Kate Garraway reveals she had an inflamed cornea from wearing contact lenses too long

You may have seen recent reports of Good Morning Britain host, Kate Garraway, revealing her cornea had become inflamed as a result of wearing her contact lenses for too long.

Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu MCOptom, Clinical Adviser at the College said; “I sometimes see patients who have worn their contact lenses for too long causing inflammation and irritation. This really does highlight how important it is to have good contact lens hygiene and regular check-ups. If you are ever in doubt or are experiencing poor vision, discomfort or redness, always contact your local optometrist for advice. Contact lens wear is safe during the pandemic, but it is important you adopt scrupulous hand hygiene and follow the wear and care instructions as directed by your clinician.”

Paramdeep has the following tips for contact lens wearers:

Do:

• wash, rinse and dry your hands thoroughly before handling your lenses
• have an up-to-date pair of glasses for when you need to remove your lenses
• replace the lenses at the interval specified by your practitioner
• have regular check-ups with your practitioner as recommended
• seek professional advice if you are having problems with your contact lenses.

Don’t:

• go to bed with a painful red eye – seek advice immediately
• bring any contact lens into contact with tap water
• wet your lenses with saliva
• wear your lenses for swimming.

Watch our how to videos on inserting and removing contact lenses to find out more.

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