The 39-year-old man reported that the previous month while working late, his left eye was particularly inflamed. He thought it was just allergies, really.
The next morning, Groeschen claimed, he noticed that his eye was “sort of goopy” and that his vision was impaired. His vision was substantially worse the next day compared to the day before.
When Groeschen visited the Cincinnati Eye Institute after a friend’s recommendation, the personnel there informed him that he had an infection in his eye brought on by the bacteria Pseudomonas. According to Groeschen, the illness is capable of “incubating” behind contact lenses.
He was given antibiotics, and they were effective in curing the infection, but by the time they were finished, he had already developed a corneal ulcer, and the scar tissue that the bacteria left behind has rendered him blind in one eye.
“It is like to looking through an opaque piece of glass. The sickness causes a slight erosion of your cornea, according to Groeschen. As the infection clears up, it will be challenging for you to see because of the scar tissue that develops as a result of the illness.
He added that the medical professionals he has seen have told him that a cornea transplant is likely what he will need to restore his vision. This surgery has a one-year average recovery period.
Owner and operator of a business that specializes in design-based restorations, Groeschen, claimed that he is currently falling behind on all of his work obligations and that this prevents him from taking a holiday.
Groeschen claims that the box for the contacts he wore while sleeping states that doing so is safe.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology did, however, issue a caution in 2013 stating that “overnight wear, regardless of contact lens type, increases the incidence of corneal infection.” According to BuzzFeed, this claim is accurate.
Dr. William Faulkner, the doctor who treated Groeschen, told Cincinnati’s Local 12 that wearing contacts while sleeping is not recommended.
“Security is the major concern for the eyes,” wrote Faulkner, “and if contacts are worn overnight, it is something that I would not advocate.” For everyone who uses glasses or contacts, daily-wear disposable contact lenses are by far the safest alternative.
According to a poll released on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 99 percent of those who wear contacts admitted to engaging in at least one “risky behavior.” The following “risky behaviors” were among them:
storing their contact lens covers for a lengthier duration than is recommended (82,3%);
As opposed to emptying the case fully before adding more solution, which occurs in 55.1% of cases, “topping off” the solution in the case simply means adding more solution to the present solution;
They had their spectacles on (50.2%) when they slept.
