Are contact lenses really to blame for this woman's swollen face?

Wearing colorful contact lenses has become a fashion statement nowadays.

It is so trendy that contact lenses can now be bought anywhere, even from stalls on the sidewalk instead of the usual eye care clinics.

But beware of cheap kinds of contact lenses as they may be fake, and could potentially be dangerous.

An episode of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho tackled the case of Ritchelle Bernal, a former casino attendant in Malaysia, who wore contact lenses at work.

According to the 31-year-old Ritchelle, her work required her to look beautiful, which prompted her to buy contact lenses worth P4,000. She wanted her eyes to look bigger.

"Parang hindi na maganda tingnan na wala akong contact lens kaya always ko siya sinusuot," she said.

[“I look much better with contact lenses on, that’s why I always wear them.”]

For three years, Ritchelle would wear her contact lenses every day. She would remove them after she got off work.

But one time, she was so tired that she forgot to remove her contact lenses. When she woke up, she couldn’t find them anymore.

"Naghanap talaga ako, wala talaga siya. Para akong napuwing. 'Pag gising ko, parang may sili 'yong mata ko," she said.

[“I looked for my contact lenses but I couldn’t find them. It felt like something was in my eye. When I woke up, my eye felt a severe burning sensation.”]

After nine months, the condition of Ritchelle’s left eye got worse.

A few more months later, Ritchelle’s face swelled up even more. Her left eye looked like it was going to pop out of its socket. Her nose, mouth and ears frequently bled.

Ritchelle thinks that her condition was caused by the contact lens that she forgot to remove that night.

"Parang hindi ko na tanggap na ganito ako. Minsan nga, gusto ko na talaga magpatiwakal pero sabi nila maraming nagmamahal sa akin," she said.

[“I can barely look at myself. There are times that I thought of killing myself but people around me reminded me of how much they loved me.”]

During a visit to an ophthalmologist, Ritchelle revealed that she had a tooth removed around the same time her contact lenses were nowhere to be found.

According to ophthalmologist Dr. Eduardo Lim Pardiñas, there is a possibility that the part that is actually swollen is her tooth, not her eye.

Pardiñas said that the reason for Ritchelle’s swollen face is a tumor.

"Siguro nakalala sa sitwasyon ang pagbunot ng ngipin pero not the contact lenses kasi kung contact lens, dapat mamumula at mamamaga lang yan," he said.

[“The tooth extraction probably made her condition worse. It wasn’t the contact lens. Because if it was, there would only be light swelling.”]

Pardiñas said that Ritchelle needs to undergo further testing to confirm if the tumor is cancerous.  According to him, the tumor needs to be removed as soon as possible.

After her operation, Ritchelle has the option to undergo reconstructive surgery.

For those who want to help Ritchelle, please deposit to:
BDO Daraga, Albay
ACCOUNT NAME: Tomas P. Llaguno, Jr.
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 005940281487

— Ma. Angelica Garcia/LA, GMA News