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View Full Version : Melting contact lenses?


nightLotus
Aug 12, 2008, 02:25 PM
I received a forwarded email that advised people who wear contacts to keep away from very hot heat sources (i.e. fires). Supposedly some guy's contact lenses melted when he was BBQ-ing, which caused him to become blind.

I'm rather skeptical about this message (as I am with most forwards of this kind... who makes these things up!! A lot of them are obviously fake!), so I looked up the materials and melting point of contact lenses (both rigid gas permeable/hard and hydrogel/soft kinds) online but didn't find much information.
(Found something about sanitizing contacts at approx. 98 deg. C... )

I was wondering if anyone can advise on the likelihood of contacts melting in one's eyes...

Unknown008
Aug 13, 2008, 03:59 AM
I personally doubt it, but, as I'm not a speciallist in contact lenses.. I may be wrong.

This person, who "became blind", if it's, true must have gone really near to the heat source. This is almost unbelievable.

nightLotus
Aug 13, 2008, 02:59 PM
Well, we DO know that steam has the potential to get above 100 deg C, and contains quite a bit of energy. But I'm guessing what cannot hurt the naked eye cannot hurt someone with contacts... unless the material somehow retains heat better than our eyeballs... and/or actually melts.

Just something that raised my curiosity.

ChihuahuaMomma
Sep 17, 2009, 03:05 PM
I can see that happening. I've had my contacts stuck to my eyes and had to have them removed before after camping. They assumed it was a combination of being too close to the campfire & wearing them for a few days straight.

As stated on this site, the materials used to make contacts melt anywhere from 130 degrees F to 163.

Ophthalmic - Contact Lens (http://www.universalphotonics.com/OphthalmicContactLens.htm)

ChihuahuaMomma
Sep 18, 2009, 01:05 PM
Uh oh, no I sure didn't. Perhaps I should pay closer attention. I was just searching for things that fits into my area of expertise, and answering. My bad. Should we close?

contact_lenses
May 6, 2011, 01:43 PM
You are right to be skeptical. There are people out there that get a kick out of starting rumors just like there are those who create computer viruses for their own sick reasons.

Think about it. One of the alternate methods of sterilyzing soft <a href=http://www.coloredcontacts.com>contact lenses</a> is to boil them. If boiling them doesn't melt them then the amount of heat that would will burn the face as well. There is no evidence that a contact lens ever melted on someone's eyes let alone caused them to go blind as a result.

MaryPaul
Sep 5, 2011, 11:25 PM
I would recommend a online contact lenses store which provides contact lenses for less price. I had ordered contact lenses for less price. Found more tips on buying contact lenses, Caring tips, wearing tips online. I had got up to 70% off on buying contact lenses and lots more offers from http://www.contactlensesexpress.co.uk

susovit
Oct 12, 2011, 07:07 AM
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/melted-contact-lens-bbq.shtml