The same thing that gave Chad Groeschen the ability to see also took away his sight.
The Cincinnati man was duped by the “Night and Day” contacts, which claim users may sleep while wearing the lenses, and woke up with agonizing eye discomfort and a loss of eyesight.
Groeschen had a potentially fatal infection as a result of often using extended-wear lenses while sleeping.
The man in need of a cornea transplant is now advising others to “maintain impeccable hygiene” to prevent suffering a similar fate.
Learn why it’s crucial to take your lenses out before you go to bed or take a shower in the following paragraphs.
In 2015, Chad Groeschen woke up with excruciating pain in his left eye and a blinding haze covering it.
“Midway through the day, my eyes started to itch, and I popped them out thinking it was probably allergies. The following morning, my left eye’s vision started to become cloudy.According to Groeschen, who took his lenses out around once a week, “The kind of contacts I have are called Night and Day’ contacts, and it was my impression you could leave them in for 30 days straight,” Groeschen stated. I reasoned that the less I fiddled with my eyes, the better.
But not because of
Despite the fact that the lenses are advertised for “continuous wear” for one to four weeks, a 2013 study by the American Academy of Opthalmology found that wearing contact lenses overnight increased the risk of corneal infection regardless of the type of contact lenses.
Groeschen, who was 39 at the time, was informed after visiting a specialist that he had a corneal ulcer infected with Pseudomonas bacteria, which experts believe was caused by sleeping in his extended-wear contacts. According to Groeschen, he was informed by medical professionals that the contact lens served as a petri dish, containing the bacteria that later attacked his eye.
Groeschen, a sculptor at a remodeling company, lost his ability to see out of his left eye within days, and doctors predicted he would need a corneal transplant to regain his vision.
According to a research by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the majority of the estimated 41 million people who wear contact lenses nationwide engage in at least one dangerous behavior that endangers their vision.
The same study reveals that 82.3% of people wore their contact lenses for longer than is advised, more than half topped out the solution rather than emptying it, and 50% did so while they slept.
“Good vision contributes to overall well-being and independence for people of all ages, so it’s important not to cut corners on healthy contact lens wear and care,” says CDC Medical Epidemiologist Jennifer Cope, MD, MPH. According to her, “we are finding that many wearers are unsure about how to appropriately wear and care for contact lenses.”
Infections, which frequently result in irreparable damage, happen more frequently than individuals may realize since so many people take chances with eyeglasses.
The CDC estimates that every year, one in 500 people who wear contact lenses develops a serious eye infection that can result in blindness.
In December 2022, Mike Krumholz, now 22, may be permanently blind after taking a 40-minute nap with daily disposable contacts still in his eyes. After the nap, he then showered, removed his contacts and went to sleep.
The following morning, Krumholz awoke with a light-sensitive, itchy, “gunky” eye. Like Groeschen, he initially thought it was an allergy, but it was much worse.
Doctors revealed that the Florida baseball player had Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare infection that can result in blindness. According to Krumholz, even a little period of sleeping with contacts may have given the microscopic Acanthamoeba bacterium a chance to infect the cornea.
There is no agony worse than this, Krumholz says in a Facebook post sharing his experience and attempting to educate others about the risks of sleeping with contacts. Even the most potent medications have no effect.
And the worst part is, I do not know if I will ever get vision back in my eye at only 21 years old.” The post continues, “I have not been able to step outside for 30+ days and I have my hurricane shutters up to protect me from light.”
Treated for the parasite, Krumholz, was told that the “best case” scenario is that he’ll be free of the parasite by late summer 2023, when he can have a corneal transplant to remove the part of his eye that was infected.
“I know that I’m never gonna see fully again, but I don’t know how much of my vision I’m gonna get back,” he said.
Tips to prevent eye infections (CDC):
- Wash hands with soap and water and dry them well before touching contact lenses
- Take contacts out before sleeping, showering or swimming
- Rub and rinse contacts in disinfecting solution each time they remove them
- Rub and rinse the case with contact lens solution, dry with a clean tissue and store it upside down with the caps off after each use
- Replace contact lens cases at least once every three months
- Avoid “topping off” solution in lens case (adding fresh solution to old solution)
- Carry a backup pair of glasses in case contact lenses have to be taken out
Meanwhile Koerschner offers this warning: “If anything happens to your eye seek a specialist immediately and maintain impeccable hygiene when it comes to your eyes.”
Please always make sure you practice good eye hygiene! We understand that sometimes it feels unnecessary but we promise the time will be worth it.
Please share this story so others are aware of the dangers involved with sleeping while wearing contact lenses, along with other risky behaviors that can cause blindness!
