Incidence of Eye Infections Significantly Greater Among People Who Sleep While Wearing Contact Lenses, States Kevin Niksarli, MD of Manhattan Lasik Center

Extended wear lenses are a concern because potentially dangerous organisms, which might enter the eye via fingers, contaminated solutions or contact lens cases, could become lodged under the lenses. Therefore wearing contact lenses during sleep carries a greater risk of complications than removing and disinfecting the lenses daily, according to Kevin Niksarli, MD of Manhattan Lasik Center.

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 18, 2009 -- Currently, many eyecare practitioners consider any overnight wear to be too risky, and they have been encouraging patients to always remove their contacts before going to sleep, even if the lenses are FDA-approved for extended wear.

Extended wear lenses are a concern because potentially dangerous organisms, which might enter the eye via fingers, contaminated solutions or contact lens cases, could become lodged under the lenses. Therefore wearing contact lenses during sleep carries a greater risk of complications than removing and disinfecting the lenses daily, according to Dr. Niksarli.

His midtown Manhattan practice solely dedicated to surgical correction of refractive disorders, Dr. Niksarli frequently treats patients who present for laser vision correction and suffer from complications of contact lens overwear. These corneas need intense rehabilitation, treatment with medications, and stoppage of contacts, before they are ready for LASIK eye surgery. In some cases, treatment lasts several weeks before the eye returns back to baseline.

These organisms thrive in the warm, moist, and relatively oxygen-poor environment between the cornea and contact lenses. Dr Niksarli adds that these conditions render the cornea a lot less able to fight off infections resulting from bacteria, fungi and other organisms.

Contact lens-related infections can range from an annoying case of pink eye to more serious conditions, even some that can lead to blindness. When contact lenses remain in the eyes continuously for several days, the risk of these problems increases exponentially, comments Kevin Niksarli, MD, board certified medical director at Manhattan Lasik Center. To maximize safety, eyecare practitioner's instructions for cleaning, storage, and frequent disposal of contact lenses should be followed. It is also wise to stop the use of contacts and seek an eyecare professional as soon as the contacts become irritating and untolerable.

Contact:
Kevin Niksarli, MD
Manhattan Lasik Center
212-759-9617

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