Contact lens wearers need to step up to the plate when it comes to contact lens hygiene! A Study done by the The CDC found 99% of contact lens wearers reported at least one bad habit and a third of them had eye pain or symptoms! These numbers are through the roof! When it comes to contact lens hygiene we were all taught the basics like changing out our contact case every 3 months, not sleeping in them, and taking them out before we hit the pool, but do we actually take care of our lenses like we should?
Contact Lenses and Sleep Deprivation
Contact Lenses and Sleep Deprivation When a contact-lens wearer stays awake studying for 18-20 hours or more with their contacts in, it’s almost the equivalent of sleeping with contacts in, something that Eye M.D.s warn against. Prolonged wearing of your contact lenses is a problem for people who wear regular hydrogen lenses, since traditional hydrogels are relatively less permeable to oxygen than newer alternatives like silicone hydrogels. The eye needs oxygen to keep it healthy. Without regular exposure to oxygen, the eye’s cornea can become inflamed and the vision blurry. Prolonged contact lens use can even lead to infections or corneal ulcers that in the worst case can permanently damage vision. Sometimes students fall asleep without knowing it (with their contacts in), while studying. Remedy: Alternate wearing contact lenses with use of eyeglasses during long study periods. Also, students with irregular sleep patterns can wear contact lenses made of silicon hydrogen, a new material with improved oxygen permeability, which may reduce risk of infection and discomfort. For more information about contact lenses and proper contact care guidelines please visit http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/glasses-contacts-lasik/contact-lens.cfm. This article reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeSmart® program (www.geteyesmart.org).
7 Tips to Help Save Your Vision!
March is the National Save Your Vision Month and at Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons it is our mission to provide our patients with the best eye care services! Here are a few tips from our Ophthalmologist, Dennis Kilpatrick or our Medical Optometrist, Dr. Candria Meharry, for a lifetime of healthy vision! Having your eyes examined regularly is important to make sure your vision is in tiptop shape but it’s also important to prevent any damaging eye diseases. Not everyone needs to get in for a yearly exam, frequency depends on age, family history or other conditions. Contact us today to schedule an exam! Before you grab your sunglasses make sure you are wearing shades that have UV protection. If you think that UV protection is just the tint then think again, the UV coating that protects from the sun is actually clear. Tinted sunglasses without UV protection could be harming your eyes as your eyes slightly dilate due to the tint and allow the UV Rays to enter more easily. If you don’t know if your sunglasses have UV protection drop into Scottsdale Eye Optical Boutique and we will gladly check your lenses for you free of charge. Whether you’re outside gardening, working on the car or playing a quick game of tennis it is very important to wear glasses or goggles. Without the proper protection, your eyes are susceptible to harmful debris or objects that could have damaging effects. Your diet can be playing a big part in your eye health! Make sure to eat lots of leafy greens, Omega 3’s and Vitamin C. Leafy greens like spinach and kale are packed with lutein, zeaxanthin and antioxidants that, studies show, lower the risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts. Fish, like tuna and salmon, are rich in Omega 3’s and berries that are loaded with Vitamin C have also been shown to reduce the risk of eye diseases. If you wear contacts lenses it’s very important to keep them clean! Make sure to soak them in clean contact solution each day and clean them before putting them in your eyes! Dirty lenses can bring unwanted bacteria into the eye! If you have any questions about contact lenses, please call our office to make an appointment with our contact lens specialist, Dr. Candria Meharry. If you work on a computer, which today is just about everyone, take a break! Every 20 minutes look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This will give your eyes a rest and prevent digital eye strain! When we concentrate on the computer screen we don’t blink as often, so apply frequent lubricating eye drops if your eyes feel dry. Address things early! If you feel anything is out of the ordinary, like a change in your vision, a bump on your eyelid or eye pain make an appointment immediately! Waiting just a few extra days or a week can cause irreversible damages! If you have not been seen by an eye doctor in a few years it’s time to make an appointment! Scottsdale Eye Physicians and Surgeons has been serving the valley for over 40 years and is committed to providing improved vision and comfort! Call 480-994-1872 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Dennis Kilpatrick or Dr. Candria Meharry.
Tips for Wearing Halloween Contact Lenses
Are you already putting together your mind-blowing Halloween costume for this year’s costume party? Does that costume include decorative contact lenses? We understand how some people think a superb Halloween costume includes those creepy contact lenses. As Scottsdale ophthalmologists, we’re not going to tell you not to wear vampire contact lenses, or cat contact lenses, but we do want to warn you of the risks involved. Risks Involved with Halloween Contact Lenses Contact lenses are a medical necessity for over 34 million people in the U.S, and unless your Scottsdale ophthalmologist has prescribed you contact lenses, those Halloween lenses are simply unsafe for your eyes. Decorative contact lenses are not used to correct vision or improve the health of your eyes; they are simply costume accessories that you put into your eye. Before we move on to the risks involved with Halloween contact lenses, I’d like you to dwell on that fact for a moment – costume accessories that you put into your eye.