Eye contact

  Photo Illustration by PRIYA SHARMA/Daily Bruin
Isabel Lim, a fourth-year international
development studies student, puts in her contact lenses at her
apartment.

By Julie Yoshioka
Daily Bruin Contributor

In the name of a high GPA, students often sacrifice their health
and well-being. In addition to the detrimental habits of pulling
all-nighters and not eating properly, many contact lens wearers
don’t take care of their lenses properly, according to
eye-care specialists.

Third-year computer science and engineering student Brian Lee,
for example, wore his contact lenses for two days straight.

“I sleep in them inadvertently,” he said.
“It’s really late and I’m really tired and go to
sleep.”

Although he didn’t experience any significant pain from
the incident, on his next visit to the optometrist, the doctor
found small bumps under his eyelids.

Known as Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis, the condition forms a
“cobblestone-like” pattern on the inside of the eyelids
and is associated with the continuous wearing of contact lenses,
according to the Alcon Labs Web site.

And though the optometrist said his condition was only a level
two out of four in seriousness, Lee now tries to wear his contacts
less frequently.

“After the doctor told me about my condition, I try to
rest my eyes two or three days to cut back on the level of
irritation,” he described. “It didn’t hurt with
me, but it could. My eyes just felt dry.”

  Despite Lee’s more favorable diagnosis, more severe
consequences could have resulted.

The cornea ““ the clear part of the eye ““ is
avascular, lacking blood supply, which means that it obtains oxygen
from the atmosphere. When a person wears contacts for an extended
period of time, the lack of oxygen to the cornea can cause the
tissue to thicken in a condition known as oedema, according to the
Health On the Foundation Web site, a Web-based medical information
provider.

Although contact lenses are made of a material that allows
oxygen to flow to the cornea, optometrists still advise against
wearing them for too long.

Soft contacts, made from a gel-like plastic that contains
anywhere from 38 to 79 percent water, can be worn up to a year with
proper care, according to the Contact Lens Manufacturers
Association Web site.

Rigid gas-permeable contact lenses, which contain no water, are
more healthy for eyes because less bacteria can grow in them, a
problem prevalent in soft contacts lenses, according to the
site.

In addition to sacrificing their health for studying, some
people also do it for image.

Putting all consequences aside, third-year neuroscience student
Randall Fan said he used to stave off wearing his glasses for the
sake of looking good.

“There’s a stigma in society,” he said.
“I didn’t want to be called a nerd.”

Over time, however, his vision became worse because he
wasn’t wearing the lenses. In the seventh grade, however, he
finally turned to contacts.

 

A more permanent option to contacts is LASIK eye surgery, which
stands for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. The LASIK
procedure involves cutting the middle section of the cornea and
folding back the flap before using a laser to vaporize a portion of
the exposed area, according to the Food and Drug Administration
Center for Devices and Radiological Health Web site.

During the 30-minute LASIK procedure, the patient lies back in a
reclining chair in the exam room. A numbing drop is first placed in
the eye and the area around the eye is cleaned.

A lid speculum holds the eyelids open as a ring is placed on the
eye and high pressures create suction on the cornea. The cutting
instrument is then attached to the suction ring, and the doctor
makes the incision in the cornea.

After the suction ring and knife are removed, the flap is held
back and the exposed tissue dries. The laser is then positioned
over the eye and the patient stares at a light while the laser
removes the tissue.

The other permanent options include Radial Keratotomy and
Photorefractive Keratectomy, where the top layer of the cornea is
scraped away to expose the middle layer that a laser then
reshapes.

Of course, students can always turn to the more traditional
method of correcting vision problems: wearing glasses.

These days, Fan’s faltering opinion of glasses has changed
because of the growing trendiness of wearing them. He said he even
finds glasses attractive.

“There’s that sexy look,” he said.
“It’s kind of a turn-on: girls in glasses. Because
there’s a sense of mystery.”

Once synonymous with geekiness, glasses have become somewhat
more of a fashion statement than a fashion faux pas. With more
stylish frames hitting the market, many students find themselves
wearing glasses as an added accessory to their wardrobe.

“I picked them out because they’re different,”
said second-year physiological science student Amber Van Arnum of
her purple rectangular frames.

Van Arnum’s rectangular frames present just one example of
the trendy styles now available. Others include the horn-rimmed
glasses characteristic of those worn by activist Malcolm X as well
as the cat eye and “Buddy Holly” shapes.

Such trends have also picked up in the entertainment industry.
Television star Drew Carey still wears his trademark black-rimmed
glasses even though he had LASIK surgery last year, which
permanently corrected his vision. Carey wears frames with
non-prescription lenses, according to the March 12 issue of People
Magazine.

Coinciding with Carey’s preference, students also opt to
wear the glasses when they don’t need prescription lenses.
They simply buy the frames with non-prescriptive lenses.

“I wear (clear lenses) sometimes with my contacts for
style or to match an outfit,” said first-year undeclared
student Yasemin Denari. “I think glasses have become somewhat
stylish, and that’s probably why people wear fake
ones.”

Besides the various shapes of frames, many students also like to
experiment with the lens color. Denari was wearing a pair of retro
’70s, square, wide-framed, blue-tinted lenses that she had
just bought on campus.

Such variance in color also showed up at the 43rd Annual Grammy
Awards Show, with Macy Gray sporting a pair of purple-pink shades,
and *NSYNC members Christopher Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez each
donning a pair of tinted lenses.

Sunglasses, however, do have a beneficial purpose other than
just serving as a fashion statement. Shades that have UV-blocking
lenses actually protect the eyes from the sun’s harmful
rays.

“I wear lots of different styles,” she said.
“They’re different, and I like the square look and the
bigness with lots of colors.”