Contact Care
|
Posted by Judy Arbique Jun 8, 2007 |
An article in our local paper (The Chronicle Herald, May 20, 2007) caught my attention this week. The article described an eye infection that caused severe damage to a young woman’s eyes, and required corneal transplants to save her sight. The young woman, who wore contacts, got an eye infection while on a backpacking trip through Africa. Infection progressed rapidly causing keratitis (infection of the cornea of the eye). She suffered severe pain and lost sight in both eyes. How did this happen? Was it some unusual African bug? No!
Similar infections commonly occur in contact wearers. Care and common sense should prevail if you wear contacts! Tap water in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, the Asias, South and North Americas is NOT sterile. It contains a variety of microorganisms that given the proper environment WILL take advantage of the situation!
If you rinse your contacts in tap water, or shower with them in, you risk the chance of having microorganisms gain entry to the space between the contact and your cornea – an opportune environment to some organisms. As the organisms grow they invade tissue and/or the toxins and by-products they release can cause damage to the cornea. Further damage may result due to the inflammatory response initiated by the immune system.
Another risk with contact lens wearers lies within contact solution bottles. Once you open that bottle, it is no longer sterile. If you use solution and pour it back in the bottle (used or unused portions), leave the cap off the bottle, store the bottle in your washroom (or any other room in your house for that matter), or use it past its expiry (there are really 2 expiries you know…the manufacturer’s expiry, which only applies as long as the bottle has not been opened, and then a second expiry that begins once you have opened the container. Find out from your contact solution manufacturer how long the solution is good, once opened!!) microorganisms can—and likely will—enter from the environment around the container.
Contacts are a god-send, but they have their limitations.
Know the risks and treat your contacts with care!
Read about other potential infections associated with contacts:
Contact Care: Preventing Infection and Eye Injury
Source:
Squire, JP (The Canadian Press). Teen lost sight on African trip. The Chronicle Herald. Sunday, May 20, 2007.
