Side effects of hard contact lenses

Generally speaking, hard contact lenses have fewer side effects than soft contact lenses. However, this is also strongly reflected in the price. Hard contact lenses are both firmer and smaller and, due to the constant development of materials, are in no way inferior to soft contact lenses in terms of air permeability.

Nevertheless, wearing hard contact lenses does of course have its risks and side effects. The most common problem is conjunctivitis. These can be further specified as acute or mechanical conjunctivitis as well as the so-called giantopapillary conjunctivitis.

Mechanical conjunctivitis is caused by irritation of the conjunctiva due to rubbing of the contact lens during continuous wearing. In combination with everyday environmental influences such as dust, wind or smoke, the eye is quickly reddened and inflamed. Often there is also swelling and itching around the eyelids.

The gigantopapillary conjunctivitis, on the other hand, is caused by the lens itself and often occurs in soft models. After years of wearing contact lenses, the conjunctiva can also wear out, so to speak, and become red and swollen. The eye itches and the eyelid cannot be opened completely.

This leads to increased tears and sensitivity to light, which can be quite painful for the affected person.Another problem that occurs with contact lens wearers is hyperemia. The mechanical irritation of the hard contact lens on the eye leads to a reactively increased blood flow, which the eye itself does not need at all. Neovascularization can also occur, i.e. a new sprouting of vessels in the cornea. In any case, an ophthalmologist should be consulted as soon as previously unknown irritation and redness or even pain appears in the eye.

Side effects of colored contact lenses

As long as you follow a few very general basic rules that are generally recommended for wearing contact lenses, you can wear colored contact lenses without hesitation. For example, you should take care not to leave your contact lenses in your eyes while you sleep and always take care of the lenses themselves and store and clean them hygienically. When buying colored contact lenses, you should also make sure that you only select products with a certified seal, since only here can medical compatibility of the ingredients be guaranteed. In contrast to “real” contact lenses, the colored ones often let a little less air into the eyes, which means that they dry out and become irritated more quickly. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the wearing times indicated and not to exceed them.