You may have heard recently in the news about a very bad infection related to soft contact lenses.  The infection is from a fungus called Fusarium and it has drawn a fair amount of media attention.  I would like to clarify some of the information surrounding this situation.  Although this type of infection is a very serious one and has received a great deal of attention that is certainly appropriate, the number of cases have been rather small.  Out of the more than 30 million contact lens wearers, there have only been a little more than 100 cases reported.  Due to the serious nature of the infection however, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has been investigating its epidemiology.  Bausch and Lomb's Renu with MoistureLoc soft lens solution has been implicated in a disproportionate number of these cases.  Bausch and Lomb, while conducting their own investigation, took the initiative in the interest of patient safety, to remove this product from the market.  At the conclusion of the investigations, it was shown that even though Renu with MoistureLoc is effective at killing Fusarium, if certain poor contact lens care regimens were followed, this particular solution's disinfection properties could be rendered ineffective against Fusarium.  Bausch and Lomb has permanently removed this particular product but continues to manufacture other Renu products which have not been implicated with this problem.  I believe that this situation underscores the importance of proper lens care by the patient to ensure healthy contact lens wear.  I would like to review the proper contact lens care regimen that all soft contact lens wearers should follow so that the chances of compromising ocular health are minimized.

Follow these recommendations and continue to be a safe and happy contact lens wearer.

Smoking obviously has many negative effects on the body and according to a recent study one more additional negative impacting factor can be added to this list.  The ocular surface has a structure know as the "tear layer," which is actually made up of a complex mixture of fluids and molecules.  One of the fluid layers that make up our tears is a layer know as the Lipid Layer.  Smoking has been shown to have deteriorating effects on the Lipid Layer of the tear film of the eye.  Among the implications of this are the possibilities of the individual to suffer with Dry Eye Syndrome.  The symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome can range from mildy annoying to significant discomfort.

A recent article reported on data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Discharge Survey on the trends in eye injury in the United States between 1992 and 2001.  The rates of injury were broken down by age, gender and race.  The overall rate of eye injury is 8.2 to 13.0 per 1000 people.  The highest risk category is men and those aged 39 and younger.  There was also an overall decrease in the incidence in eye injury to all groups during this study period.  Remember to wear safety glasses/goggles when appropriate.

Thyroid dysfunction has long been associated with the eye in the form of Thyroid Eye Disease but little has been done to investigate the link of Thyroid Eye Disease and its effect on refractive changes.  In a recent study, the connection between Thyroid Eye Disease and refractive error has been demonstrated.  There is a hyperopic shift (far-sightedness) associated with Thyroid Eye Disease which seems to be associated with the increase in orbital contents resulting from the disease.  After orbital decompression surgery there is an induced myopic shift (near-sightedness).  This information is important because clinically a hyperopic shift in someone with Thyroid dysfunction could indicate the increase in orbital contents and the implication of Thyroid Eye Disease.