Always take lenses out before bed, say doctors
22/08/2011
Contact lens wearers have been warned to take care when in bed, after a young woman was temporarily blinded when she slept with her lenses in.
Katie Richardson, 24, often went to sleep while wearing monthly disposable contact lenses that she had used since the age of 14, the Daily Mail reports, as well as occasionally washing them in tap water when she ran out of cleaning solution.
However, earlier this year she woke up in bed with a stabbing pain in her eye, which grew more severe until she could not stand to open them.
Ms Richards was diagnosed with microbial keratitis, which is caused by a bug common to hard water areas that causes irritation and eventually blindness.
Fortunately, she managed to recover from the illness and has now regained her sight.
"The specialist told me my eyesight had been deteriorating rapidly and things could have got a lot worse if I hadn’t been treated quickly," she told the newspaper.
Recently, fans of movies like Twilight were reminded that coloured contact lenses could damage their eyes, particularly if they are not prescribed by qualified practitioners.
Posted by Elizabeth Mewes
