Contact Lens Solution May Be Source of Fungal Infections

Just last week I shared with you the three rules to protecting yourself from serious corneal ulcers caused by nasty bugs like the fungus Fusarium:

1. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water
2. Do not abuse your contact lenses
3. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water

Now the outbreak is larger than imagined involving people in 17 states in all regions of the country.

Did you know that there are over 35 million contact lens wearers in America? The average age is 34 and two-thirds are female.

In my practice I have the opportunity to examine many infected corneas. The eye hurts, looks inflamed, and the vision is crud. Clearing the infection is merely the beginning. Scarring and corneal infiltration by new blood vessels may subsequently doom this transparent structure.

The FDA just released a fact sheet describing the problem and recommended preventive measures. Here is an excerpt:

Of the 30 patient cases fully investigated so far, 28 wore soft contact lenses and two reported no contact lens use. Twenty-six of the soft contact lens users who remembered which solution they used during the month prior to the infection onset reported using a Bausch & Lomb ReNu brand contact lens solution or a generic brand manufactured by the same company. Five case-patients reported using other solutions in addition to the ReNu brand, and 9 patients reported wearing contact lenses overnight, a known risk factor for microbial keratitis.

"It is important to note that some of the affected patients had used other solutions in addition to the ReNu brand, and that the source of this fungus has not yet been identified. But we're working with CDC and Bausch & Lomb -- and we're investigating other possible causes -- to prevent these infections," Dr. Schultz added.

For now, nobody needs to throw away their stockpile of unused lenses, but all need to be extra careful about contact lens cleaning and handling.

Executive summary: Now more than ever, if you overwear or otherwise abuse your contact lenses you may risk permanent vision loss.

Related Topics: Caring For Your Contact Lenses, New Contact Lenses, Old Eye Infection Risk

Technorati Tags: eye fungus, contacts, ReNu, keratitis