New case studies have revealed that sleeping in contact lenses runs the risk of dangerous infection. The case studies were published in the January issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine and developed through a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the EMERGEncy ID Net, an emergency department-based collaborative surveillance network.
“Sleeping in your contact lenses is risky and can lead to infections, or in some cases, permanent damage,” said Jon Femling, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine and lead author. “Falling asleep, or even napping, without removing your contact lenses can significantly increase the likelihood of serious health problems.”
Six cases were reported in United States during 2016–2018. In one case, a man evaluated for eye redness and blurry vision reported sleeping in contact lenses 3–4 nights per week and swimming with them. He was treated for bacterial and fungal microbial keratitis.
Another instance outlines an adolescent girl who slept in lenses purchased without a prescription, developed a corneal ulcer that resulted in scarring.
A man who wore the same lenses for two weeks was diagnosed with a perforated cornea, bacterial infection and ultimately required a transplant to save his right eye.
“Sleeping in lenses is one of the riskiest and most commonly reported behaviors for adolescent and adult contact lens wearers,” said Dr. Femling. “If you want to avoid infection, and avoid a trip to the emergency department, proper eye care is a must.”
