When Contact Lenses Cause Inflammation

Sometimes contact lenses can cause inflammation of the cornea, with an accompanying bacterial infection.  The white dot shown on the cornea above is an infiltrate, caused by bacterial inflammation.  Symptoms can range from mild discomfort, feeling like there’s something in your eye, tearing, and redness, to severe pain, light sensitivity, and decreased vision.  Corneal infiltrates must be treated right away to prevent corneal ulceration, which results in permanent scarring and vision loss.   Proper care of contact lenses is very important for the health of your eyes.