Almost all of the 41 million estimated contact lens (CL) 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 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly 33% of survey participants reported red or painful eyes related to wearing CLs that necessitated a physician’s visit. More than 99% of survey respondents reported at least one risky behavior, with 82.3% keeping CL cases longer than recommended, 55.1% “topping off” solution in the case rather than emptying the case completely before adding more solution, and 50.2% sleeping in CLs not designated for overnight wear. In previous studies, each of these behaviors has been known to increase the risk of eye infections by 5 times or more, the CDC said.
EyeWorld Weekly Update (ISSN 1089-0319), a digital publication of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators, is published every Friday, distributed by email, and posted live on Friday.
Medical Editors: Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, chief medical editor; Rosa Braga-Mele, MD, cataract editor; Clara C. Chan, MD, cornea editor; Reay H. Brown, MD, glauco