Douglas Green31 said:Hey everyone.
This issue was touched upon briefly in the "contact lens" thread, since it's most common among contact lens wearers.
Here is the definition from Wikipedia:
Corneal neovascularization is the growth of blood vessels from the limbal vascular plexus into the cornea. It is caused by oxygen deprivation; normally, the cornea receives its oxygen from the air via the tear film and to some extent from the anterior chamber, as a healthy cornea contains no blood vessels. One of the most frequent causes of corneal neovascularization is wearing contact lenses, particularly prolonged use. In later stages, the condition can threaten vision, which is why ophthalmologists recommend routine exams for contact lens wearers, even if they aren't experiencing symptoms.
Essentially, the issue stems from oxygen deprivation caused by wearing contact lenses.
Since I was recently diagnosed with this myself, I’m starting this thread to hear about your experiences. I want to know how people deal with this—specifically, how to manage it effectively without having to give up contact lenses for good.
I also want to understand exactly what kind of damage this can do to one's eyesight and overall eye health.
Supposedly, this is a reversible condition that clears up once you stop wearing contact lenses.
I'm looking for any alternatives to just quitting them entirely.
Hearing from anyone who has dealt with this would be appreciated.
So, here’s the deal with neovascularization—it’s actually a reversible process. And yeah, you're totally right that the blood can eventually recede from those new vessels, but there's a catch! Even if the blood is gone, those tiny vessels stay put, and they can end up messing with how light passes through your cornea—kind of like having a little scar on your cornea or something. That’s exactly why being disciplined about how you wear your contact lenses is such a big deal. Especially for those folks who have been wearing them for years and think, "Oh, this won't happen to me,"—well, that's a dangerous way to think, isn't it? You really can't let your guard down just because you've been doing it forever.
I honestly know a ton of people who have been wearing contacts with a super low Dk for years—like, seriously, years—but they strictly stick to an 8 to 10-hour daily limit and never run into any issues at all. It’s funny how that works, right? Even if the oxygen permeability isn't exactly top-tier, if you're disciplined about not overdoing it, your eyes seem perfectly fine!