That's why you should not sleep with contact lenses: pseudomonas infection

An ophthalmologist shared powerful photos to warn customers of the dangers of letting their contact lenses while they sleep.

Dr. Patrick Vollmer, of the Vita Eye Clinic in Shelby, North Carolina, decided to share on Facebook this week images of the eye of a woman "eaten" by the cornea by a bacterium after having often left his glbades during the night.

In a message that has been seen by more than 30 million people, the woman's eyes are glbady as she contracts a thick pus of infection.

Dr. Vollmer explained that the patient was suffering from a "pseudomonas ulcer in culture" which is "the direct result of sleeping with contact lenses".

"Pseudomonas (bacteria) are a major cause of ocular morbidity and its opportunistic characteristics quickly lead to permanent blindness. This is the fourth case of cultivated pseudomonas that I have treated in my clinic"he said.

"The bacteria ate the patients in the cornea aggressively in a few days, leaving behind a thick white necrosis (dead tissue)," he explained.

While Dr. Vollmer says that started administering antibiotics and steroids to the patient in order to reduce permanent scarring, recognizes that it is "very likely" that he is suffering from a permanent loss of sight.

"To be very clear, I never recommend sleeping with a brand of soft contact lenses. The risks are greater than the benefits each time. It takes a few seconds to remove your contact lenses, thus avoiding irreversible damage, "he said.

"People need to see these pictures and remember to themselves, their family, and their friends that they must also to be aware the incorrect use of contact lenses, "he added.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that 45 million Americans wear contact lenses.

Two-thirds are women and the average age of the user is 31 years old.

However, Pseudomonas are not the only problem that can result from the use of lenses.

Keratitis, or inflammation of the cornea, results in one million medical visits at a cost of $ 175 million for the American health system.

Serious infections affect approximately 1,500 contact lens users a year.