Symptoms of Contact Lens Infection

Contact lenses are considered the best alternative to wearing glasses for people who need their vision corrected but don't want to deal with the bulk of glasses. While contact lenses are safely used by millions of individuals on a daily basis, they can bring several risks that can lead to eye infections that range from extremely mild, to quite serious.

Dry Eyes

Dry eyes can be a headache for many contact lens wearers. Those who suffer from dry eyes may experience various symptoms including redness, tearing, burning, and a stabbing pain as though a foreign object is in the eye. If any of these problems persist, contact wearers should consult their eye doctor to determine whether the lenses they are wearing are the perfect match for them. Their eye doctor will provide recommendations for eye drops or rewetting drops.

Corneal Ulcerations

Corneal ulceration is the most common infection for contact lens wearers. This infection usually plagues people who wear soft contact lenses, mainly due to the comfort level soft contact lenses provide for the wearer, which may increase the occurrence of contact lens no-nos like extended wear or overnight use. Factors associated with corneal ulcers include prolonged wear time, poor lens cleaning habits, and dry eye syndrome. Symptoms for corneal ulcers include serious irritation, discomfort, excessive tearing, blurred vision, and pain.

Sensitivity of Eyes and Lids

Sensitivity of eyes and eye lids is caused by the lens solution that is used to clean the contact lens or by mucus forming on the lens surface. Symptoms include reduction of eye movement, mucus increasing around the eyes, and redness inside the eyes. If any of these symptoms persists, the best solution is to stop wearing any type of contact lens for several months. After the eyes are fully healed, start wearing a pair of new contact lenses, and use a new type of lens solution to keep the infection from reoccurring.

Corneal Abrasions

Corneal abrasion is a general infection that usually arises when lenses are not properly fitted, causing abrasion of the cornea. Wearing the lenses for a long time can also cause the same predicament. Symptoms of corneal abrasion include tearing, and mild to severe pain. With the proper treatment, including antibiotics, symptoms are usually improved within 24 hours.

Keratitis

Another infection of the cornea is keratitis, which is an inflammation of the cornea. There are different types of keratitis, but the most common associated with contact lens wearers is bacterial keratitis. Symptoms of keratitis include blurry vision, redness around the eyes, mild to severe pain, tearing, excessive discharge around the eye, sensitivity to light, and foreign-body sensation.