped behind her eye, she would even take it out with her fingers.
"It'll Be Nothing"...Carelessness That Led to Blindness
The problem occurred in August last year. As she was about to go to bed, her eyes would not stop tearing, but thinking it was nothing serious, she removed her lenses and went to sleep. The next morning, however, she woke up in severe pain and had completely lost vision in her right eye.
Looking back on that time, Carrington said, "It felt like someone was stabbing my eye with a knife." She rushed to the hospital, where doctors scraped her cornea for a microbiological test. The medical staff explained that bacteria that had proliferated on the lenses had infected her cornea and caused blindness. It was uncertain whether her vision could be restored at all.
Vision Restored After 5 Weeks of Treatment
Fortunately, Carrington’s vision recovered after five weeks of intensive treatment. The medical team told her that she would be able to wear lenses again in the future, but she firmly stated, "I will never wear contact lenses again."
She said, "Because nothing had happened for such a long time, I was deluded into thinking that nothing would ever go wrong with me," and stressed, "Anyone who uses contact lenses must be aware of the risks."
Once Used, They Should Be Thrown Away Without Hesitation
Experts point to reusing disposable lenses as the most dangerous habit. Protein deposits, bacteria, and fine dust easily adhere to used lenses, and due to their structure, disposable lenses are difficult to clean thoroughly. Wearing them again in this condition can easily cause corneal damage and lead to serious infections by bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Therefore, once the recommended wearing period for disposable lenses has passed, they should be discarded without hesitation.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
