What happens if i left my contact lenses without care for over a year?

Question

I purchased stigmatism lenses that should last with me for 10 years. Unfortunately, when i got them i didnt feel comfortable in them. I kept trying to wear them for a couple of months but nothing changed. So i decided to not use them. So i left them in the two round boxes with water in them and thats it. Now a year passed by, and i opened them today and i realized that the right eye had little water and was alright and the left eye had no water and was very rough (and very curved). I changed the water for both. Now is it safe to try wearing them again? Please i really need to know because they have costed me a lot. Thank you.

Answer 1

Try to rehydrate them by putting in saline solution or Renu - whatever you normally use. DO NOT PICK THEM UP DRY... they'll crumble.

After they've been rehydrated, they should be fine - but there's a simple test. Put them in your eyes. If they are itchy or uncomfortable, they're either scratched or cracked - take them out and get new ones. If they're comfortable, go for it.

Answer 2

No! When you leave something in a saline/water,bacteria grows, and feeds off of the excisting bacteria. So just for at the most 2 or 3 nights left alone in a still area can get gross.

   So I would chuck these pair os contacts, and get new ones, and consult your eye doctor about the roughness of the contacs, they may be able to fix this for you.

Answer 3

under no circucmstances should you put these back in your eyes.

if you'd have left them in solution and changed the solution regularly you'd have been fine. however just leaving them in water allows bacteria to accumulate which if put in your eye could leave you blind.

if they are gas permeable lenses there is a chance that the surface of them isnt smooth, this could have been what was causing the uncomfortableness. when you first recieved them your contact lense optican should have checked for this although there is a chance it could have been missed - if you went back they might have been able to rectify this. also if you werent comfortable in them they really should have given you a refund for them. go back and explain what happened - they may try you on a different type of lense.

hope that helped