“I wear contact lenses that are approved for sleeping in. Is it actually ok to sleep in them?” –Jim via email

That’s a great question Jim. There are many contact lenses that have been approved for extended wear, that is, being worn both day and night. However, even lenses that are approved for extended wear should generally not be slept in for two key reasons: health and comfort. Health comes first and foremost. When you sleep in a contact lens, the mechanical action of the lens moving against your cornea weakens the outer skin of the cornea (the epithelium) and makes you more susceptible to a corneal ulcer. A corneal ulcer is a sight-threatening disease that is caused by bacteria invading the interior of your cornea. A corneal ulcer can lead to scarring and potential vision loss. Corneal ulcers tend to occur more frequently in patients that sleep in their contact lenses. Besides the health risks, lens comfort is often compromised in those patients that sleep in their lenses. Allergens, such as dust and pollen, tend to collect more on the lens surface when lenses aren’t cleaned regularly. Protein deposits also build up on faster lenses that are not frequently removed from the eyes. The protein that collects on the lens surface can interact with the upper and lower lids, causing irritation.   Our optometrists generally recommend that their patients remove their contacts nightly for cleaning and soaking. If you do sleep in an approved extended wear lens, please notify us immediately if you have any redness, irritation, blurred vision, or lens discomfort. For those patients that sleep in their contact lenses, LASIK or PRK may be a reasonable option rather than extended wear. Be sure to speak with our optometrists about the risks and benefits of refractive surgery.

“I know that sunlight is bad for my eyes, but I don’t like the look of sunglasses. What can I do to prevent eye health issues later in life?” -Betty via email

Both macular degeneration and cataracts have been shown to be correlated with ultraviolet light exposure. Macular degeneration causes central blindness and cataracts cause a general decrease in vision. Keeping sunlight out of your eyes, especially at the altitude we live at here in Thornton, is especially important. If you don’t like the look of your current sunglasses, we have a wide variety of sunglass styles to chose from. Acuvue Oasys contact lenses block UV light, and by wearing them, you keep UV light away from your lens and your retina. However, while wearing UV-blocking contact lenses is good for your eyes, contact lenses don’t provide sun-blocking coverage for your lids and the skin around your eyes. Besides preventing sunlight exposure through UV-blocking, a good diet also contributes towards a lifetime of good eye health. High-antioxidant foods have been shown to help in the prevention of some eye diseases.

“What is a specialty contact lens, and who would need to wear them?” –Joseph via email

There are many different contact lenses that our eye doctors fit that go above and beyond the standard contact lens types. Color toric lenses are getting more and more popular. These lenses allow patients with high astigmatism to wear colored soft contact lens and achieve excellent vision while wearing the tint color that they prefer. We have a variety of colors to chose from. Custom soft lenses are available for high hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism as well as custom multifocal lenses for those patients with presbyopia. Hard contact lenses, also known as gas-permeable lenses, allow for excellent vision with a variety of powers available. Keratoconus patients typically wear gas-permeable lenses, including scleral lenses which allow for excellent comfort and vision, even with challenging corneal shapes. Post-transplant and post-LASIK eyes can be fit in specialty lenses as well. If you wear medically-necessary contact lenses, or custom contact lenses for better vision, Vista Eye Care is your starting point for clear, comfortable vision! Call us today to schedule your annual check-up and contact lens fitting (303) 450-2020.