Contact lense fungus

If you wear soft contacts, there may be fungus among us. Cornea specialists from the University of Miami School of Medicine say the incidents of fusarium keratitis are up in the US and it’s a bad thing. This fungus can cause a loss of vision and may go undetected by ophthalmologists who are not looking for it and therefore don’t take cultures. A delay in treatment can make the infection even more difficult to cope with later on and corneal transplants may become necessary. If you use soft lenses and have had these symptoms:

-- sudden blurred vision
-- unusual redness
-- pain in your eye
-- excessive tearing or discharge from your eye
-- increased light sensitivity

contact an ophthalmologist right away.

Here are some tips to avoid this corneal ulceration from the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine:
-- Wash your hands with soap and dry them using a lint-free towel prior to handling contact lenses or touching your eye.
-- Wear your contact lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your doctor.
-- Properly clean and disinfect your contact lenses each time you remove them from your eyes.
-- Lenses must be rubbed with the fingers and rinsed thoroughly before soaking overnight in a multi-purpose solution.
-- Daily cleaning is necessary to remove mucous, film and eye residue, while disinfecting kills germs that may cause eye infections.
-- Immediately after you insert your contact lenses, clean your contact lens case. Allow it to dry and keep it open until your lenses are replaced in it. Fill the lens case with enough solution to cover the lens.
-- Disposable contact lenses must not be used beyond their recommended disposal period.
-- Your contact lens solution must be changed everyday, even if the lenses are not used daily.
-- Replace your contact lens storage case every three months.

Contact lenses are a great tool to see better, but you have to be careful and monitor your vision.