Sometimes the things you put on your hair, face and eyelids to look more attractive can make your contact lenses look horrible.
This is particularly the case with eyeliner and eye makeup. If either of these substances makes its way into your tear film, it can easily adhere to your contact lenses, causing discomfort, vision problems and the potential for eye infections. Read more…
The majority of contact lens wearers do not comply with safe contact lens practices, according to a new study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Of the more than 400 contact lens wearers surveyed, more than 80 percent believe they follow good practices while only 2 percent actually do so. Read more…
This year’s American Eye-Q Survey by the American Optometric Association (AOA) reveals that contact lens wear and care differ among generations. The survey examined lens habits among four generations: the traditionalist or silent generation (1925-1945), baby boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1977) and Generation Y (1978-1994). Read more…
Menicon America has released a new lens care system for cleaning and disinfecting gas permeable contact lenses. The system contains Menicon Unique pH, Menicon Progent and Menicon Rewetting Drops; and it is available for purchase online at the newly launched Menicon WebStore. Read more…
Wearing contact lenses during sleep and poor lens hygiene can lead to vision-threatening eye infections. Recently one U.K. journalist developed microbial keratitis, an infection of the cornea, after overnight contact lens wear and occasionally rinsing her contacts with tap water.
The 24-year-old journalist first noticed something was wrong when she woke up with pain in her left eye. Her eye turned red and teary with a red rim around the iris, and she became sensitive to light. Read more…
Healthy Vision with Dr. Val Jones is a new webcast devoted to educating Americans about eye health and wellness.
Vistakon — maker of Acuvue contact lenses, including daily disposable contacts, multifocal contacts and toric contact lenses for astigmatism — is sponsoring the program. Read more…
Eye care practitioners in Canada tend to prescribe hydrogen peroxide contact lens care systems more frequently than their counterparts in the United States, according to a new report.
Based on recent AC Nielsen MarketTrack data, hydrogen peroxide systems account for almost 25 percent of the contact lens care market in Canada, compared with 15.9 percent in the United States. Read more…
Though multipurpose contact lens solutions have been marketed for simplified “no-rub” lens care, using a “rub and rinse” regimen is much more effective at keeping lenses free from dangerous microorganisms that can cause eye infections, according to a new study.
Researchers in Australia investigated the effectiveness of popular multipurpose disinfection solutions (MPDS) when used in various cleaning methods for conventional soft and silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Disinfecting effectiveness was tested against common bacteria, fungi and Acanthamoeba microorganisms that have been associated with contact lens-related eye infections. Read more…
Many contact lens wearers have bad habits that significantly increase their risk of discomfort and eye infections, according to two online surveys.
A total of 1,432 people who wear frequent replacement contact lenses responded to the surveys, which included questions about hygiene, lens disinfection, lens replacement frequency and replacement of lens storage cases. Read more…
Wiping your contact lens storage case with a tissue before allowing it to air-dry can significantly reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, according to a new study.
Researchers at the Brien Holden Vision Institute in New South Wales, Australia, investigated the impact of four cleaning regimens on bacterial growth in contact lens cases, using two different multi-purpose contact lens solutions and distilled water. Read more…
You can lower your risk of contact lens-related eye problems simply by following the lens replacement schedule specified by your eye doctor.
Researchers at the Centre for Contact Lens Research, University of Waterloo, evaluated the relationship between compliance with doctor-recommended lens replacement frequency and contact lens-related problems in a population of 501 contact lens wearers. All participants were patients at seven optometry practices in Canada, and all wore silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Read more…
Many contact lens wearers fail to use fresh contact lens solution each time they store their contacts, choosing instead to “top off” existing multipurpose solution in their lens case. Some lens wearers also fail to recap their storage cases, which causes some of the solution to evaporate, affecting its concentration.
Because non-compliance with proper lens care is a significant factor in contact lens-related eye infections — including fungal eye infections and Acanthamoeba keratitis — researchers at Abbott Medical Optics recently investigated the impact of partial evaporation of popular multipurpose contact lens solutions on their disinfecting effectiveness. Read more…
