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…

An optometrist has created an iPhone app called Lenstoss, designed to prevent contact lens wearers from wearing their disposable lenses for too long.

Overwearing contact lenses can lead to eye redness, irritation, scratchiness, and even corneal scarring and infection. Lenstoss helps prevent this by notifying you that it’s time to replace your lenses. Read more…

Most survey respondents said they used tap water to clean their lens case.

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…

Children who are fitted with contact lenses at age 12 or younger are equally likely to be successful long-term contact lens wearers as wearers who were fitted with lenses during their teens.

That’s the finding of a study presented this month at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology by Jeffrey Walline, OD, PhD, of The Ohio State University College of Optometry. Read more…

The Cornea Research Foundation of America is conducting a national clinical study to compare visual results, patient satisfaction and quality of life issues as they relate to LASIK and contact lenses.

The Foundation plans to survey 5,000 patients who use contact lenses or LASIK for vision correction, to compare satisfaction and complication rates. Read more…

Multifocal contact lenses offer freedom from reading glasses.

Contact lens wearers who reach “bifocal age” have several options to deal with the normal age-related loss of near vision caused by presbyopia. These include: 1) wearing reading glasses over their contacts; 2) wearing monovision contacts; and 3) wearing multifocal contact lenses.

According to a recent report published in the journal Contact Lens Spectrum, more aging contact lens wearers than ever are choosing option 3: being fitted with multifocal contacts. Read more…

You can schedule reminders for contact lens replacement and eye exams with this handy online tool.

A free online tool called AcuMinder helps contact lens wearers remember when it’s time to replace their disposable contact lenses, decreasing the risk for contact lens discomfort and potential eye infections from wearing the same contacts for too many days.

After registering your contact lens information on the AcuMinder website, you’ll receive automatic reminders via e-mail and/or cell phone text message when it’s time to change your lenses. Read more…

Disposable contact lenses designed for more frequent replacement are associated with fewer unscheduled visits to the eye doctor, according to a new study.

Researchers found 8 percent of patients wearing two-week disposable contacts returned to their eye doctor with comfort or vision complaints over the study period, compared with 13 percent of patients wearing monthly replacement lenses. Read more…

Despite the convenience of extended wear contact lenses — lenses designed for up to 30 days of continuous and overnight wear — only 9 percent of contact lenses dispensed in developed countries are prescribed for overnight wear.

That’s the finding of a survey of eye care professionals in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Up to 1,000 surveys were sent to contact lens fitters in these countries each year from 2000 to 2009. The practitioners were asked to use data from their first ten contact lens fittings or refits performed after receiving the survey to complete the form.

Analysis of the returned surveys revealed: Read more…

Though the Internet is a convenient source of information about practically anything, people should be careful about where they get information about contact lenses on the Web, say two eye doctors.

In an article titled “Surprising ‘Facts’ Your Patients Learn on the Internet,” published in the April 2010 issue of Optometric Management magazine, optometrists Ernie Bowling, OD, (Gadsden, Ala.) and Gregg E. Russell, OD, (Marietta, Ga.) say that contact lens wearers seeking reliable Read more…

Dry eye disease is widespread among contact lens wearers and is a significant reason people stop wearing contacts, according to Gary N. Foulks, MD.

Dr. Foulks is professor of ophthalmology at the University of Louisville (Louisville, Ky.) and a recognized expert in dry eyes. He discussed the condition at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Dry eye symptoms are reported by 50 to 80 percent of people wearing contact lenses and may be the limiting factor in at least one-third of cases of contact lens wear failure, Dr. Foulks said.

An underlying cause of dry eye problems suffered by contact lens wearers is a condition called meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), which is characterized by reduced secretions from oil glands located at the eyelid margins.

Oil secreted by meibomian glands becomes part of the tear film that coats the surface of the eye. If the meibomian glands become plugged or fail to secrete adequate oil for other reasons, the tear film quickly evaporates, leading to dry eye problems.

According to Dr. Foulks, MGD is present in 40 to 50 percent of patients in a typical optometric or contact lens practice.

Symptoms of meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye are similar, and include:

• fluctuating vision (especially when reading or using a computer)
• eye irritiation
• a feeling something is “in” the eye (foreign body sensation)
• an eye itching or burning sensation

Treatment for MGD includes lid hygiene with hot compresses, followed by lid massage to open plugged meibomian glands. In more severe cases, topical antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medications may be needed.

Artificial tears and lubricating eye drops are the primary treatment for dry eye disease. Anti-inflammatory treatment with cyclosporine A (Restasis prescription eye drops) also has been shown to successfully manage dry eyes. Use of punctal plugs to slow the drainage of tears from the surface of the eye also can be helpful.

Recent research shows that dietary supplementation with flaxseed oil also may help reduce signs and symptoms of MGD and dry eye.

If your contact lenses are becoming uncomfortable and you suspect you have dry eyes, see your optometrist or ophthalmologist immediately. Early recognition and treatment of dry eye and MGD can control and prevent progression of these conditions and make your contact lens wear more comfortable.