Alert over tight lens syndrome

A warning has been issued after a woman claimed that contact lenses left her unable to see for four days.

A report in the Maldon Chronicle claimed Charlotte Handford suffered tight lens syndrome after trialling ‘faulty’ lenses from Tesco Opticians in Maldon. Handford was rushed to hospital after her eyes ‘slammed shut’ on a day trip and did not have normal vision for over a week.

The article claimed Handford was later told by an optician that every time she had inserted and removed the lenses, she was lacerating her eye.

Graeme Young, managing director of Visioncare Research, said that although tight lens syndrome had become a rarity with the advent of higher Dk lenses and a fall in the popularity of extended wear, the case highlighted that contact lenses were not simple commodity products. ‘The simple pieces of advice still hold true, such as removing lenses if causing discomfort,’ he added.