“What happens if you wear contacts for more than 8 hours?”
I am a 23 year old male. Sometimes I wear contact lenses more than 8 hours a day. What happens if you wear contacts for more than 8 hours?
9 Answers
You can wear the contacts for as long as you want. But please do not sleep in them. Sometimes your eye may become drier if you wear them for long periods of time. It's always worth your while to take a holiday from your contacts if you can.
David Hamilton
Ophthalmologist
Great question regarding contact lens wear. Throughout the day, your eyes are mostly open. The natural tear film which coats the surface of the eye (under the contact lens) slowly dries out. This means there is less lubrication between the contact lens and the ocular surface. This leads to irritation, eye fatigue and blurred vision. This is even more pronounced if your job requires you to stare at a computer screen throughout the day. Refractive surgery is a great solution for individuals who suffer from eye fatigue and blurred vision with contact lenses.The new SMILE procedure is the most gentle on the eye and may be a great solution for you. Check out rexhamiltonmd.com for more information!
D. Rex Hamilton, MD, MS, FACS
D. Rex Hamilton, MD, MS, FACS
It depends on the type of lens that you wear and your tolerance for your lenses. Some lenses are designed to be worn for a long period of time, others not. If you are wearing your lenses in excess of the recommended time, you may place the health of your eye at risk with dryness, infections, swelling, etc. Please discuss the optimal time frame for your lens wear with your prescribing ophthalmologist.
Most people can tolerate more than 8 hours of wear a day. If contact lenses are overused, it increases the probability of dry eye, inflammation and infection
Do you effective contact lenses on the surface of the eye and more specifically the cornea are all depending on what type of contact lens you’re wearing. One of the biggest factors is how well oxygen and other nutrients pass through the contact lens to the cornea. If the cornea is deprived of nutrients and oxygen it can stimulate the eye to increase vascularization at the edge of the cornea to increase blood flow to help the cornea survive. Also if contact lens are worn more than they are designed for it can cause scarring and other damage on the surface of the eye. It can also cause abrasions which make you more susceptible to infections or scarring.
10-12 hrs is fine !! Do not sleep in contact lenses.
You risk getting red eyes, dryness and infections
Most of the newer materials that contacts are made of contain silicone and will provide more oxygen for the eye. Consequently, you are able to wear them longer than 8 hours without cause for concern. If, however, you wear the same lens longer than is recommended (ex. a monthly lens worn for 2 months or a daily lens worn for several days), you risk making your eye irritated which can lead to you having to discontinue lens wear for a brief time.
Nothing. New materials in contacts designed for 12 to 16 hours daily. Take out before bed and give eyes a break and dispose of contacts as directed
