Archive for the ‘Contact Lenses’ Category
Study reveals “sins” of contact lens wearers
01.13.2012
Only 2 percent of contact lens wearers actually follow the guidelines for proper contact lens hygiene according to a new study published in the journal Optometry and Vision Science. The study also revealed that more than 80 percent of those who participated in the study erroneously believed that they followed good cleaning practices.
Not surprisingly, 72 percent of those surveyed said they had experienced discomfort from their lenses and 47 percent reported having had an infection from wearing their lenses. Among the list of infractions committed by contact lens wearers is sleeping with the contact lenses still in, not replacing the solution in the contact lens case every day with fresh solution and rarely or never replacing the lens case.
Failure to follow a proper hygiene protocol for contact lens use can result in mild problems such as conjunctivitis (also known as “pink eye”) to potentially blinding eye infections caused by E. coli or Acanthamoeba. Such potential eye infections can be avoided by following these guidelines:
- Always wash your hands and dry thoroughly with a lint-free towel before handling your lenses.
- Try to avoid bathing or swimming with your contact lenses in.
- Always store your lenses in the proper saline solution and not just water.
- Do not use saliva to moisten your lenses.
- Saline solution does not disinfect your lenses.
- Follow the proper disposal and replacement schedule as set by your eye care provider.
- Always rinse your contacts with solution and not water and allow your case to air-dry. The case should be replaced every three months at the very minimum.
By following the simple tips above, you can avoid a painful visit to your eye care professional in the future.*
News Warning – 5 million contact lenses recalled by FDA
12.02.2011
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued it’s highest recall notice, a Class 1, for CooperVision’s Avaira Toric and Avaira Sphere contact lenses. Forty reports of problems to the FDA have been made regarding the contacts. The problems have ranged from severe pain and hazy vision to torn corneas.
CooperVision reports that a silicone oil residue on the lenses is the culprit behind the problems that lens wearers are experiencing. Initially, the recall only involved the Avaira Toric lenses but the recall has now been expanded to include the Avaira Sphere since these lenses use silicone oil in the production process as well.
Costco, Wal-Mart and LensCrafters all sell the CooperVision Avaira Toric and Sphere contacts. You may find out if your contacts are a part of the recall by visiting the CooperVision website and entering the lot number that is on your contact lens package. You can also contact CooperVision by calling 1-855-526-6737.
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
Decorative contact lenses could haunt you this Halloween
10.28.2011Halloween revelers face a huge risk to their vision by using over-the-counter decorative contact lenses without using proper precautions. Wearing the lenses without taking proper care can lead to a blinding eye infection with an ulcer on the cornea.
The Food and Drug Administration regulates all contact lenses, including lenses that don’t have any corrective power. A federal law classifies all contact lenses as medical devices that must be distributed only to licensed eyecare professionals. Anyone who sells contact lenses without a license faces civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation.
People who purchase these decorative lenses without going through a doctor will not receive a proper fitting, which could result in a scratch on the cornea. And they will not be educated in the proper cleaning and maintenance of the lenses. So before purchasing any non-prescription lenses, be sure to contact your eyecare professional.
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
When is a Child Old Enough To Wear Contact Lenses?
08.10.2011
Parents often ask me what is a good age is for a child to start wearing contact lenses. I always tell them that it is not necessarily an age, but more of a maturity factor. Contact lenses are a huge responsibility and, as a parent, you have to make sure that you are willing to monitor your child’s contact lens habits. Improper use of contacts can often lead to frequent infections, corneal abrasions and in rare cases, permanently scarred corneas that have the potential to affect vision for the rest of your life. Parents can use these Do’s and Don’t as a guideline to see if their child is ready to step into the contact lens world.
Simple Do’s
- Always follow the directions on the packaging of your lenses and those of your Eye Doctor.
- Always wash hands thoroughly with warm soap and water before handling contacts.
- If you find a brand of solution that works for you, stick with it. Not all brands work for everybody and all types of lenses.
- Discard old solution and replace with fresh every time you put your lenses in their case, even if they are only going to be in there for a short time.
- Get regular eye exams to ensure proper strength and fit of your current prescription.
- Whenever you are out in the sun, always wear UV protective sunglasses, even if your contacts are in.
Simple Don’ts
- Don’t use any medication without your doctor’s permission
- Don’t ever take your lenses out of the packaging using your fingernail or any other tool.
- Don’t ever store your contact lenses in the case using tap water, or even worse, SALIVA.
- Don’t stretch out the time between changing your lenses to try to save money. This could lead to an infection and having to get costly eye drops.
- Don’t ever put on someone else’s contacts, even the non-prescriptive ones used just to change eye color.
If you follow these simple steps, contact lens use can be a great experience, freeing your child from the hassle of having to wear glasses.
Mary Sweetman
Certified Ophthalmic Assistant
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I use the “clean room” test.
If the child’s room is kept neat and clean, he or she is probably ready to wear contact lenses.
Paul Krawitz, M.D., President
VisiVite.Com
Free Eye Health Book this month to first 100 people that sign up
08.05.2011
We’re giving away my eBook, Ultimate Insider’s Guide to Eye Health this month only to the first 100 subscribers. To sign up for this free offer, go to http://www.visivite.com/get-free-ebook.html. It’s packed with insider’s information, advice and recommendations about Lasik, Contact Lenses, Dry Eye, Cataract Surgery, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, and more.
Paul Krawitz, M.D., President
Vitamin Science, Inc.
