Eye Doctor shares graphic photos to warn against sleeping in his contacts

It may be tempting not to remove your contacts before bed, however, the graphic images of an eye ulcer that form when someone sleeps with his soft lenses can make you think twice.

Patrick Vollmer, an ophthalmologist who works at the Vita Eye Clinic in Shelby, North Carolina, has published shattering photos of a patient that he had recently treated, suffering from a cultured pseudomonas ulcer following the wearing of his contacts during his sleep, The New York Post reported. Vollmer shared the graphic images on Facebook and urged people to think about the harmful consequences of sleeping with contacts.

"The images below show a case referred for local emergency care, an ulcer of pseudomonas subsequently cultured, and result directly from sleep in contact lenses. Pseudomonas (bacteria) are a major cause of ocular morbidity and its opportunistic characteristics quickly lead to permanent blindness, "wrote Vollmer on Facebook. "This will be the 4th case of cultivated pseudomonas that I have treated in my clinic."

According to Vollmer, this bacterium "explosively destroys" the patient's cornea in a few days and leaves a dead and viscous tissue once the messy act is accomplished. Fortunately, Vollmer was able to give patients day-night fortified antibiotic drops and steroids to reduce the risk of permanent scarring. Even if the patient's eye improves, it is quite possible that she will experience residual vision loss after treatment.

Although people say that they "go well" when they sleep with their contacts, Vollmer is against this practice because it could cause infections and permanent vision loss.

"To be very clear, I never recommend sleeping in a brand of soft contact lenses. The risks are greater than the benefits each time. Remove your contacts in seconds, but you risk irreversible damage if you choose to leave them inside, "added Vollmer. "People need to see these images and remember, as well as their family and friends, to also be aware of the misuse of contact lenses."

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