Millions of people wear contact lenses, but they don’t suit everyone’s lifestyle and there are disadvantages of wearing contact lenses them long term.
Manufacture of contact lenses first started in the nineteenth century, but the lenses were made of glass. It wasn’t until 1939 when the first plastic contact lenses appeared; and flexible lenses weren’t introduced until 1971. Since then, the optical industry has made a lot of progress, but the fact remains that they can be an inconvenience and have long term effects if not used correctly.
Problems & Disadvantages of Wearing Contact Lenses
During the past 50 years, millions of contact lens wearers have been satisfied with their reliability with only a small percentage having had any difficulty in wearing them.
However, even if problems are rare, they can become serious.
Almost all complications are due to poor hygiene and contact lens maintenance. People who wear lenses often don’t clean or disinfect them according to their optician’s advice, or do not have recommended annual eye checks.
Although easily avoidable, these oversights can lead to many complications including:
- Allergic reactions to chemicals in cleaning solutions
- Conjunctivitis
- Cracked lenses
- Irritation of the cornea
- Protein deposits on the lenses
- Damage to the top layer of the cornea by misplaced lenses
- Complications in the eyelid
- Dry Eye Syndrome
- Foreign body sensation
Credit: AVC
