Are You Wearing Old Contact Lenses?
If you are one of the approximately 37 million Americans who wear contact lenses, you may wonder what happens if your contacts get old. Perhaps you are using contacts you got several years ago. Or you are trying to save money by wearing your two-week lenses over a more extended period. It may seem like a good idea, but wearing old contact lenses can damage your eye health.
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Book an appointmentSigns Your Contact Lenses Are Old
There are many kinds of contact lenses. Each comes with information about the recommended use, as well as when they should be replaced. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates contact lenses and other medical devices. They conduct testing on such products to determine how long the product is considered safe for use. So before you open a new package of lenses, note the expiration date.
Do Contacts Expire?
The experts at the American Academy of Ophthalmology advise users to replace contact lenses when recommended. This means you should wear one-month contact lenses, for example, for one month after the package has been opened. After that, you should discard them.
Risks and Symptoms of Wearing Old Contacts
Your lenses touch your eye, so lax hygiene and replacement practices create a risk of eye infections. Some infections may cause serious damage to your vision. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly a million eye infections are reported each year. Many of these are related to contact lens use.
What Happens if you Wear Contacts Too Long?
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Do Contacts Hurt Your Eyes Over Time
As you wear your contacts, germs, protein deposits, and other residues build up on the surface of the contact. Over time your eyes will become irritated by the deposit buildup and risking eye infection.
Contact lens prescriptions usually expire in one year. It is essential to have your annual eye exam to make sure your eyes are healthy and that your prescription has not changed. If you are experiencing discomfort, vision problems, or have questions about the safe and proper use of your contact lenses, ask your eye doctor.
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