The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes Contact Lens Health Week during the third full week in August every year. Falling on Aug. 22 to Aug. 26 this year, the week was launched as way to increase public awareness about and promote healthy contact lens wear and care, according to the CDC (see https://bit.ly/ContactLensHealthWeekCDC ).

In recognition of Contact Lens Health Week, two experts in this area weigh in with specific hygiene tips for ODs to share with their patients. They are our contact lens columnist, Susan Resnick, OD, FAAO, president and managing partner at Drs. Farkas, Kassalow, Resnick & Associates, in New York City; and Jason Jedlicka, OD, chief of cornea and contact lens service at Atwater Eye Care Center, in Bloomington, Ind., and a board member of the Contact Lens Society of America.

WASHING AND CLEANING

Dr. Jedlicka starts with an obvious, but still important, bit of hygiene: “Wash and dry hands thoroughly before handling lenses, whether applying or removing them,” he says.

Dr. Resnick also advises patients wash and dry their hands before handling contact lenses; further, she says tap water should not be used to clean lenses, as it has been associated with Acanthamoeba keratitis infection. Additionally, she recommends not swimming or bathing while wearing contact lenses, as these other sources of water might also cause infection.

After removing lenses, patients should take a few moments to rub the lenses with cleaning solution, Dr. Jedlicka continues. “The act of rubbing removes most of the debris that builds on the lens in a day’s wear and allows for better disinfection, as well as bringing less material into the case while soaking.”

Patients should completely empty their contact lens case of solution each time they remove a lens, and then refill it with fresh solution, Dr. Resnick says. “Topping off” the existing solution in the case will just dilute the solution’s disinfecting ability, increasing the risk of microbial contamination, she says.

PROPER STORAGE

Dr. Jedlicka notes a lot of patients may overlook proper care of the contact lens case. “I highly recommend cleaning lens cases at least a couple times a week with soap, hot water, and drying it with a paper towel. Replace the case regularly as well, at least every 3 months,” he says. “If the lens case stays in a location near a toilet, make sure the case is closed or covered while not in use to avoid bacterial contamination.”

Dr. Resnick agrees with regularly cleaning the lens case. “Studies have reported the rate of contact lens case contamination to be 50%,” she says. She recommends patients rinse their case with peroxide or multi-purpose disinfecting solution each morning and then place it face down on a clean paper towel to air dry.

Dr. Resnick also advises replacing the storage case every time a patient starts a new bottle of solution and if it appears cracked or damaged. “Inorganic materials, in addition to microbes, may accumulate on and be introduced into the storage wells if these precautions are not taken. This could lead to increased risk of irritation and/or infection,” she says.

EDUCATING PATIENTS

To better educate patients, Dr. Resnick says she gives them a handout, along with verbal instructions for hygiene. She says she also recommends asking patients at each visit how they’re handling their lenses; “the ‘veterans’ are the most apt to have forgotten the rules,” she says.

For Dr. Jedlicka, he says it’s important to not just tell patients what to do, but what the consequences are for not using proper hygiene. “Give examples of what a dirty lens or dirty case is like in terms they can relate to … If you ‘gross them out’ a little, it can help your recommendations sink in,” he says. OM