A new survey of patients undergoing eye examinations has found that almost none of the contact lens wearers complied with wear and care recommendations in spite of more than 80 per cent saying they followed good practices. http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/news/20111209/most-contact-lens-users-do-not-follow-safety-steps?src=RSS_PUBLIC The reality, however, was that just 2 per cent complied with most recommended lens hygiene steps and less than 1 per cent were found to be fully compliant with recommendations that included washing hands before handling and not topping up their old solution with new. In some ways it is surprising there aren't more issues of discomfort and infection among contact lens wearers. Interestingly, patient awareness was not the issue - most of those surveyed knew what they needed to do to avoid complications. Among the recommendations from the American Optometric Association were not to wear lenses past their recommended cycle - especially for two-weekly lenses that are often over-worn, changing contact lens cases and rubbing and rinsing. Not using tap water and not swimming in contact lenses also make an appearance. Extended wear users should listen to their eyes, but most importantly, all contact lens wearers should listen to their practitioners and take compliance a bit more seriously, even if it can seem to be a tad time consuming.
Opinion