Nearly all of the 41 million estimated contact lens wearers in the United States may be engaging in at least one behavior known to increase their risk of eye infections, according to a report published today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The most common offense: napping in contact lenses. Another survey estimated the number of contact lens wearers in the U.S., which came out to about 41 million adults, the CDC said. Over 82 percent said they do that.
Each behavior can raise the risk of eye infections by five times or more, the CDC reported Thursday.
Lens cleaning habits also left something to be desired, with 55 percent of users sometimes “topping off” their lens case with more disinfecting solution, rather than emptying and cleaning the case before filling with fresh solution, as recommended.
Almost half of the respondents said that they either top off the solution in their case, or have kept their contacts in while sleeping. CDC collaborated with the Contact Lens Assessment in Youth (CLAY) group, a multi-university group of researchers, to conduct the survey. “The largest single risk factor for microbial keratitis is contact lens wear”, Jennifer R. Cope, MD, and colleagues wrote in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The findings were culled from an online survey administered to a sample of more than 4,200 contact lens wearers.
Wash your hands with soap and water, and dry them before touching contact lenses.
After each use, rub and rinse the contact lens case with solution, dry the case with a clean tissue and store it upside down with the caps off.
Replace the contact lens case at least once every 3 months.
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Remove contact lenses immediately and call an eye care provider if you are experiencing eye pain, discomfort, redness, or blurred vision.
