Hospitals see about 400 cases of contact lens complications
yearly
By Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 27 September 2006
1909 hrs
Hospitals see about 400 cases of eye complications annually related
to contact lens
SINGAPORE : Hospitals here see about 400 cases of eye complications
a year related to the wearing of contact lenses.
Of these, about one quarter are corneal infections.
Contact lens users are vulnerable to corneal infections, says the
Singapore National Eye Centre.
Citing data from a study by the centre and a few other hospitals
done some 6 years ago, it says infections caused by bacteria and
fungus make up about a quarter of an average 400 cases of contact
lens complications seen in hospitals here.
And such infections can potentially lead to blindness.
"It depends on how the corneal ulcer is situated. If the corneal
ulcer is large and situated centrally, even if the ulcer heals,
there will be a residual scar. And that will result in some visual
loss, depending on the size of the scar," says Dr Lim Li, senior
consultant at the Singapore National Eye Centre.
Dr Li adds that one of the causes of such infection is due to
non-compliance of proper eye care, which could be as high as 80%
among contact lens users.
And such gaps in proper eye and lens care among contact lens users
are reflected in a recent survey by Bausch & Lomb involving
about 230 people.
For example, 1 in 4 respondents say they wear their monthly
disposable lenses longer than 30 days.
7 in 10 contact lens users do not clean their contact lens case
every two days as recommended by practitioners, while 6% of
respondents say that they have never cleaned their contact lens
cases at all.
The survey also find that while almost all Singaporeans wash their
hands before removing their lens, 56% use water without soap or
antiseptic liquid.
Contact lens users also do not get their eyes checked as often as
they should. Only slightly more than 25% get their eyes checked
every six months, which is the recommended period.
About 60% of respondents say they replace their lens case every 3
to 12 months, instead of the recommended 1 to 3 months.
1 in 5 respondents did not replace their solution within the
recommended 3 months, while some use it for up to 6 months.
Industry experts say one common practice among contact lens users
is storing their contact lenses and accessories in toilets.
This is not encouraged as toilets are usually hot and humid -
conditions which are not ideal for lens storage as it can promote
bacterial growth.
Bausch & Lomb has launched a year-long programme to educate
users on the proper use and treatment of contact lenses. It has
distributed booklets on eye care at optical shops.
There are about 400,000 contact lens users in Singapore.
Other non-infection cases of complications that arise from contact
lens use include hypoxia or deprivation of oxygen, and dry
eyes.
- CNA /ls
Source : www.channelnewsasia.com
