If you typically clean and then air dry your contact lens case, researchers say you could risk contamination if you leave it face-up.
A study published in the July issue of Optometry & Vision Science says small numbers of microorganisms were found in contact lens cases when they were cleaned and then left in a face-up position.
Contamination was even more likely in humid environments when cases were left face-up after cleaning.
“On the basis of this limited study, we would recommend contact lens cases be air dried face-down,” researchers said.
Based on these recent findings about care of contact lens cases, Contact Lens Headlines editorial advisor Edward Bennett, OD, MSEd, also suggests that wearers can be extra safe if they replace lens cases frequently — as often as monthly and at least every three months.
Bennett is executive director of the Gas Permeable (GP) Lens Institute (Contact Lens Manufacturers Association). He also is co-chief of the Contact Lens Service at the University of Missouri – St. Louis College of Optometry, where he is an associate professor.
Bennett offered two other crucial tips about good hygiene and contact lens cases:
- Use fresh disinfecting solution daily to minimize contamination of the soaking solution.
- Use only contact lens care products (for cases and contacts) recommended by your eye care practitioner.
“The importance of the lens case in successful, healthy contact lens wear cannot be overemphasized,” Bennett said. “Bacteria and other microorganisms in a nutrient-deprived environment, such as a contact lens case, can secrete a kind of slime which can protect the bacteria against certain preservatives.”
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