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Actress-entrepreneur Maricar Reyes uploaded a reminder to her followers on how to safely use contact lenses after her own harrowing experience.

In a three-minute video on TikTok, Maricar revealed that she was rushed to the hospital a few months back because of a searing eye pain she experienced one morning. The said clip has gone viral and gained more than six million views and counting.

According to aao.org, contact lenses are thin, clear plastic disks you wear in your eye to improve your vision. Contacts float on the tear film that covers your cornea. Like eyeglasses, contact lenses correct vision problems caused by refractive errors.

The actress recalled, “[Mga] 2010 pa ako nagsu-suot ng colored contact lenses. I'd wear them to taping for 12, 15 hours minsan nga expired suot ko, okay lang, walang issue.

“But a few months ago, after wearing my colored contact lenses for about 12 hours, nakaramdam ako konting pain sa mata. But I thought it's just normal, pagod lang. So tinanggal ko 'yung contact lenses ko before going to sleep at natulog na ako.

"Sa tagal-tagal kong nagko-contact lens na sinusuot ko mga 12, 15 hours sa taping tas minsan expired pa bakit ngayon lang nangyari 'to,"

“Then around 3 am nagising ako to the most excruciating eye pain in my entire life. Sobrang sakit!”

Apparently, her condition was serious and later tests showed that she had “corneal abrasions” already.

“Sa sobrang sakit kinailangan ako dalhin sa ER at around 5 am. Binigyan ako ng gamot and I was sent home at around 7am. Pero pagdating ng 11 am, sobrang sakit uli hindi ko kinaya binalik ako sa ER, they had to increase my pain medication. So for the next three days, halos hindi ko madilat 'yung mga mata ko sa sobrang sakit at maga,"

She continued, "It turns out meron pala akong corneal abrasions or malalaking gasgas sa magkabilang cornea or 'yung parte ng mata kung saan nakapatong ang contact lens. Maximum eight hours lang sinusuot ang contact lens at hindi ko namalayan na expired na pala 'yung gamit ko.”

@maricareyespoon Masyadong nakampante🤪 #learningontiktok #advice #advicetok #contactlens #opthalmologist #eyecare #maricarreyespoon #maricarreyesbook ♬ original sound - Maricar Reyes-Poon

Maricar admitted that her own carelessness was the root cause of the problem and shared some advice to those who also use contact lenses.

"Well, kahit ano pa ang excuse ko hindi pa rin mawawala ang bottom line na naging iresponsable ako. Masyado akong naging kampante kasi for many years walang masamang nangyayari."

"Para makahinga nang maayos ang cornea, dapat maganda ang fit at material nung 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," the wife of Richard Poon said.

In addition, Maricar also stressed the importance of consulting with your doctors immediately if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.

"Sabi ng ophthalmologist ko, napakasuwerte ko daw dahil sa laki ng mga sugat ko sa mata, puwede akong magkaroon ng mga peklat or mga puti-puti sa paningin ko, habang buhay,"

"So if you are like me, a regular contact lens wearer na minsan lumalampas sa 8 hours a day ang pagsuot, at minsan din nakakalimutan 'yung expiry date nung contact lens, huwag mong paabutin sa level ko 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-advice sa ophthalmologist para maalagaan nang tama ang mga mata mo,"

Next month, Maricar and husband Richard will mark their 11th wedding anniversary. The couple tied the knot in June 2013 in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

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