CDC: Most Contact Lens Wearers Are Risking Infection

According to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most contact lens wearers are at risk of getting an eye infection.

“Taken together, the survey results indicate that millions of Americans could be at risk for serious eye infections because of poor contact lens hygiene behaviors,” the CDC said in a statement to the press. Almost one third of respondents in the survey of Americans that wear contact lenses reported that they had gone to the doctor for uncomfortable or red eyes because of issues caused by contacts.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG

– 99 percent of the people interviewed said that engaged in at least one risk related to their contacts.
– 82.3 percent wore the lens for a longer than recommended period.
– 50.2 percent slept with their contacts in.
– 55.1 percent of respondents added new solution to the one they had previously used instead of emptying the case first.

Doing any of these things will increase your risk of eye infection by at least five times.

“Good vision contributes to overall well-being and independence for people of all ages, so it’s important not to cut corners on healthy contact lens wear and care,” said Dr. Jennifer Cope, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC, said.

HOW TO HEALTHY WITH YOUR CONTACTS

In the press release, the CDC also listed some of the healthy contact habits that you can adopt to avoid infection, like changing replacing the cases every three months and washing hands with soap and water before touching the contact lenses.

For a complete list of healthy contact habits check out these great guidelines that the organization made. It describes all of the things you can do to have great eye health, as well as the science behind all of it.

CONTACT LENS HEALTH WEEK

The CDC has made August 24-28 2015 Contact Lens Health Week, which it is preparing by publishing research like the survey mentioned above and working with its partners in the eye care industry.