Nearly all contact lens wearers in national survey report risky eye care behaviors that can lead to eye infections

Almost all of the 41 million estimated contact lens wearers in the United States may be engaging in at least one behavior known to increase their risk of eye infections, according to a report published today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly one-third of contact lens wearers who participated in a national survey reported going to the doctor for red or painful eyes related to wearing contact lenses.

More than 99 percent of survey respondents reported at least one risky behavior. The majority of wearers reported:

• Keeping their contact lens cases for longer than recommended (82.3 percent);
• “Topping off” solution in the case—adding new solution to the existing solution instead of emptying the case out fully before adding new solution (55.1 percent); or
• Wearing their lenses while sleeping (50.2 percent).

Each of these behaviors has been reported in previous studies to raise the risk of eye infections by five times or more.

An online survey was administered to a sample of contact lens wearers to determine how often contact lens wearers engaged in behaviors that could put them at risk for an eye infection. CDC collaborated with the Contact Lens Assessment in Youth (CLAY) group, a multi-university group of researchers, to conduct the survey. A separate survey was used to estimate the number of contact lens wearers – about 41 million adults. Taken together, the survey results indicate that millions of Americans could be at risk for serious eye infections because of poor contact lens hygiene behaviors.

“Good vision contributes to overall well-being and independence for people of all ages, so it’s important not to cut corners on healthy contact lens wear and care,” says CDC Medical Epidemiologist Jennifer Cope, M.D., M.P.H. “We are finding that many wearers are unclear about how to properly wear and care for contact lenses."

To prevent eye infections, contact lens wearers should:

• Wash hands with soap and water and dry them well before touching contact lenses;
• Take contacts out before sleeping, showering or swimming;
• Rub and rinse contacts in disinfecting solution each time they remove them;
• Rub and rinse the case with contact lens solution, dry with a clean tissue and store it upside down with the caps off after each use;
• Replace contact lens cases at least once every three months;
• Avoid “topping off” solution in lens case (adding fresh solution to old solution); and
• Carry a backup pair of glasses in case contact lenses have to be taken out.

Aug. 24 through 28, 2015, marks the second annual Contact Lens Health Week. To celebrate the week, CDC is promoting its campaign for contact lens and eye health, developed in collaboration with doctors, public health, eye care industry, and regulatory partners. By focusing attention on good contact lens hygiene steps, CDC hopes to help reduce the risk of eye infections and complications in people who wear contacts. 

For more information on preventing eye infections and proper contact lens wear, please visit: www.cdc.gov/contactlenses.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES