Contact lens wearers face increased infection risk

Monday, 01 May 2006

Many people who have opted for the convenience of contact lenses instead of glasses or surgery are beginning to rethink their decision. A recent outbreak of the potentially blinding fungal infection Fusarium keratitis among contact lens wearers is leading some to consider surgery or a switch to glasses in the hopes of saving their eyes. Although most Fusarium keratitis infections have been confined to users of Bausch & Lomb’s ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution, some doctors have warned that the outbreak may signal a large problem with multipurpose contact lens solutions in general. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that it is investigating 109 patients with Fusarium keratitis symptoms to determine whether MoistureLoc or another contact lens solution was responsible for their condition. In response to the potential link between MoistureLoc and the outbreak, Bausch & Lomb issued a U.S. ReNu recall in April 2006. Doctors say that although contact lenses are usually safe to wear, they do increase the risk to patients’ eyes. “Contact lens use puts people at risk for eye infections,” says ophthalmologist Jason Sullivan. “Contact lens use decreases the oxygenation of the cornea, making it a setup for infection.” Dr. Sullivan says that poor hygiene can also increase the infection risk from contact lens use. “People who sleep in their contacts are much more likely to get corneal infections,” he says. Putting contact lenses in your mouth, failing to wash your hands before handling them and not taking the lenses out regularly to give your eyes a break also increase infection risks, doctors say. Investigators are not yet sure whether poor hygiene, contamination at Bausch & Lomb’s Greenville, South Carolina, plant or some other factor is responsible for the rise in Fusarium keratitis symptoms that led to the ReNu recall. Dr. Sullivan warns contact lens wearers to be on the lookout for what he calls “the RSVP of symptoms:” Redness, Sensitivity to light, Vision problems and Pain. Doctors say that patients who experience any of the symptoms of infection should see their eye doctor immediately for an exam. “The sooner you treat it, the better,” says ophthalmologist Peter Andrews. “If it is not treated, the infection can get inside the eyeball, and patients can significantly risk losing their eyesight or their eye.” About one-third of U.S. patients treated for Fusarium keratitis symptoms have required corneal transplants to repair damage to their eyes.