Reducing Infections & Blindness from Contact Lens Use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reminding consumers of the importance of following proper contact lens cleaning and storing procedures.

The FDA said people who do not abide by directions for contact lens care and use might increase their risk of real eye infections that can lead to blindness.

The federal agency said it has developed a video on contact lens safety that stresses the importance of emptying the solution from the contact lens case after each use and using the rub-and-rinse method for added effectiveness.

To support proper cleaning and storage, the FDA has developed a new video on contact lens safety, which can be found on the FDA's Web site (www.fda.gov), along with an in-depth Consumer Update article.

Other important lens care tips from the FDA include:

• Never top off or reuse lens cleaning solution.
   
• Use a contact lens solution to clean, rinse, and then air dry contact lens cases after each use.
   
• Never expose contact lenses or lens storage cases to any type of water or other non-sterile solutions.

The FDA has now released a public advisory designed to educate contact-lens wearers about the proper care and use of saline solutions in an effort to avoid severe complications.

An FDA panel which advises the agency on ophthalmic devices including contact lenses, in 2008 told the FDA to add a discard date on bottles of contact lens solutions to prevent injuries from products that are too old and no longer safe or effective. The discard date is when the solution should be thrown out after it has been opened, the FDA said.

In May 2009, the FDA ordered contact lens solution companies to include in the products' packaging information about cleaning by rubbing and rinsing lenses, which the agency said is a more effective method of cleaning than simply soaking the lenses in solution.

The FDA is still working on compiling rules for manufacturers and possibly changing labeling for the products to warn users of the potential for injury.

(June 17, 2009)