Re-using Daily contact lenses??

MalefarmerAnn

I have been reusing daily contact lenses for two - four days at a time for a month now, and have just today got an extensive eye check up, where I was given the all clear!
are there really any dangers to re-using them?

po0k

They're called dailies for a reason.

The material they're made from will break down, and if it splits while on your eye it's a bastard to get out.
It happened to me with monthly lenses, went to work, about 30mins into the shift it split.
I couldn't wait to get home infront of a mirror.

Pet

Yep. If you aren't cleaning, rinsing and disinfecting with proper solution, you can get infected with acanthamoeba, which causes acanthamoeba keratitis, a disease of the cornea that leads to permanent scarring and blindness. The amoeba responsible is everywhere, probably even in the water that comes out of your tap. And even without that, there's hundreds of other infections you can get. Check these links for the nasty details:

http://www.eyemdlink.com/Condition.asp?ConditionID=42
http://www.bcla.org.uk/acanthamoeba.asp




If you ARE rinsing and disinfecting the lenses, then that begs the question - why bother? Monthly lenses would be cheaper anyway....

elbee

My dad used to leave his contacts - monthly disposables - in for four or five months at a stretch, day and night, without problems. Mind you, he was a major exception, everyone else I know who leaves them in too long suffers quite bad irritation.

I wouldn't advise doing this for long. Weekly or monthlies will probably suit you best anyway, financially.

On the plus side, you must have unusually tolerant eyes, which is good

kenmc

Seriously, why would you want to reuse them anyway? You've only one pair of eyes - I wouldn't risk it to be honest.