Public alerted against needless use of contact lenses

Excessive, improper and unprescribed use of contact lenses cause irritation, bacterial and fungal infections that can lead to blindness, an eye expert warned those who needlessly wear contact lenses.
Doctor Lorenzo Fernandez from the Department of Ophthalmology of Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) said on Tuesday (Oct. 10) that the unregulated selling of contact lenses in the market makes it very uncontrollable and accessible to everyone. “They become unaware of the danger,” he said.
The public are cautioned not to abuse wearing contact lenses to prevent eye problems that may lead to blindness. The ophthalmologist especially warned against the needless use of contact lenses.
“Before buying and using any contact lens, you must first consult the doctor. Even if you just want to use it for your eyes to look beautiful, you still need to seek the doctor’s advice to protect your eyes from acquiring bacterial and fungal infection,” Fernandez said.
The ophthalmologist said that the infection, if untreated, can lead to total blindness. “This kind of eyes infection can be acquired when using contact lenses that are not compatible with your eyes or when your hand is not clean. And when the quality is not good, removing it is not enough because it needs proper ointment or eye drops,” Fernandez said.
He said that they had attended to patients who have eye problems due to improper use of contact lenses. He said that though these are minor problems, it is still best to take precautionary measures to protect the eyes.
“We advice them not to overuse or abuse the product. Use it only when you need to and only buy those in good quality. Contact lens has also health benefits. It can also be used as eye glasses replacement or to cover the cornea to protect it from the dirt or from getting pinned by the eyebrows,” he said.
“Since we do not have any guidelines or any particular government agency to monitor and regulate this eye products, we advise the public not to use this if they do not know why they need to wear it, where did the product come from, how does it work, and if they have zero knowledge of the proper way of putting it in their eyes,” Fernandez added.
The doctor said that it is still best to keep the eyes in its natural look because this will not only maintain its beauty but also prevents the eyes from contacting any eye illnesses. He also advised patients with eye problems to consult the doctors concaerned and not to self-medicate or ask treatment from individuals who are not authorized or unlicensed. DIONISIO B. DENNIS JR. / ABN

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