Negative CDC report shows contact lens behavior lacking

Jennifer Harthan

More than 80% of contact lens wearers reported at least one behavior that puts them at risk for a contact lens-related eye infection, according to a recent report from the CDC.

Prevent Blindness has declared October as Contact Lens Safety Awareness Month in an effort to educate the public on the best ways to obtain and use contact lenses.

The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that 85% of adolescents, 81% of young adults and 88% of older adults practiced unsafe lens use.

Risk factors like sleeping in contact lenses, exposing lenses to water, not adhering to replacement schedules and reusing disinfecting solutions are all associated with contact lens-related infections and can lead to serious outcomes, such as blindness, according to the report.

“When fitting patients, especially young, first-time patients, practitioners should have a conversation with both the patient and guardian to address motivation and maturity level of the patient prior to the fitting of the contact lenses,” Primary Care Optometry News Editorial Board Member Jennifer Harthan, OD, FAAO, told PCON.

In adolescents, not visiting an eye doctor as least annually, sleeping or napping in lenses, and swimming in lenses were the most common contact lens hygiene risk behaviors.

Among young adults and older adults, replacing lenses at intervals longer than those prescribed, replacing lens storage cases at intervals longer than those recommended, swimming in lenses, and sleeping or napping in lenses were most often reported.

“If contact lenses are not used as prescribed, and if regular appointments scheduled by their eye doctor are not maintained based on their needs, irreversible harm to the eyes may occur,” Harthan added.

For first-time contact lens wearers or when switching lens modalities, Harthan and her team provide patients with a contact lens instruction sheet that reviews contact lens hygiene and compliance with the patient. They also have patients watch videos on proper insertion and removal.

Patients are not allowed to leave the office with lenses unless they are able to properly demonstrate that they can insert and remove them on their own three times, she said.

Harthan’s patient instruction contract, which she has them sign, covers these areas:

--Hand washing;

--Cleaning, disinfecting and storage;

--Replacement and wearing schedule;

--Solution recommendation and instructions;

--Abnormal signs and symptoms with an emergency phone number; and

--Next appointment.

“By having the patient fully invested in their care and by reviewing all aspects of contact lens hygiene and compliance, we tend to see a decrease in potential complications,” Harthan concluded. – by Abigail Sutton

Disclosures: The CDC receives an annual contribution from the Contact Lens Institute to support CDC’s Healthy Contact Lens Program. Harthan reported no relevant financial disclosures.