When I was a kid, I remember my mother always harping on me to develop the good habit of frequent handwashing.    And, while mom was not a microbiologist, there is a lot of scientific evidence to support how important handwashing is to our daily lives.    Certainly, this is the case with contact lens wearers.

In our practice, we are always stressing the importance of proper contact lens care, and a recent study shows that handwashing prior to lens handling is an extremely important part of reducing risks for bacterial infections in contact lens wearers.

In a 2007 research poster by Ralph Stone, PhD., scientists compared contact lenses that had been handled without handwashing to contact lenses that were handled after handwashing.    They analyzed the lenses for bacteria and they found that lenses that were handled without handwashing contained, on average, nearly 10,000 bacterial colony-forming-units or CFUs.   However, lenses that were handled after handwashing only yielded an average of 2140 CFUs.    That’s nearly a 80% reduction in the amount of bacteria on a contact  lens, just by washing hands prior to lens handling!

That is quite a difference and it really shows how important handwashing is to overall contact lens care.   Looks like mothers do know best.

As always, feel free to email as info@clearvieweye.net or give us a shout on facebook.

Dr. Beach

Last week, I reviewed a recent study that demonstrated contact lenses improved the quality of life in children whencompared to wearing glasses.   I received a lot of feedback from that study, so I wanted to post a follow-up.

I’m often asked what age children can start wearing contact lenses.   The reality is that I’ve examined 8 year olds that are responsible enough to safely wear contact lenses, while I’ve evaluated 17 year olds that were not.   It really depends on the individual’s level of personal responsibility.

Contact lenses are great for children who play sports.   Glasses can be a handicap in many fast moving sports, although goggle-type prescription glasses may be an exception.  Ultimately, though, contact lenses will provide the best method of vision correction in sports.   They won’t be affected by sweating like glasses.  They do not interfere with helmet use.   And they provide better side vision.

However, this study really points to another benefit of contact lenses in children—improved self-perception and self-confidence.   We all know that kids can  be cruel to each other and sometimes themselves.   Contact lenses may allow children to avoid some of the social hindrances (either perceived or real) that glasses may present.   This could have quite a positive impact on the social and academic aspects of a child’s quality of life.

Ultimately, the decision to try contact lenses has to involve a frank discussion between the optometrist and the parent regarding the child’s level of responsibility.   As always, please shoot me an email or facebook post if you have any questions or comments.

These are the types of studies that give me sleepless nights.    As I lay my head down on the pillow at night, I count my lucky stars that so many patients tell me they’re being compliant with my instructions for wear schedule, cleaning procedures, and replacement schedule.   Not so fast, says a recent study by the University of Texas.

According to the study, 86% of patients classified themselves as “compliant” with lens wear and care practices.    HOWEVER, when researchers looked much closer at the actual practices of these patients, they found that only 34% of patients who classified themselves as compliant actually were compliant.

Put another way (and this is what accounts for my recent sleepless nights):   64% of all patients who think they are compliant are really not compliant with wear and care practices.

The reason that scares me is because reduced compliance with contact lens care and wear instructions can result in eye infections, inflammation, corneal scarring, or possibly permanent vision loss.

At the end of the day, my colleagues and I have to do a better job working with all of our contact lens patients to build a better awareness of good wear and care practices.    These practices include:

• Replacing lenses according to their FDA-approved schedule:  daily, 2-week, or monthly replacement
• Not sleeping in lenses that are not approved for that type of wear
• Properly cleaning the contact lenses with the solution prescribed by the optometrist
• Replacing contact lens storage cases frequently
• Washing hands prior to inserting lenses

As always, if you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you.

Dr. Beach.