Keratitis. What Is It, What Are The Risks, What Are Your Options…
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Keratitis is the inflammation of the cornea and can result in partial or total loss of vision, this can result from infectious agents (bacteria, fungi, amebae and viruses) or from noninfectious causes (eye trauma, chemical exposure and ultraviolet exposure). If you wear contact lens, you may be unaware that there is a major risk factor for microbial keratitis. There have been outbreaks of Fusarium and Acanthamoeba keratitis that have been associated with contact lens multipurpose solution use and poor hygiene of your contact lens. An estimated 988,000 visits to doctors offices, clinics and emergency departments occur each year to treat keratitis or contact lens disorders. To avoid keratitis, we recommend contacting us regarding your options for LASIK surgery.
With nearly 1 million visits for keratitis annuallly, the largest risk factor for microbial keratitis is contact lens wear. There are an estimated 38 million contact lens wearers in the US, a large percentage of wearers practice poor contact lens hygiene such as poor storage case hygiene, overnight wear and infrequent storage case replacement. To avoid or prevent microbial keratitis, wearers should understand correct hygiene of contact lenses, the other option is to see a eye surgeon to look into alternatives such as LASIK surgery. If you have keratitis, it’s important to consult with a cornea specialist immediately as keratitis can result in permanent eye damage.
Tips to reduce the risk of keratitis:
- Wash hands and dry before touching contact lens
- Do Not sleep with contact lenes
- Keep water away from your contact lenes
If you have any questions or concerns, contact your eye care provider. If you wear contact lens currently, you may want to look into a more permanent solution such as LASIK surgery. If you’d like to schedule a free LASIK consultation, contact us.
