Need another reason to quit smoking? How about because it might make your contact lenses feel better and decrease your risk of eye problems?
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio) recently fit 205 patients with CIBA Vision’s Night & Day silicone hydrogel contact lenses for continuous wear and followed them for a period of one year. The purpose of the study was to identify risk factors associated with the development of corneal infiltrates during extended wear of the lenses.
Corneal infiltrates are small, hazy, gray-appearing areas that appear in the clear front surface of the eye (cornea) as evidence of inflammation. They are composed of inflammatory cells such as white blood cells, and typically appear in the periphery of the cornea, often under the upper eyelid.
Symptoms of corneal infiltrates include a foreign body sensation (feeling something is “in” the eye), red eyes, excessive tearing, sensitivity to light and contact lens discomfort.
The researchers found that smokers who wore the Night & Day contact lenses on a continuous basis had greater than four times the risk of developing corneal infiltrates, compared with non-smokers.
Treatment options for corneal infiltrates include discontinuing contact lens wear, use of topical antibiotics (to treat or reduce the risk of infiltrate-associated eye infections) and/or use of topical anti-inflammatory medications.
A full report of the study was published on the Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science website on June 10, 2010.
Subscribe to our RSS feedTags: corneal infiltrates, inflammation
