This Guy Went Blind Because He Made A Simple Mistake Many People Make Every Night!
Contact lenses are a hugely popular alternative to wearing eyeglasses. Most people wear them in order to see better and to correct their vision. However, countless others choose to wear colored contacts to change up their eye color or to achieve a certain look. The CDC estimates that in the United States more than 30 million people wear contacts, which are considered medical devices and are regulated by the FDA (cdc.gov/contactlenses).
When a person goes to apply the tiny, thin, round, clear plastic lenses, they place them directly onto the surface of their eye. This application method requires users to have clean hands and sanitary conditions around the lenses since bacteria, dirt, and any other contaminants can easily be transferred to the eye when putting them in or taking them out.
It’s common knowledge among contact users that you should always take them out before bed and never wear them overnight. Failing to do so puts you at a risk for infection, irritation, and even blindness. It’s simply a risk no one should take, but sometimes people forget or brush it off and leave them in anyways.
Also, some “extended wear” contacts are labeled as safe to leave in for multiple days at a time. Those were the type of contacts Chad Groeschen had been wearing for several days when he started to lose vision in his left eye.
At first Chad’s eye was itchy and watery so he assumed it was allergies acting up. But when he awoke one night with a massive headache, sinus pressure, and cloudy vision, he decided to get medical attention. Doctors checked out his eyes and told him that Pseudomonas bacteria had built up under his contact and damaged his eye.
This type of bacteria is most commonly found in the eyes of people who wear or leave in contacts for extended periods of time and if left untreated it can cause blindness. Doctors were able to halt and control the infection in Chad’s eye, but it had progressed too far and he ended up becoming blind in his left eye.
Chad is currently waiting for the open sores in his eye to heal to see if he may qualify for a corneal transplant. Such an operation could potentially restore some of the vision he has lost, but only time will tell. He’s decided to use his story and experience as a way to warn and remind others of the dangers and risks associated with leaving in contact lenses for too long.
Even if the packaging claims it is safe to do so, don’t jeopardize your health and eyesight. Take the lenses out, clean them, give your eyes a break, and if you notice changes or irritation in your eye have it checked out immediately.
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