My contact lenses cause red eyes and/or an infection!
Pink, crusty eyes are a clear sign of an infection. If you wear lenses and you have an infection, you should immediately remove the lenses from your eyes to give your eyes a chance to heal.
An eye infection can be serious and can cause long-term vision problems. Serious eye infections require proper treatment and attention from your doctor. Be sure to have him or her look at it when you have any concerns in this regard.
What exactly is an eye infection?
Just like all other parts of our body, the eye, and also the tissues around this organ, can become infected. These infections can be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi and other harmful conditions.
A number of the negative conditions such as conjunctivitis or so-called pink/red eyes can occur as a result of an allergy.
An eye infection may not be serious and may simply resolve itself, but it can also be a more serious problem and you should undergo the appropriate medical treatment. In the case of serious infections, this can lead to loss of vision or other serious vision problems.
In any case, eye infections are potentially always serious and always require immediate treatment. Signs of an eye infection include stinging in the eyes, discoloration and the formation of pink or red tints in your eye, malfunctioning, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, or a somewhat strange feeling such as the sensation that there is something strange in your eyes.
Serious infections always require immediate medical attention from a doctor and you should consult a specialist to have the case examined.
The origin of an infection can be of various kinds. Sometimes the eye is irritated by a non-body-related substance, and an infection can also occur after the eye has been damaged by a scratch or other injury. So be careful, because infections can also be caused by viruses or bacteria.
Contact lenses and eye infections
Eye infections are serious for everyone, but they can cause even more damage to people who wear contact lenses. Infections are more common in people who use contact lenses.
This can be the result of insufficient cleaning or poor maintenance of the lenses, or of increasing irritation as a result of wearing contact lenses.
If you often suffer from irritation to your eyes when wearing lenses, you should contact your doctor to discuss this problem and find the right solution.
Contact lenses are in any case a potential breeding ground for bacteria, viruses and parasites. The human eye gives them a clear opportunity to cause irritation and other annoying problems.
You must keep this in mind: it is therefore very important to remove your lenses as soon as you think there is a possibility that there is a chance of any problem with your eyes.
So remove your lenses as soon as you think there is a chance that you have an infection in your eyes and immediately consult your doctor to investigate the situation and start the correct medical treatment.
Properly maintaining your lenses
Cleaning and maintaining your lenses properly is certainly a very important way to avoid annoying eye infections. Good maintenance of your lenses is essential to ensure that your eyes stay healthy and that you can use your lenses for as long as possible.
Remember that whenever you touch your lenses, you should wash your hands thoroughly with soap beforehand. If you ensure that your hands are always clean, you will also ensure that bacteria and other harmful substances cannot contaminate your lenses.
Always dry your hands with a clean towel, and do not dry them by rubbing them on your clothes. Also make sure that the holder in which you store your lenses is clean and replace it regularly, at least once every three months. Every time you remove your lenses, the lens holder must be cleaned using the correct liquid or hot water.
When you clean your lenses, you must do this with the correct agent approved by manufacturers and specialists. The temptation may be great to just use water, but it often contains bacteria or all kinds of parasites that can be transferred to your eyes during the cleaning process.
Therefore, always follow the instructions that you received from the manufacturer when purchasing your lenses more closely. Your specialized doctor can of course also give you the necessary tips regarding the correct maintenance of your lenses for your specific type of lenses in this regard.
When it comes to properly maintaining your lenses as prescribed by the specialist and manufacturer, you should certainly avoid sharing your lenses with others and also not use lenses that are not specifically adapted to your eyes.
In any case, avoid using contact lenses when you want to swim or play contact sports, and always remove the lenses during your night's rest when you don't have specific lenses that you can also wear at night.
How should you treat an eye infection?
There are many different types of eye infections, and each requires a separate form of treatment to cure the infection.
Generally speaking, it is very important that you remove the lenses from your eye when you notice even the first indication of an infection in your eye. Also avoid wearing your lenses at times when you may be bothered by them, and always remove the lenses from your eyes when you go to sleep, unless of course you are wearing special lenses to have in your eyes at night.
If your eye is pink/red and crusty, you are more than likely suffering from some form of infection. You must then give your eyes a chance to recover by wearing glasses for a few days.
Also do not hesitate to contact your doctor if you feel that there is a problem with your eyes. Because an eye infection usually has the potential to be quite serious and you better not take any risks.