Conjunctivitis and contact lenses: When can I use them?

It must have happened to you more than once that you have conjunctivitis and at the same time you use contact lenses every day. What should I do if I have conjunctivitis and contact lenses? There are times when we have to take them out because they are usually quite uncomfortable. Here are all the causes, symptoms and solutions for this very common problem among our users.

So, can I wear contact lenses if I have conjunctivitis? With conjunctivitis, it is common to have continuous tearing of the eye, as a result of which eye discharge is generated, which can be very annoying for day-to-day use. This constant tearing makes contact lenses slip on the eye and you can not see properly, this is the great dilemma of conjunctivitis and contact lenses. in our users of our optics.

What is conjunctivitis?

First it is important to know what conjunctivitis is, and it is nothing more than a type of inflammation of the whitish tissue of the eye. In this inflammatory process, this part of the eye takes on a reddish color that is easily detectable with the naked eye. It is common that people with myopia and contact lens wearers are more likely to suffer from conjunctivitis. It is therefore of vital importance to perform proper hygiene on the area, always handling the contact lens with clean hands.

What causes conjunctivitis?

Why does conjunctivitis occur with contact lenses?

First of all, conjunctivitis is caused by bacteria or viruses. Conjunctivitis caused by bacteria can be transmitted to other people as soon as its symptoms appear and while there is still eye discharge, or even up to twenty-four hours after antibiotic treatment is started.

As we said, contact lens wearers are more exposed to conjunctivitis, as they constantly touch their eyes and the case where the lenses are stored after use is sometimes not properly sanitized.

In particular, an episode of conjunctivitis caused by contact lenses can be the result of a bacterial infection, a virus and even certain chemical agents floating in the environment, such as dust, smoke or pollution, can cause it. It is also possible that our conjunctivitis is related to spring and an allergic process.

It is common that conjunctivitis is caused by contact lenses. Excessive use of contact lenses can cause extreme dryness in our eye, having to treat our eyes by moisturizing the eye with artificial tears.

Types of conjunctivitis and their relation to contact lenses

There are several types of conjunctivitis, each with specific causes and treatments. Here’s how each type of conjunctivitis interacts with contact lens wear:

• Bacterial conjunctivitis: It is caused by bacteria and produces yellowish or greenish eye discharge. Wearing contact lenses in this case may aggravate the infection and increase irritation. It is essential to discontinue use until treatment has completely eliminated the infection.
• Viral Conjunctivitis: Commonly linked to respiratory infections, this type of conjunctivitis spreads easily. Wearing contact lenses during this time can not only worsen symptoms, but also facilitate transmission of the virus, as the lenses can retain viral particles.
• Allergic conjunctivitis: This type of conjunctivitis is an immune system response to allergens such as pollen or dust. Although not infectious, contact lenses can intensify discomfort by trapping more allergens in the eye.
• Irritant conjunctivitis: This type is caused by exposure to irritants such as smoke, chemicals or even prolonged use of contact lenses in poor condition. Here, contact lenses may be the cause or an aggravating factor, so their use should be avoided until the symptoms disappear.

When can contact lenses be used again after conjunctivitis?

The waiting time before resuming contact lens wear depends on the type of conjunctivitis and the severity of the infection:

• Bacterial conjunctivitis: It is recommended to wait at least 24 to 48 hours after completing the antibiotic treatment and once the symptoms have completely disappeared.
• Viral conjunctivitis: This type usually lasts between 1 to 2 weeks. You should wait until all symptoms have completely disappeared, because even if the infection has resolved, the eye may still be vulnerable.
• Allergic conjunctivitis: In this case, contact lens wear can be resumed once exposure to the allergen has been controlled and appropriate allergy treatment is maintained.
• Irritative conjunctivitis: Contact lens wear can be resumed once the irritant has been removed and the eye has returned to normal.

What to do to avoid conjunctivitis if we wear contact lenses?

Contact lenses need to be cleaned daily with a suitable liquid and our hands must be properly sanitized when handling them. Otherwise, we expose ourselves to the risk of contracting infections such as conjunctivitis and contact lenses. Our recommendations to avoid conjunctivitis if we use contact lenses are as follows:

• Mainly try not to abuse the hours of use of contact lenses.
• It is important not to use them during sleeping hours, since when we wake up we run the risk of them drying out and sticking to the eye, making it difficult to remove them.
• For the care and cleaning of contact lenses we must use ophthalmological products at all times.

In the case of having contracted it, specialists recommend a reasonable period of time to cure the infection and that during that time we avoid using them. Advice! Once the conjunctivitis is over, we should throw away the contact lenses we were using, as they are probably infected, and also disinfect the case carrying the lenses and replace it with a new one.

We hope that all these recommendations of possible conjunctivitis infection have helped you, but also the diagnosis of a specialist is what will tell you for sure what disease we are talking about and how to remedy it. If you need more information on the use of conjunctivitis and contact lenses, contact us at our Opticas Avenida Los Boliches stores. See you soon!