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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.