Contact Lens Health Week 2017 - Visian ICL
The average hand harbors around 150 different types of bacteria, but while most bacteria are harmless, there are some risks of infection if, for example, you touch your bare eye every day to put in lenses. Additionally, your eyes are more susceptible to harmful contamination when you wear contact lenses because of a lack of oxygen to the corneas, as well as the risks posed by lenses that have not been disinfected properly.
In honor of Contact Lens Health Week (21st-25th August 2017), the team at Visian® ICL™ looked into five of the most common eye complaints, how they’re caused, and how they can be avoided, so contact lens wearers (and everyone else) can ensure they keep their eyes safe.
5 Common Eye Problems & How to Prevent Them
Conjunctivitis
Causes: Inflammation of the eye tissue can be caused by bacteria, pollen, dust or any number of irritants. This condition causes redness and often sticky discharge from the eyes.
Prevention: To avoid catching conjunctivitis from others, don’t share towels or bedding. To relieve symptoms, avoid touching the infected eye, except when washing away any discharge.
Dry eyes
Causes: Air conditioning, side effects of drugs like antihistamines and contact lenses themselves can cause dry eyes.
Prevention: If you consistently have dry eyes, then you should try a solution like artificial tears. You may need to apply these even when your eyes don’t feel dry to keep the condition from getting worse.
Uveitis
Causes: A serious inflammatory eye condition that can cause permanent vision loss, uveitis can be caused by eye injuries or be a side effect of other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or irritable bowel syndrome.
Prevention: To prevent irreversible damage, you should contact your doctor right away if you display any symptoms of uveitis, such as blurry vision, red eye and light sensitivity. It’s often treated with eye drops.
Corneal Ulcer
Causes: This painful condition is caused by contact lenses damaging the surface of the eye, leaving an open sore on the cornea and allowing bacteria to enter.
Prevention: Avoid swimming while wearing your contact lenses as this can increase the chance of infection. If you do, clean and disinfect the lenses before inserting them back into your eye.
Keratitis
Causes: One of the most common causes of keratitis is wearing contact lenses for too long, but it can also be caused by bacteria and fungus infecting the cornea.
Prevention: Take your contact lenses out at regular intervals to ensure your eyes do not become irritated and at risk of contracting the condition.
Important Safety Information
The Visian ICL is intended for the correction of moderate to high nearsightedness. Visian ICL and Visian TICL surgery is intended to safely and effectively correct nearsightedness between -3.0 D to -15.0 D, the reduction in nearsightedness up to -20.0 D and treatment of astigmatism from 1.0 D to 4.0 D. If you have nearsightedness within these ranges, Visian ICL surgery may improve your distance vision without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Because the Visian ICL corrects for distance vision, it does not eliminate the need for reading glasses, you may require them at some point, even if you have never worn them before.
Implantation of the Visian ICL is a surgical procedure, and as such, carries potentially serious risks. Please discuss the risks with your eye care professional. Complications, although rare, may include need for additional surgical procedures, inflammation, loss of cells from the back surface of the cornea, increase in eye pressure, and cataracts.
You should NOT have Visian ICL surgery if:
- Your doctor determines that the shape of your eye is not an appropriate fit for the Visian ICL
- You are pregnant or nursing
- You do not meet the minimum endothelial cell density for your age at the time of implantation as determined by your eye doctor
- Your vision is not stable as determined by your eye doctor
Before considering Visian ICL surgery you should have a complete eye examination and talk with your eye care professional about Visian ICL surgery, especially the potential benefits, risks, and complications. You should discuss the time needed for healing after surgery. For additional information with potential benefits, risks and complications please visit DiscoverICL.com
References
1Visian ICL Patient Information Booklet
2Sanders D. Vukich JA. Comparison of implantable collamer lens (ICL) and laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for Low Myopia. Cornea. 2006 Dec; 25(10):1139-46.
3Naves, J.S. Carracedo, G. Cacho-Babillo, I. Diadenosine Nucleotid Measurements as Dry-Eye Score in Patients After LASIK and ICL Surgery. Presented at American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) 2012.
4Shoja, MR. Besharati, MR. Dry eye after LASIK for myopia: Incidence and risk factors. European Journal of Ophthalmology. 2007; 17(1): pp. 1-6.
5Lee, Jae Bum et al. Comparison of tear secretion and tear film instability after photorefractive keratectomy and laser in situ keratomileusis. Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery , Volume 26 , Issue 9 , 1326 - 1331.
6Parkhurst, G. Psolka, M. Kezirian, G. Phakic intraocular lens implantantion in United States military warfighters: A retrospective analysis of early clinical outcomes of the Visian ICL. J Refract Surg. 2011;27(7):473-481.