Contact Lenses – Friend or Foe?


Contacts friend or foe?Many millions of people every year use contact lenses as a way of correcting their vision problems. However recent research suggests that not all of us know how to look after them, possibly exposing our eyes to damage.

Contact lenses are small, very thin, curved pieces of synthetic material that are placed onto the front of the eye to correct vision defects. They are more aesthetically pleasing than spectacles, however they require a lot more care. Due to the contact nature of the product, any bacteria on our hands can transfer to our eyes through the lenses, leading to eye infections that may in severe cases cause blindness.

The FDA (U.S Food and Drug Administration) is embarking on an advertising campaign to ensure that users know how to adequately clean and store their contact lenses. Along with a comprehensive information article, a video has been made to ensure users clean and disinfect their lenses properly. They suggest the best way to prevent any infection is to replace the lens fluid every day, along with rinsing and rubbing the lenses after each use with an adequate contact lens solution. Other common tips given by opticians are – never re use solution, never use torn contact lenses and finally only use the supplied sterilised lens solution. It is important that tap water isn’t used to clean lenses as it can contain some bacteria.

At the start of 2009 the FDA consulted many eye care companies to enable them to determine the best type of solution for contact lenses, whilst also developing some guidance for manufacturers as to how to label these products. Changes made the previous year have proved very helpful, especially adding a discard by date with the usual expiry date. This informs the user when an opened container of solution should be thrown away by.

As a result of the information from many eye care companies, the FDA has issued guidance to all companies that produce multipurpose contact lens solution. It states that to clean the lenses as best as possible, both rinsing and rubbing the lenses in solution is required. This regimen was found to be much more successful than rinsing alone.

By concentrating on the eye care of contact lens users, the FDA has affectively improved the visual health of a large number of the American population. When you consider that over 90% of us fear losing site the most, this can only be a good thing.

11th July 2009

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