A person saved the identical pair of contact lenses in for 3 years, inflicting everlasting astigmatism and build-up behind his eyelids. His physician stated he's not accountable sufficient to put on contacts.

• Doug, who requested to go by his first title, wore the identical pair of contacts for 3 years.
• He stated he shared the story as a result of he thought others would possibly discover it amusing.
• The response was a bit overwhelming, however the faculty professor stated individuals cannot know him from the video.

Doug, a TikToker who requested solely to be recognized by his first title, went viral after sharing that he left a pair of contacts in for 3 years — not even eradicating them to sleep or have eye exams. 

“I placed on a pair of contacts in 2012 and I did not take them out till someday in 2015,” stated Doug, who posts @catsupwithdoug, in a video that now has almost 400,000 likes. 

When Insider first reached out to Doug, he wasn’t eager to touch upon the video. 

“Actually, this TikTok doesn’t present me in the most effective mild. It has already garnered extra consideration than I anticipated, and the extra consideration it receives, the extra insults and private assaults I obtain,” he stated by e mail. 

However after agreeing to an interview, Doug says that the video has taught him we should not make snap judgments about content material creators we see on-line.  “That story is a foul illustration of me,” he stated. “I am a university professor who has by no means had a site visitors ticket in my life” and who has meticulous hygiene.

However, Doug added, he is additionally a storyteller who is aware of “tales about minding your manners, being well mannered, and following all the principles would make horrible content material.”

Doug actually did go away the contacts in for about 3 years

Doug was in his 20s when he left the contacts in for a lot, for much longer than advisable. He stated he was a accountable contact person till a good friend talked about that that they had no downside sleeping in contacts.

“I used to be like, if he does it and is okay I can do it too,” Doug stated. “After which it bought to a degree the place it was like, I used to be advantageous not taking them out final evening, I will be advantageous leaving them in another evening, and that simply repeated on daily basis.”

Doug had medical insurance that coated eye exams, however he did not wish to change the contacts that appeared to be working simply advantageous.  “So long as the contacts did not rip or get a nick in them, I did not see some extent in throwing them out,” he stated. 

If TikTok is any indication, Doug is not the one one with less-than-ideal contact hygiene.  “There have been lots of people with related tales or calling out their pals with related tales,” he stated. 

The fixed put on of contacts triggered him to develop everlasting astigmatism and “construct up” behind his eyelids, in response to his TikTok. Whereas his eyes healed after a yr of sporting solely glasses, Doug and his physician agreed it was finest for him to not put on contact lenses once more. That was eight years in the past. 

Docs say sporting contacts too lengthy could cause long-term harm

Eye physician Brad Boyle says it is essential to observe the rules on changing your contacts, even when, like Doug, you do not appear to note any sick results. Sporting contacts too lengthy could cause the cornea — the tissue that protects the attention — to grow to be infected. Over time, that may go away your eyes susceptible to an infection or a corneal ulcer, which may go away you with worsening imaginative and prescient and stinging eyes. 

“Many individuals get away with it for brief intervals of time, however long run, it’s going to all the time catch as much as you,” he stated. 

Years later, you would possibly discover that you simply’re now not snug sporting contacts. Doug, for instance, stated he nonetheless sticks to glasses. 

Regardless of that, Boyle sees numerous sufferers sporting their contacts for too lengthy as a result of they do not know in regards to the threat or as a result of they’re attempting to chop prices, he stated. That is harmful for anybody, however particularly for folks who threat setting a foul instance for his or her youngsters. 

“If the dad and mom prolong and sleep of their contacts, it is extremely possible that their little one will too,” Boyle sayid. 

Boyle recommends every day contact reasonably than longer-wear choices since they get you within the behavior of integrating contact adjustments into your hygiene routine. No matter contacts you select, stick with the advisable put on, he says, in order that you can make the most of contacts all through your life. 

“I all the time inform sufferers that don’t really feel the quick results of sleeping in contacts or extending the lifetime of a contact that I’m considering down the highway,” he stated. “In 5, 10 or 15 years, do you wish to be nonetheless sporting contacts, or are you OK with sporting glasses full time?”