Protect your vision from contact lens infections
Sloppy use of contact lenses could jeopardize your eye health if you're one of the estimated 38 million people in the United States who wear them.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently sounded an alarm about eye infections, which can result from poor contact lens hygiene or other causes.
Each year, there are nearly 1 million doctors' visits for eye infections, and contact-lens-related issues are major culprits, according to the CDC.
"Contacts by themselves are not necessarily risky, but if you don't care for them (properly) ... bad things can happen," said Dr. Asim Piracha, medical director of the local John-Kenyon American Eye Institute.
If you experience symptoms, such as redness, sensitivity to light, vision loss and pain, stop using your contacts and see an eye professional right away for proper diagnosis and treatment, said Piracha, a cornea trained cataract and refractive surgery specialist.
An analysis published in November by CDC experts said keratitis (inflammation of the cornea) or contact-lens disorders account for about 930,000 doctors' office and outpatient clinic visits and about 58,000 emergency department visits each year.
The researchers analyzed national ambulatory-care and emergency-department databases — which leave out visits to optometrists almost entirely — to come up with the number of visits mentioned in the first-of-its-kind report. It was published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Piracha takes issue with the CDC's methodology and statistics but agrees that it's important to remind the public about the importance of handling contact lenses correctly to reduce the risk of infection.
He pointed out that keratitis "is a very general term (for) any type of inflammatory condition of the cornea" and could stem from something as common as dry eye to something unusual like an autoimmune-related ulceration to a bacterial infection and isn't always related to contacts.
A microbial infection, whether from fungus, bacteria or an amoeba, "can be pretty devastating, not only to your sight but also (in terms of) time and money," said optometrist Rob Ensley, who's with the local Gaddie Eye Centers.
Bad habits, such as poor storage-case hygiene, infrequent storage-case replacement and wearing lenses overnight can get contact-lens wearers into trouble, according to the CDC report.
Contact lens cases are supposed to be replaced routinely, but some people keep them for years, said Piracha, who noted that fungus can grow in the containers and infect the eye.
Piracha said people also sometimes fail to wash their hands before handling contacts and have a tendency to sleep in them.
"There are some contacts that are approved for two weeks continuous wear; I never recommend that to patients, and I really think that's not safe," he said. "I think all patients should take out their contacts at night — not sleep in their contacts. If I see a complication from contact-lens-related issues ... it's almost always patients who sleep in them."
Ensley said daily, disposable lenses for one-time use are great options for people who aren't fastidious about good hygiene.
Some people use water or saliva to moisten their contacts, though both are no-nos, Piracha said.
Exposing contacts to tap water can lead to an eye infection from a microscopic amoeba known as an acanthamoeba, Piracha said. Acanthamoeba keratitis can result in permanent visual impairment or blindness, according to the CDC.
So "we even recommend that you take your lenses out if you're going to go swimming or (getting) in a hot tub or a lake," Ensley said. "Just avoid any contact with any form of water."
Reporter Darla Carter can be reached at (502) 582-7068, email@example.com or on Twitter @PrimeDarla.
• Always wash your hands before handling contact lenses. Dry hands well with a clean cloth before insertion or removal of lenses.
• Carefully and regularly clean contact lenses, as directed by your eye doctor. Rub the contact lenses with fingers and rinse thoroughly before soaking lenses overnight in sufficient multi-purpose solution to completely cover the lens.
• Store lenses in the proper lens storage case and replace the case at a minimum of every three months. Clean the case after each use, and keep it open and dry between cleanings.
• Use only products recommended by your eye doctor to clean and disinfect your lenses. Saline solution and rewetting drops are not designed to disinfect lenses.
• Only fresh solution should be used to clean and store contact lenses. Never re-use old solution. Contact lens solution must be changed according to the manufacturer's recommendations, even if the lenses are not used daily.
• Always follow the recommended contact lens replacement schedule prescribed by your eye doctor.
• Don't store or expose contacts to water. Remove contact lenses before swimming or entering a hot tub. Don't shower in them.
• Don't sleep in your contacts unless your eye doctor prescribes that.
• See your eye doctor for your regularly scheduled contact lens and eye examinations.
• Take contacts out and tell your eye doctor if experiencing problems, such as eye pain, discomfort, redness or blurred vision.
Sources: American Optometric Association; CDC workgroup
Contact Lens Safety (American Optometric Association): http://contactlenssafety.org
Get EyeSmart (American Academy of Ophthalmology): http://www.geteyesmart.org