Recently, Advanced Medical Optics recalls MoisturePlus contact lens solution. The company is taking this action as a precaution because of reports of a rare, but serious, eye infection, Acanthamoeba keratitis, caused by a parasite. The link between the solution and the infection was identified as a result of an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
All contact lens users should closely adhere to the following measures to help prevent eye infections:
– Remove contact lenses before any activity involving contact with water, including showering, using a hot tub, or swimming.
– Wash hands with soap and water and dry them before handling contact lenses.
– Clean contact lenses according to manufacturer guidelines and instructions from an eye care professional.
– Use fresh cleaning or disinfecting solution each time lenses are cleaned and stored. Never reuse or top off old solution.
– Never use saline solution and rewetting drops to disinfect lenses. Neither solution is an effective or approved disinfectant.
– Schedule regular eye exams with your eye care professional
– Wear and replace contact lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your eye care professional.
– Store lenses in a proper storage case.
– Storage cases should be irrigated with sterile contact lens solution (never use tap water) and left open to dry after each use.
– Replace storage cases at least once every three months.
Quality of vision correction is one area where contact lenses are superior to glasses no matter who you are. Since the lens part of contact lenses sits directly on your eye and covers the seeing part of your eye completely, you will have corrected vision all around, including to the top, bottom, and sides, whereas with glasses, there is no correction for your peripheral vision. That can be problematic for activities like driving, or if the quality of your vision is important in your profession.