Filipino actress Maricar Reyes-Poon faced a terrifying ordeal that nearly left her blind due to a negligent habit she previously ignored. On May 25, 2024, she related through a Tiktok video her cautionary tale about the dangers of improper contact lens use, which almost led to permanent eye damage.
READ: Maricar Reyes Was Nearly Blinded Due to Improper Contact Lens Use
In the beginning of the clip, Maricar said, "Three days akong halos bulag dahil sa maling pagsuot ng contact lens," she narrates on the video-sharing app. "2010 pa akong nagsusuot ng colored contact lenses. I'd wear them to taping for 12-15 hours. Minsan nga, expired yung suot ko. Okay lang, walang issue."
Her complacency led to her predicament: "A few months ago, after wearing my colored contact lenses for about 12 hours, nakaramdam ako ng konting pain sa mata." Mistaking it for something else, she dismissed it, saying, "I thought it's just normal, pagod lang. So, tinanggal ko yung contact lenses ko before going to sleep. At natulog na ako."
The 42-year-old model's slumber was cut short at around 3 a.m., "Nagising ako to the most excruciating eye pain in my entire life. Sobrang sakit. Sa sobrang sakit, kailangan akong dalhin sa ER [emergency room] at around 5 a.m.," she noted.
"Binigyan ako ng gamot and I was sent home at around 7. Pero pagdating ng 11 a.m., sobrang sakit ulit. Hindi ko kinaya, binalik ako sa ER. They had to increase my pain medication." Soon enough, Maricar could barely open her eyes: "For the next three days, halos hindi ko madilat yung mga mata ko sa sobrang sakit at maga. I was taking 1000mg of paracetamol alternating with 400mg of ibuprofen every six hours for three days. And still, ang sakit-sakit pa rin."
The diagnosis—corneal abrasions—was eventually confirmed. Large scratches were seen on the part of the eye covered by the contact lens. "Maximum eight hours lang dapat sinusuot ang contact lens," she reflected. "At hindi ko namalayan na expired na pala yung gamit ko that day."
Stuck in denial, she remembered initially thinking: "Pero pumalag pa rin ako. Tagal-tagal kung nagko-contact lens na sinusuot ko mga 12-15 hours sa taping tapos minsan expired pa, bakit ngayon lang nangyari ito?"
The incident served as a wake-up call for Maricar. "Well, kahit ano pa ang excuse ko, hindi pa rin mawawala ang bottom line na naging irresponsable ako," she admitted. "Masyado akong naging kampante kasi for many years, walang masamang nangyayari. So, ayun, nagkaroon ng emergency at napilitan ako magpakonsulta sa ophthalmologist or espesyalista sa mata."
"At ang sabi ng doktor, ang contact lens kasi pag suot mo siya, nababawasan niya yung daloy ng oxygen papunta dun sa cornea." She compared this to wearing a face mask: "Di ba pag naka-face mask ka, nakakahinga ka naman, pero mahirap? Hindi pala one size fits all ang contact lens. So, para makahinga nang maayos ang cornea, dapat maganda ang fit at material ng contact lens. Kung hindi, para siyang nasasakal. And if every day for more than eight hours, parang nasasakal yung mata natin, hindi maiiwasan na baka magkaroon ng complications or damage over time."
With Lady Luck on her side, Maricar achieved recovery in just seven days. "Gumaling naman yung mga sugat ko sa mata," she relates. "Pero sabi ng ophthalmologist ko, napakasuwerte ko daw dahil sa laki ng mga sugat ko sa mata, puwede ako magkaroon ng mga peklat or mga puti-puti sa paningin ko habang buhay. Buti na lang naagapan agad at hindi ako naging pasaway sa paglagay ng gamot na nireseta nila."
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Although Maricar's story met a happy conclusion, it may not be the case for everybody else. So, she urged others, especially her fellow contact lens wearers, to take proper precautions. "If you are like me, a regular contact lens wearer, na minsan lumalampas sa eight hours a day ang pagsuot, at minsan din nakakalimutan yung expiry date ng contact lens, huwag mong paabutin sa level ko," she warned.
"Na bigla ka na lang magigising na may sugat ka na sa mata, at kailangan mong tumakbo sa ER dahil sa sobrang sakit. Magpatingin at magpa-advise sa ophthalmologist para maalagaan nang tama ang mga mata mo."
*This story originally appeared on Pep.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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