Download Zovluck Contact Lenses In the last decade contact lenses have

Survey
yes no Was this document useful for you?
   Thank you for your participation!

* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project

Document related concepts

Cataract wikipedia , lookup

Vision therapy wikipedia , lookup

Blast-related ocular trauma wikipedia , lookup

Corrective lens wikipedia , lookup

Dry eye syndrome wikipedia , lookup

Corneal transplantation wikipedia , lookup

Human eye wikipedia , lookup

Glasses wikipedia , lookup

Cataract surgery wikipedia , lookup

Keratoconus wikipedia , lookup

Eyeglass prescription wikipedia , lookup

Contact lens wikipedia , lookup

Transcript
Zovluck 1
Contact Lenses
In the last decade contact lenses have become a favored trend in the world of eyewear.
Evolving from the simple pair of eye glasses which are worn atop the face to a thin layer of
hydrophilic plastic that rests directly over the cornea of the eye. Contact lenses are medical
devices used primarily for correcting and improving vision. They can also fulfill an aesthetic
function by providing an alternative to wearing glasses, cosmetically enhancing eye color and
even gives the illusion of a more dramatic change in eye color. The improper or irresponsible
usage of contacts can pose significant risks and hazards to ocular health ranging from treatable
infections to severe damage from corneal ulcers. However, even with compliant and proper time
consuming care the continuous wearing of contact lenses can still invite unwanted results. For
nearly a decade I have worn contact lenses daily, in lieu of eye glasses to compensate my near
sightedness. Though conscientious in the time consuming proper hygienic care of my lenses, I
have experienced and endured various complications. One serious condition was caused by the
limited diameter of curvature of the lenses manufactured. My cornea was literally being
suffocated by the inappropriate fit of the limited diameters available, causing blood vessels to
compensate by branching out in search of oxygen. Fortunately, my personal situation was
concurrent with a particular manufacturer of lenses awareness that not all eyes are curved
equally. Aside from a potential hazard to my sight remediated, my visual acuity has worsened as
determined in my annual checkups. This yearly reminder coupled with the adage," hindsight is
20/20" prompted my query, does the daily wear of contact lenses affect an individual’s sight in
the long term?
To soundly base a conclusion to my thesis, I warranted comprehensive research into the
background of contact lenses. There are various types of contact lenses ranging from the daily
Zovluck 2
pair which is disposed of every night and replacing with a fresh pair in the morning. Then there
are lenses which are worn from two weeks (with the exception of sleep). The most common
difficulty I faced with wearing lenses was the dryness of my eyes which led me to go deeper in
what contact lenses are. In the article What Are Contacts Made Of?, Gary Heiting, an eye care
educator analyzes the categories of contacts and their components. The number of brands are
differentiated by water content which keeps the eyes moisturized, all being more than 40%
water. I have worn soft, rigid gas permeable, and hybrid which are the three main classes of
lenses and my vision has remained unstable. Discovering the elements assists me in
understanding the long term effects in the daily wear of contact lenses.Faye Knoll gave me
extensive insight on the pros and cons of contact lenses in his article Contact Lenses: good or
bad? focusing on the complications I faced myself. Lenses hinder the absorption of oxygen from
the air into the cornea which can result in eye irritation, corneal swelling, abnormal blood vessels
and a list of other hazards. Although they are to be taken out before sleep, lenses are still in your
eyes for a sufficient number of hours throughout the day blocking out the necessary supply of
oxygen which leads me to comprehend how my eye sight is deteriorating. Knoll went on to point
on the threats contact lenses have on vision which is the subject matter I have been targeting. The
deprivation of oxygen to the cornea and the improper care of lenses can potentially include
blindness and irreparable scarring leading me to get closer to grasping the concept of long term
damage.
After gaining knowledge on the variations of contact lenses, the elements they are made
up of, and the possible dangers it was time to go even more in depth. Does the daily wear of
contacts have negative effects on a person’s sight in the long term? I came across an ideal article
directly aiming at my thesis including an actual example of contact lenses users. In Corneal
Zovluck 3
Exhaustion Syndrome With Long-Term Wear of Contact Lenses Sweeney DF discusses four
long-term wearers all daily users for more than a decade, three of them using soft lenses and one
individual with thick hydrogel lenses. Sweeney discovered that all his patients experienced
discomfort, decline in vision, and photophobia which is defined as the abnormal sensitivity to
light. Out of all of my sources and research I felt most successful in my progress to
understanding long term effects by reading this article. Conditions like Corneal Exhaustion
Syndrome and loss in vision are threats even with the responsible care of the lenses.
After conducting thorough research on my topic I can confidently say I have a much
more efficient comprehension on side effects of the daily wear of contact lenses. Due to the
multiple variations of lenses and possible issues in a person’s eye prior to wearing them I cannot
entirely conclude that contact lenses are the direct justification in loss of vision. Nonetheless,
deterioration of vision is attainable through long-term daily wear of contact lenses. With further
research and background of effects of real life contact lenses wearers I believe I could get an
even better grasp for the thesis. Science’s significant advances every day will most likely lead to
a suitable, long-term-healthy pair of contact lenses before I can achieve a valid answer to my
question. I still hope to explore the issue further and maintain proper care of my lenses to avoid
any of the dangers explored in this work.
Zovluck 4
Works Cited
Heiting, Gary, and OD. "What Are Contact Lenses Made Of? - AllAboutVision.com." All About
Vision - Complete Consumer Guide About Vision and Eye Care. Gary Heiting, Web. 11 Sept.
2013.
"Contact Lenses: good or bad?." LASIK Long Island - Laser Eye Surgery - North Shore Eye
Care. Faye Knoll, 5 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
"Corneal exhaustion syndrome with long-term wea... [Optom Vis Sci. 1992] - PubMed - NCBI."
National Center for Biotechnology Information. Sweeney DF, Web. 11 Sept. 2013.