Contact Lens Solution Lawyers

Extended Wear Contact Lenses

A person that wears contact lenses wears one of two kinds, typically. These two options are daily wear or extended wear. Extended wear lenses are frequently referred to as “overnight” lenses. The biggest difference between extended wear lenses and daily wear lenses is the amount of oxygen that the lens allows to reach the cornea. Extended wear lenses allow much more oxygen to pass through than their daily counterparts.

Extended wear lenses are typically FDA-approved to be worn for up to seven days at a time. New, silicone hydrogel “super permeable” lenses are approved for up to 30 days of use. They are called “continuous wear” lenses.

The FDA first approved extended wear contacts in 1981. These lenses were initially approved for up to two weeks at a time. Following test results which showed that there was an increased incidence of eye infections for people who slept in their contact lenses, the FDA shortened the approved time to seven days. In addition, many eye care professionals decided that sleeping in lenses was too risky of an idea and so started discouraging their patients from wearing extended wear lenses at all.

The concern behind the discouraged use of extended wear lenses is that dangerous organisms get lodged under the lens. These organisms enter the eye via fingers, eyelids, or the lens care solution. If the lens is left in the eye for a week or more at a time, the organisms aren’t flushed out daily. This allows the bacteria to thrive. They can cause anything from conjunctivitis (pink eye) to more serious conditions that can cause blindness.

If you have been adversely affected by an eye infection caused by your contact lens solution not performing its job adequately, please contact the contact lens solution lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-866-950-9000 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.