For 40 million Americans, using contact lenses to improve vision is a way of life. While a good number adhere to the medical guidelines for wearing contacts, some do not. According to the American Optometric Association’s (AOA) annual American Eye-Q® survey, many are breaking the rules and putting their health and vision at risk by doing so.
“Contact lenses are among the safest forms of vision correction when patients follow the proper care and wearing instructions provided by their eye doctor,” said Dr. Christine Sindt, OD, FAAO, chair of the AOA’s Contact Lens and Cornea Section and Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa. “When patients do not use lenses as directed, however, the consequences can be serious.”
According to the 2010 American Eye-Q® survey, nearly a quarter of respondents do replace daily disposable lenses every day, but the majority of respondents wear the disposable lenses longer than recommended, a big mistake as this can increase deposits and adherence of bacteria on the lens, which could cause damage to the cornea.
Additionally, a quarter of respondents reported wearing contact lenses while sleeping, another hazardous habit that can lead to infections and dry eye syndrome.
“It’s easy for patients to forget that contact lenses are medical devices and as such, should be handled with an appropriate level of caution,” said Dr. Sindt. “Clean and safe handling of contacts is one of the most important measures wearers can take to protect their sight.”
The AOA’s survey shows that although a majority of contact lens wearers (58 percent) clean and disinfect them with an appropriate solution, another 23 percent of respondents soak or clean lenses in water, and 12 percent store their contacts in something other than a typical storage case. Cleaning and rinsing lenses are necessary to remove mucus, secretions, films or deposits which may have accumulated during wearing, while disinfecting is required to destroy harmful germs. Water does not disinfect lenses; in fact it can actually contaminate contacts. Using something other than an appropriate case for storing lenses can allow bacteria to grow on or near contacts.
To view the full press release go to prnewswire.com.
For more information go to aoa.org.