The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a warning for all contact lens wearers: Take proper care of your lenses if you want to avoid getting an infection that can lead to blindness.
On Thursday, the CDC published a study in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that said every year, doctors and emergency rooms see close to 1 million cases of cornea infections. The cornea is the clear covering of the eye, and while most infections can be cleared up with antibiotics, there is a likelihood of permanent eye damage or blindness.
Dr. Thomas Steinemann, a professor of ophthalmology at Case Western Reserve University, said it costs $175 million a year to treat keratitis in the United States. "I think we have badly underestimated the frequency of this problem," he told NPR. Researchers do not know exactly how many of the people who reported cornea infections wore contact lenses, but they do know that the risk of infection goes up in contact lens wearers.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Some friendly reminders on proper care of lenses: Clean and disinfect both the lenses and cases every day, and use new solution daily, too. Don't use your contacts while swimming or in the shower in order to keep bacteria away, and don't use them past the recommended time. Finally, make sure to take them off at night when you go to sleep, since lenses reduce the flow of oxygen to the eye.
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summitSpeed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'
-
August 19 editorial cartoonsCartoons Tuesday's political cartoons include former Russian territories, Texas redistricting, and cellphone-free classrooms
-
Forest Lodge: William and Kate's new home breaks with royal traditionIn the Spotlight Wales' said to hope move to 'forever home' in Windsor Great Park will 'leave unhappy memories behind'
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agencySpeed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year highSpeed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, changeSpeed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panelspeed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kidsSpeed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sickspeed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last yearspeed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive orderspeed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
