Contact Lens Safety & Warnings

August 24 through 28 is Contact Lens Health Week.

Nearly all of the 41 million estimated contact lens wearers in the U.S. may be engaging in one or more habits known to increase their risk of eye infections, according to a new report by the CDC. Nearly one-third of lens wearers who participated reported going to the doctor for red or painful eyes related to contact lens use.

• 99 percent of survey respondents reported at least one risky behavior including:
• 3% kept their contact lends in longer than recommended;
• 1% “topped off” solution in the case which refers to adding new solution to existing solution instead of discarding and adding new solution;
• 2% wear their contacts to bed.

These behaviors have been reported in previous studies to raise the risk of eye infections by five times or more.

Eye Infection Prevention

• Wash hands with soap and water before touching the lenses;
• Remove contacts prior to swimming, showering and sleeping;
• Rinse contacts in disinfecting solution each time you remove them;
• Replace lens cases every three months;
• Avoid ‘topping off’ and instead dump old solution and add new solution.

Following these tips will help reduce the risk of painful eye infections and complications. For more information on preventing eye infections and proper contact lens wear, please visit: www.cdc.gov/contactlenses.

FDA Warns Against Halloween Decorated Lenses

As stores start to prepare for Halloween and are lining the shelves with decorative and colored contact lenses, the FDA warns to steer clear of them as they might be counterfeit. Wearing these contacts can lead to scratches and infections of the cornea, decreased vision and in some serious cases, blindness.