Potential Dangers of Sharing Contact LensesPosted by Eaton Sims on February 17th, 2021 Most forms of acanthamoeba do not effect the eye but one can with serious consequences. It is not unknown to find acanthamoeba when culturing contact lens cases of patients that are currently show no signs of infection.The eye has it's own immune system including substances secreted in the tear film that can keep most infections from gaining a foothold. Provisine Review who over wear their lenses and use their solutions inappropriately are more susceptible to any type of eye infection. Over wear disrupts the tissue on the front of the eye, the corneal epithelium. This disruption allows organisms like acanthamoeba to enter into the eye tissue and multiply. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 138 cases of Acanthamoeba infection of the corneal tissue (keratitis) in 35 different states during 1997. This type of infection has shown an increasing trend in recent years after slowing in the past when homemade saline solutions were discontinued.The increasing incidence may be related to the tendency to decrease or eliminate chlorination in drinking water although there are also many more people choosing contact lenses for their vision correction, and multipurpose solutions that are ineffective against acanthamoeba have become the contact lens care systems of choice.Like it? Share it! |