If you wear contact lenses that are not designed to be worn overnight, your optometrist has probably warned you against sleeping in them. Sleeping in contact lenses may harbor bacteria or scrape the eye, causing an infection. If you experience eye pain, redness or eyelid swelling, contact a doctor as soon as possible. Some eye infections are serious and require immediate care to prevent irreversible damage and blindness.
Corneal Ulcer
Sleeping with your contact lenses in may cause a corneal scrape, which may turn into a corneal ulcer if it becomes infected with bacteria, fungi or a parasite, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The cornea is the transparent coating that protects your eye. Symptoms of a corneal ulcer include redness, light sensitivity, swelling of the eyelids, watery eyes and sometimes a white patch on the eyelid. A corneal ulcer is potentially dangerous if not treated immediately. Your ophthalmologist will prescribe eye drops that kill the bacteria, parasite or fungi that is present.
Keratitis
Keratitis can be caused by wearing contact lenses for long periods of time and may occur if you sleep in your contact lenses for one or more nights. Keratitis usually occurs when the parasite acanthamoeba grows on the contact lens and spreads to the cornea, according to MayoClinic.com. Symptoms of keratitis may include eye pain, blurry vision, light sensitivity, eye swelling, difficulty opening the eye and the feeling of something inside the eye. Treatments for keratitis include antibiotic eyedrops. If these eyedrops are unsuccessful, a corneal transplant may be necessary.
Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis
If you wear soft contact lenses that are not replaced regularly or frequently worn overnight, your eye may develop an allergy to the lens. Symptoms of the allergic reaction giant papillary conjunctivitis include a feeling of grittiness in the eye, eye redness, swelling eyelids, eye discharge and sensitivity to light. If you think you may have giant papillary conjunctivitis, remove the lens immediately. Your doctor may recommend replacing your contacts more frequently or changing the type of contact lens or solution you use.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Corneal Ulcers and Infections
- Health Services at Columbia: Is It Dangerous to Sleep in Your Soft Disposable Contact Lenses for One Night if You Can't Get Them Out?
- MayoClinic.com: Keratitis: Causes
- MayoClinic.com: Keratitis: Treatments and Drugs
- American Optometric Association: Conjunctivitis
