Health Philippines Net

The rising popularity of cheap fashion contact lenses or decorative contact lenses may have prompted the Department of Health (DOH) to warn stores not to sell unregistered contact lenses. Buyers are advised to buy only contact lenses with product registration certificate from the DOH Food and Drug Administration.

Wearing contact lens to be fashionable, to look prettier, or to experiment on looks, and wearing them for long periods of time can damage your eyes permanently. If prescription contact lenses, which are designed to correct eye disorders, have side effects, then fashion contact lenses, which are made cheaply, can cause worse side effects.

These are the side effects of long time use of contact lenses, whether decorative or functional prescription lenses:

Swelling of the eyes. Contact lenses prevent oxygen from entering the eyes naturally. Lack of oxygen causes the eyes to swell. Constant touching, wiping or rubbing of the eyes can also cause swelling.

Dry eyes. These lenses prevent the natural creation of tears. You have dry eyes if your eyes feel hot, if you feel as if there’s something stuck in your eyes, or if your eyes feel like tearing or burning.

Inflammation of the eyelids. Long time wear can cause small bumps or swellings under your eyelids.

Red eyes. Your eyes become very red because you’re allergic to the lens preservative or cleaning solution.

Damage to the cornea. Careless attachment of a contact lens can scratch or scrape your cornea and can cause swelling or haziness of vision. The more serious damages are: hypoxia which is lack of oxygen, bacterial keratitis which is a corneal infection, and infiltrative keratitis which is an inflammation of the cornea.

Reduction of vision. Tinted contact lenses obstruct light and prevent the pupil from doing its job.