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Dirty contacts linked to millions of eye infections
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Natalie Crofts
Deseret News National
Updated: Nov 18, 2014, 10:00 AM
Published: Nov 17, 2014, 4:52 PM

Cutting the corners on cleaning your contacts can lead to serious eye infections and, in extreme cases, even blindness, researchers said Thursday.

Roughly a million Americans per year visit their doctors for treatment of keratitis, an eye infection that affects the cornea and can lead to blindness when left untreated, according tonew information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency said this is the first time keratitis has been studied on a large scale in the U.S.

Poor contact lens hygiene, like improper storage case care and sleeping with lenses in, was the most significant risk factor for developing an infection, the CDC reported.

"Contact lenses offer wearers good sight without the hassle of glasses, but they can also make wearers more prone to infection if they’re not careful,” CDC spokeswoman Jennifer R. Cope said in a prepared statement. “Users should follow good hygiene and care steps every time they wear, clean and store their contacts to help keep their eyes healthy."

Keratitis is largely preventable, but causes $175 million in direct healthcare expenditures annually, according to CDC researchers. The average patient seeking treatment for keratisis paid $151 when visiting a doctor’s office or $587 when visiting an emergency department, the CDC study found. Most patients, 76.5 percent, were prescribed antibiotics.

Contact wearers can avoid contracting keratitis by washing their contacts after every use, frequently replacing their contact case, only using fresh contact solution and taking contacts out before sleeping, according to the CDC.

Anyone with eye pain or inflammation should visit a doctor for treatment, according to the CDC. It said cases that are caught early on can typically be easily resolved.

Tips for contact care from the CDC:

1.) Wash hands with soap and water and dry well before touching contact lenses.

2.) Take contacts out before bed, showering or swimming.

3.) Rub and rinse contacts in disinfecting solution each time they remove them.

4.) Rub and rinse the case with contact lens solution, dry with a clean tissue and store upside down with the caps off after each use.

5.) Replace contact lens case at least once every three months.

6.) Don’t “top off” solution in lens case. Use only fresh contact lens solution each time.

7.) Carry a spare pair of glasses in case contacts need to be removed.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.