In recent years, the market for contact lenses has experienced rapid growth, as the lenses are a highly satisfactory substitute for classic spectacles, which until a few years ago were the only corrective means for refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia.
Specifically, in Greece it is estimated that 30% of the population are myopes and of these 15% or more are contact lens wearers. Contact lenses offer a number of advantages compared to traditional spectacles, as they provide a wider field of vision and better vision (the lens moves with the eye), allow easier participation in sports and athletic activities and free from the stress of eye size distortion.
Contact lenses are divided into hard, semi-hard and soft (with the soft ones being chosen by 90% users) but apart from the material of construction they also vary in terms of durability. There are lenses that can be used for one day, one week, one month, three months and one year. There are even lenses that can be worn during sleep but are not suitable except in special cases. Statistically, the majority of people who use glasses can also use contact lenses without any problems. However, there are groups of people for whom the use of lenses is not appropriate, such as people who suffer from dry eyes, frequent infections, conjunctivitis or allergies, diabetes, hyperthyroidism or people who work in a dry environment with fumes or a lot of dust.
But beyond the choice of contact lenses, a very important issue for their effective operation is their proper use and care, as the risks that can arise from improper maintenance are great. According to an American study, the results of which were presented in a scientific journal, 80% of the people surveyed believed that they clean, care for and maintain their contact lenses properly. The study, however, showed completely different results and found that only 2% of the subjects did everything as they should. A large percentage cleaned their lenses incompletely, others brought them into contact with water and finally some maintained them more than they should.
Some useful tips for the best possible maintenance of your contact lenses are as follows:
- Wash and dry your hands well before contact with the lenses and make sure you grip them with your fingers and not with your nails to avoid any nicks and tears, which may not be easily visible but may cause microbial build-up and damage to the lenses.
- Faithfully observe the time of application of the lenses indicated on the box or recommended by your doctor.
- Remove the lenses if they bother you or if you notice that your eyes are red, even if they are within the date of use.
- Avoiding sleeping with lenses, as this deprives the cornea of oxygen, resulting in hypoxia.
- Avoid using solutions that are not suitable for your type of contact lens and avoid using tap water.
- Do not swim in the sea, pool or lake wearing contact lenses and opening your eyes as there is a risk of microorganisms hatching in the water, which are initially transferred to the lenses and then to the cornea causing serious infections (for example, acanthamoeba is a microorganism that can cause keratotic ulcers or even corneal perforation).
In any case, the majority of soft contact lenses used need proper and careful cleaning and disinfection every time they are taken out of the eye.
