Nearly all contact lens wearers in CDC survey risked eye infection

More than 99% of all contact lens wearers who participated in an online survey engaged in behaviors that may increase the risk of eye infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a press release.

Those behaviors included keeping contact lens cases longer than the recommended time (82.3%), topping off solution in the case rather than emptying the case before adding new solution (55.1%) and wearing contact lenses while sleeping (50.2%).

“Nearly 1 million U.S. health care visits for keratitis (inflammation of the cornea) or contact lens complications occur annually, at a cost of $175 million. The largest single risk factor for microbial keratitis is contact lens wear,” Jennifer R. Cope, MD, and colleagues wrote in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The American Optometric Association voiced support for the CDC’s work in a separate press release, saying advocacy of patient health and safety is the AOA’s top priority.

“Patients who receive timely professional care are also likely to be made aware of the dangers of improper contact lens care including poor hygiene, over-wear of their contacts and delayed replacement of their contacts,” AOA President Steven A. Loomis, OD, said in the release. “As patients sometimes obtain their contacts from sources other than their doctor, they can forget the pivotal importance of professional care.”

The CDC conducted the Contact Lens Risk Survey in collaboration with the Contact Lens Assessment in Youth (CLAY) group, a university-based research group. About 1,000 contact lens wearers participated in the survey.

According to the results, 40.9 million Americans at least 18 years old wore contact lenses in 2014. About one-third of participants reported having red or painful eyes that required medical attention.

Reference:

Cope JR, et al. MMWR. 2015;64:865-870.