• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Woman warns of dangers of sleeping in contact lenses after being left with permanent scarring

Home> News> Health

Published 18:49 7 Mar 2024 GMT

Woman warns of dangers of sleeping in contact lenses after being left with permanent scarring

She was just a day away from needing a cornea transplant

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton

If you're prone to sleeping in your contact lenses, this woman's experience will make you think twice about doing so.

It's estimated that nearly one in six Americans wear contact lenses, so it's likely that Sara Chambers isn't the only one to have slept in them.

Whether you forgot to take them out after one too many tequilas, or simply fallen asleep by accident - we've all done it.

But Sara's ordeal will definitely have you reaching for your solutions at every opportunity because you don't want to end up in the same position she did.

Taking to her TikTok page (@sarammchambers), Sara has now gone viral after sharing her horrifying experience.

Advert

"If you need a reason to not ever sleep in your contacts, let me be the reason," she begins the clip.

Wearing a pair of glasses and normal sunglasses at the same time, Sara goes on to explain that she has an eye ulcer and, because she doesn't have any prescription shades, she has to wear both glasses at once while her eye heals.

Further explaining what happened to her, Sara proceeds to share a photo of her angry-looking eye.

Sara thought she had pink eye at first.
@sarammchambers/TikTok

Advert

Initially thinking it was pink eye, she went down the route of using medications that would usually clear such a condition - but to no avail. Sara later learned that she had an ulcer on her pupil.

"So, you might be wondering what causes an ulcer," Sara goes on.

"Well, I found out today and it's even more terrifying.

"Basically, when you wear contacts, they're constantly causing microscopic little scratches on your eye, but if you take them out at night, your eyes have 10 to 12 hours (or however long) to heal."

Advert

She continued to explain: "You eyes heal really, really fast, but if you never take your contacts out, they never have time to heal and bacteria can get in there and cause an ulcer. It's basically bacteria eating your eye."

One in six Americans wear contact lenses.
Alexander Ford/Getty Stock

Sara said that the ulcer will scar and cause permanent damage to her eye and, had she left it just another day without proper treatment, her doctor said there's a likelihood she'd have needed a cornea transplant.

In light of this, the TikToker doubled down on her advice on not sleeping in your contact lenses.

Advert

As well as an eye ulcer, sleeping with your contact lenses in can lead to different types of infections, according to the Sleep Foundation.

These infections can include bacterial keratitis, acanthamoeba keratitis and fungal keratitis and could lead to vision loss or blindness.

Long story short, take your contacts out at night guys.

Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@sarammchambers

Topics: Health, Viral, TikTok, News

Niamh Shackleton
Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

X

@niamhshackleton

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

10 hours ago
11 hours ago
12 hours ago
  • 10 hours ago

    Minute-by-minute simulation reveals how US would react if invaded amid WW3 fears

    The hypothetical scenario starts with an attack launched by a joint Russia-China alliance on the city of Seattle

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    Former Miss Universe contestant Kseniya Alexandrova dies aged 30 in freak accident involving elk as husband speaks out

    Kseniya Alexandrova has passed away just months after having wed her husband Ilya

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    Stephen King issues scathing message about Trump and his erratic social media posts

    The acclaimed author made his feelings on the president very clear

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    Superman actor Terence Stamp dies aged 87 as family release emotional statement

    The Oscar-nominated actor has tragically passed away

    Celebrity
  • Woman urged to go to hospital immediately after shocking discovery of creature in her bathroom
  • Woman warns others on common mistake that's left her with extremely ‘painful’ condition and unexpected consequences
  • Doctor warns of health dangers after tourist is diagnosed with brain worms
  • Woman left 'almost completely blind' in one eye after making common contact lens mistake