Improper Use Of Contacts Responsible For Many Eye Infections

The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reveals that simply wearing contacts can be the culprit when it comes to many eye infections. Misuse of the items or wearing them improperly have led to nearly one million eye issues.

"There is no question that many people love to use contact lenses instead of spectacles. Using contact lenses, however, does carry the risk of infection and, in extreme cases, blindness," said Dr. Alfred Sommer is a professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University's Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore, in a news release.

Statistics show that microbial keratitis was often an issue seen in emergency rooms throughout the country--an infection that occurs when the transparent covering of the eye, also known as the cornea, becomes contaminated by bacteria, resulting in pain, redness, blurred vision and other serious situations that can lead to blindness if not properly treated.

Researchers found that many who are at an increased risk of microbial keratitis were improperly using or cleaning their contacts.

"People who wear their contact lenses overnight are more than 20 times more likely to get keratitis," concluded Dr. Jennifer Cope, a CDC medical epidemiologist, via WebMD.

In fact, about 77 percent of the visits resulted in a prescription for antibiotics, totaling an estimated $175 million year round.

To reduce the risk of microbial keratitis, researchers recommend that users always wash their hands prior to touching contacts or their eyes, remove contacts while sleeping, showering or swimming and properly disinfect them with contact solution.