Groeschen, a 39-year-old man, woke up one morning to a terrible surprise: his eye was very sore. He didn’t go to the doctor until the symptoms got worse because he thought it was allergies.
Groeschen got terrible news at the Cincinnati Eye Institute: he had caught Pseudomonas bacteria, which grows well in contact lenses that are worn overnight. Even though medicines were given, the damage could not be fixed. An ulcer had formed on the cornea, and scar tissue in one eye made him blind.
The infection had worn away his cornea, making it impossible for him to see properly, according to the doctors. A cornea graft was the only option, but it took a year to heal. Groeschen found it hard to keep up with his work as the owner of a design-based restoration business.
The box for the contact lenses said it was safe to wear them to sleep, but this turned out to be false. In 2013, the American Academy of Ophthalmology said that wearing contacts at night raises the chance of getting a corneal infection.
Groeschen’s doctor, Dr. William Faulkner, stressed, “Eye safety is paramount, and wearing contacts overnight is not recommended.” The best choice is daily disposable lenses.
Other bad habits with contact lenses are keeping the cases for too long and not changing the solution enough. Groeschen’s story should serve as a warning to people who wear contacts.
Share this story to make people aware of how dangerous it is to sleep with contact lenses in and to encourage them to put eye safety first.
