Whether you are nearsighted or nearsighted and wear contact lenses instead of glasses every day, you most likely realize that clean hands are the first commandment when putting lenses in your eyes and removing them.

But did you know that you shouldn’t wear contact lenses when you’re sick?

Weakened immune system

Optometrist Christian Algaard was one of several experts who came with the advice.

Algaard had previously stated KK that you should not wear contact lenses if you have a cold, flu, or other illness that weakens your immune system. Then you’d better wear glasses.

The reason is that it is easier to get infections, eye inflammation when your immune system is low.

Henning Sørum, bacteriologist and professor at the Norwegian University of the Environment and Life Sciences, states that contact lens wearers may experience eye infections more often when they have a weakened immune system.

– In cases of infection in the upper respiratory tract, or if a bacterial infection occurs in a wound or pimple which could pose a risk of infection in the eye, it may make sense to avoid wearing contact lenses, says Sørum.

The flu virus or flu virus causes damage to the mucous membranes, and several different bacteria can often cause a bacterial infection after the viral infection itself has passed its peak of disease progression,

– Snot from the nose and mucus from the mouth can contain a lot of so-called secondary bacteria from the flu, and if you transfer them to your eyes, they can cause an infection there, Sørum said further.

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It could have serious consequences

Liv Kari Drolsum, professor and senior physician at Oslo University Hospital, confirms that when a patient has a disease that causes a suppressed immune system, or is on medication that weakens the immune system, that person may be more susceptible to infections – including eye disease. infection.

At the same time, he clarified:

– You don’t necessarily have a weak immune system even if you are sick for various reasons, says Drolsum

Sick or well; do you wear contact lenses when you No must be done, there are more serious problems than short-term eye inflammation that can occur, according to Hans Torvald Haugo, specialist manager at the Norwegian Optometrists Association:

– If you have serious damage to your eyes, this can permanently reduce your vision, and in the worst case you can lose your sight, says Haugo.

Because eye infections range from the most harmless eye cataracts to the most serious vision-threatening infections inside the eye, Drolsum explains.

It could end

When it comes to corneal inflammation, which can also be quite serious, contact lens wear is one of the most common causes, according to ophthalmologists.

– Corneal inflammation provoked by contact lenses is most often associated with wearing the wrong lenses. The most common thing that can increase your risk is sleeping with your lenses on at night; this is especially true of lenses that aren’t approved for sleep, but also of monthly lenses that are approved for use all the time — including at night, says Drolsum.

In cases of eye infections, especially corneal infections, it is Listeria monocytogenes one of the most feared bacteria, according to Sørum.

– In some cases, bacteria can cause stubborn infections in the cornea that are difficult to treat, he says.

Bacteria are found in the natural environment around us – including in soil and water and in decaying plant material, and are therefore one of the many reasons why it is so important to have clean hands when handling your contact lenses.

Destroying the glasses myth

– Typical lens error

– Good hand hygiene is very important. And if you are not using disposable lenses, you should follow applicable guidelines for cleaning lenses. It’s also important to never wash your lenses with plain tap water, insists Drolsum.

Haugo knows that the most common lens mistake many people make is not removing the lens when you start to feel uncomfortable with the contact lens in your eye.

– Then you expose yourself to unnecessary risks because you allow the situation to develop more than necessary, says the expert.

After all, the eyes need a “rest” from the lens, according to experts.

– All contact lens wearers should always have glasses as a backup, emphasizes Drolsum:

– And when you’re sick and perhaps bedridden, you often don’t have the same need to wear lenses as you do when you’re at work or playing sports, he says.