A 39-year-old named Groeschen woke up one morning to find his eye was irritated. He thought it might be due to allergies, but his eye kept getting worse over the next few days, so he decided to see a doctor.
At the Cincinnati Eye Institute, Groeschen got some bad news. He had picked up a bacteria called Pseudomonas. His doctors said it was likely because he wore his contact lenses to bed, which allowed the bacteria to grow under them.
Groeschen was given antibiotics that killed the bacteria, but unfortunately, it had already done damage. He developed a corneal ulcer, and the scar it left behind caused him to lose vision in that eye.
Doctors explained to Groeschen, “It’s like trying to see through frosted glass. The infection eroded part of your cornea, and the scar tissue left behind will make it hard to see, even after the infection goes away.”
To regain his sight, he would need a cornea transplant, a surgery that takes about a year to fully recover from.
As the owner of a design-based restoration company, Groeschen struggled to keep up with his work.
He mentioned that the packaging for the contacts he wore said they were safe to sleep in, but he believes this isn’t advice people should follow.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology warned in 2013 that wearing any kind of contacts overnight raises the risk of eye infection.
Dr. William Faulkner, who treated Groeschen, told the media, “Safety is the top priority for eye health, and I wouldn’t recommend wearing contacts overnight. The safest choice is daily-wear disposable lenses.”
Other risky habits among contact lens users include keeping lens cases for too long and not fully emptying and replacing the solution each time.
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