Contact Lens Overwear Syndrome (OWS)
Chicago, Illinois
Overwear syndrome (OWS) is an eye condition that can occur when patients wear their contact lenses beyond the prescribed length of time. OWS is also often the result of wearing your contact lenses during sleep, or from neglecting to regularly replace them with fresh lenses at the proper intervals. OWS occurs most often with non-gas permeable hard lenses, and it can be significantly painful in some cases, leading to eye infections and other complications.
If you live in Chicago or Arlington Heights, Illinois and are suffering from overwear syndrome or other side effects of contact lenses, please contact our experienced ophthalmology team in Chicago today to schedule a consultation or a free LASIK screening.
What Causes Overwear Syndrome?
Whenever your eye is open, it receives oxygen from the air around you. When it is closed or covered by a contact lens, it will receive oxygen from specific internal capillaries instead – but this is less than the amount your eyes normally receive from the air.
The movement of your contact lenses, their thickness, the amount of oxygen that can penetrate them, and how long you wear them all affect the amount of oxygen that reaches your cornea. If you wear your contact lenses for too long, you will ultimately reduce the amount of oxygen that reaches your cornea, which can lead to overwear syndrome and other side effects.
Symptoms of Overwear Syndrome
People who suffer from OWS commonly experience the following symptoms in their eyes:
- Redness
- Tearing
- Eye pain
- Decreased vision
- Photophobia
If you experience any of these overwear syndrome symptoms, you should immediately stop wearing your contact lenses and speak with your ophthalmologist. In some cases, a topical antibiotic therapy or steroidal preparation can help alleviate symptoms.
Reduce Your Dependency on Contacts With LASIK
Millions of people depend on contact lenses every day. While they are obviously helpful, they can also limit a person’s lifestyle. Contact lenses also require a commitment to consistent, careful use in order to prevent side effects and complications from occurring.
More and more patients are choosing LASIK eye surgery to achieve Visual Freedom from the cumbersome burden and significant lifetime expense of contact lenses and glasses. If you are a good candidate for LASIK speak with our Chicago Ophthalmology team, this procedure can change your life and even protect the future health of your eyes.
Doctors For Visual Freedom has two offices in Illinois: one in downtown Chicago, and one in Arlington Heights. Call our Chicago Ophthalmologists for an appointment today if you are experiencing symptoms of overwear syndrome today.
