contact lens acute red eye


contact lens acute red eye (CLARE) 

An acute corneal inflammation caused by overnight wear of soft contact lenses. It is characterized by pain, usually unilateral, redness, tearing, photophobia, corneal infiltrates and blurred vision that suddenly appears upon waking. The lens is, in most cases, tight or immobile and it is the breakdown of debris accumulated behind the lens that caused the inflammatory reaction. The lens must be removed immediately and patching of the eye and antiinflammatory therapy may be necessary. Syn. immobile lens syndrome; non-ulcerative keratitis; tight lens syndrome. See steep lens.