Ahhh, contacts. For those that might not wish to deal with the consistent cleaning and caring that glasses require contacts lenses are a viable vision correction option for millions of people here in the United States. 
While glasses require continued cleaning with a cloth and solution, contacts do require consistent cleaning to remove the build-up of bacteria and allergy-causing proteins. It is this part that is one of the main issues with contact lenses – their cleaning.
Contact lenses do require proper maintenance to prevent bacterial infections and for those where this is an issue, laser vision correction become a viable solution to their vision correction issue. To assist those that might be considering a change we present this quick fact-filled article to help you along. First off – the main principles of contact lens wear are to clean them regularly, wear them less than 10 hrs at a stretch so that your eyes have time to breathe, and to NOT sleep int hem.
Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea that is a common issue faced by millions of people each year. Keratitis may be caused by a scratched cornea though it is more typically due to an infection that may have been caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses or even parasites. We do we mention this? I think you can guess, if you are wearing your contacts too long or not properly cleaning them, the chances are rather strong that you will end up with an infection.
What is all of this leading to? Glad you asked. At PCVI we work very closely with our Optometric partners in the greater Eugene area and are consistently researching and advising on alternative solutions to eye care issues that arise. In that vein, we were made aware of a recently completed study on Keratitis which we did want to mention.
The Keratitis study lasted for five years and compared the occurrences of Keratitis after LASIK versus the occurrences of Keratitis in people wearing soft contacts for a year. What the study concluded was that over time the chances of Keratitis occurring in people wearing contact lenses was higher than those who underwent LASIK, i.e., that the 5-year risks of contact lenses were higher than that of LASIK.
The point, of course, is to provide options to discuss with your eye care provider. If you have experienced, or are currently experiencing inflammation of the eyes and are looking for corrective solutions, we encourage you to discuss the possibility of a laser vision correction solution. At PCVI we would be happy to discuss with you and your primary eye care provider potential solutions to your issue. Give us a call today and let us help you on your path to better vision.
