Clean contact lenses

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Shortcuts in contact lens care lead to dirty lenses, which can increase the chances of getting an eye infection. And at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researcher Sarah Collier notes that infection can cause severe injury to the eye:

“You can run the risk of infection of the cornea, which is the clear part of the eye and that’s known as keratitis. Keratitis results in almost 1 million doctors’ visits every year.”

Collier says the most severe cases can lead to vision loss.

She reminds contact lens users to wash their hands before putting in lenses, then empty and wipe out the lens case with a clean tissue each day. When storing contacts, fill the case with fresh solution. She says users should replace the case every three months.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.