Contact Lens Risks

Now that I don't wear contact lenses anymore it is easy for me to forget the risks that surround using them. However, while I don't wish to be an alarmist, there are indeed things that can go wrong.

Serious Infections Associated With Soft Contact Lenses
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are alerting health care professionals and their patients who wear soft contact lenses to an increasing number of reports in the United States of rare but serious fungal infections in the eye that can cause permanent loss of sight. Some patients have reported a significant loss of vision, resulting in the need for a corneal transplant.

A fungus called Fusarium has been identified as the cause of the reported infections. As of April 9, 2006, 109 cases of suspected Fusarium keratitis are under investigation by CDC and public health authorities in 17 states of the U.S.

"This is a serious infection and soft contact lens users should be mindful of the potential to develop this problem," said Dr. Daniel Schultz, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "We're advising consumers to practice good basic hygiene and follow manufacturers' instructions for proper use, cleaning and storage of their lenses, and report any signs of infection to their doctors."

Clinicians who evaluate patients with microbial keratitis should consider that a fungal infection may be involved and refer the patient to an ophthalmologist, if appropriate to obtain a specimen for laboratory analysis. In addition, the FDA and CDC are urgently advising consumers to take precautions to prevent contamination of the soft lenses and the products used to maintain them.

Surprisingly, Bausch and Lomb Renu has been removed from the market in Singapore and Hong Kong. One might wonder if the Renu product has a susceptibility to this issue? I wonder, because I was using this brand myself.

Anyway, click on the title above to review the recommendations for avoiding this issue. You'll find they are very "mom and pop" and include such things as washing your hands and so on.

Tags: Fusarium, Fusarium keratitis