The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to improve contact lens safety by reminding consumers of the importance of following proper cleaning and storing procedures. Consumers who do not follow instructions for contact lens care and use increase their risk of serious eye infections that can lead to blindness.
To support proper cleaning and storage, the FDA has developed a new video on contact lens safety. The video stresses the importance of emptying the solution out of the contact lens case after each use and using the rub-and-rinse method for added effectiveness.
Other important lens care tips include:
• Do not 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;
• Do not expose contact lenses or lens storage cases to any type of water or other non-sterile solutions.
• Replace your contact lens case at least every three (3) months
In early 2009, the FDA convened a workshop called “Microbiological Testing of Contact Lens Care Products,” in collaboration with several eye care professional groups, to develop consensus on test methods for evaluating contact lens solutions. Based on discussions from this workshop and from a 2008 meeting of the agency’s advisory panel for ophthalmic devices, the FDA is developing manufacturer guidance on potential labeling improvements for these products.
In its June 2008 meeting, the advisory panel for ophthalmic devices made specific recommendations for contact lens product labeling and directions for use, including adding a discard date on their products, in addition to the usual expiration date. The discard date is the date the solution should be thrown out after opening.
On May 19, 2009, the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health issued a letter to manufacturers of contact lens multipurpose solution products that include an option for cleaning without a step for rubbing the lenses. This letter informed these manufacturers of the panel’s conclusion that there is improvement in lens care when using a rub-and-rinse regimen as compared to a rinse-alone regimen, which omits the rubbing step. The direction to rub and rinse lenses, based on the advice of an eye care professional, has always been part of the labeling for multipurpose contact lens care products. More information on contact lens safety is available in a PDF.
This is a good video where Martha Stewart discusses common topics in eye care including lazy eye, bifocal contact lenses, importance of eye exams for adults and for learning in children.
This is great stuff. A contact lens was applied to a patient’s eye to treat a corneal problem, reducing the patient’s blindness. Contact lenses will soon be used to administer allergy and glaucoma medications. Our state legislature, here in Texas, last month approved eye doctors to fit the medication delivery contact lenses. Optometrists and ophthalmologists will be able to begin fitting them when the FDA gives the new drug delivery contact lenses their final approval. Check out the stem cell video below. A medical school in Australia is pioneering this important technology.
Why do I need bifocals is a very common question. As children we have a tremendous capacity to focus at near. As we get older our ability to focus at near slowly decreases to the point where around 40 years of age we begin to notice that it takes a significant effort to read. We need more light than we used to. The print quality has to be good. We can’t read as well in the afternoon. Sometimes we can read at near, but when we look up the distance is blurry. These are all signs of presbyopia. From the age of 40 to approximately the mid 60’s we notice the decline of our near vision. This is called presbyopia (prez-bē-ˈō-pē-ə).
The good news is we have better options available than ever before. Bifocal contact lenses really do work. Read more…
Study from Ohio State University Confirms Prior Studies Myopia Slowed With Contacts
In February, here in The Eye Doc Blog, we reported that The CANDY Study showed that OrthoKeratology contact lenses markedly slowed the progression of nearsightedness in children. The results of The CANDY study have now been confirmed in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, the new study, Corneal Reshaping and Myopia Progression, showed that children wearing corneal reshaping lenses, also known as ortho-K or orthokeratology lenses significantly reduced the rate of change of the length of the children’s eyes. The study participants wore the lenses for two years and ranged in refractive error from -0.75 to -4.00. The study concluded that previous reports of slowed eye growth following corneal refractive therapy were confirmed.
American Eye-Q® Study Shows UV Protection
Secondary to Cost and Style
The American Optometric Association’s 2008 American Eye-Q® Survey, evaluated Americans thoughts regarding eyecare related issues and found that only 49% of Americans said UV protection was the most important factor when purchasing sunglasses. Price and style superseded UV protection in selecting sunglasses.
Two weeks ago I received an interviewed request from Sarah Robbins for the May 18 issue of Publisher Weekly regarding a blog article I wrote last month on how the Amazon Kindle could help patients with Macular Degeneration continue to enjoy books. You can read the entire article in Publishers Weekly here. I still like the Amazon Kindle for patient that need assistance in reading. Look for a review of the Kindle DX soon.
A new study found that first person action games improved the vision of adult video game players. Two groups of patients were tested. The first group of patients played Call of Duty and experienced a significant increase in their ability to distinguish different shades of gray (contrast sensitivity function). The second group used The Sims, which was similar in it’s graphic detail however it is a non action game that does not require precise visual activities such as aiming.
Contrast sensitivity function is a measure of visual acuity (the chart on the wall that uses progressively smaller numbers is another, more common method, shown to the right) uses different shades of gray to evaluate a person’s vision rather than how small of a letter a person can read (the latter is called Snellen visual acuity. Contrast sensitivity is a much more precise way of evaluating a person’s visual acuity and is more often used in clinical research.
The exciting part of this study is that it has been previously thought that it was difficult to improve the vision in adults. This study paves the way for possible new treatments of amblyopia in children and the hope of retraining patients that may have lost vision due to some retinal conditions. The study showed that not all games are created equal in producing this affect and advised caution in recommending games to recommend to patients. The entire study was published online by the journal Nature Neuroscience.
