The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , in close collaboration with partners, has organized Contact Lens Health Week as a strategy to increase public awareness and promote healthy contact lens wear and care. August 20-24, 2018 marks the fifth annual Contact Lens Health Week. This year’s campaign theme is “Healthy habits mean healthy eyes” with a focus on encouraging all contact lens wearers to practice healthy habits now, for healthy eyes later. Increased awareness about the importance of proper contact lens hygiene can encourage contact lens wearers to adopt healthy habits that can reduce their chances of getting an eye infection. This year’s health messages cover three key areas:
- Healthy contact lens hygiene habits
- Proper use, care, and storage of contact lenses and supplies
- Regular visits to an eye care provider
Wearing and caring for contact lenses properly is critical to keeping the eyes healthy and preventing eye infections; however, the majority of contact lens wearers do not practice proper contact lens hygiene. Since 2006, in the US there have been three outbreaks of very serious and sometimes blinding types of eye infections. These outbreaks have brought attention to contact lens wearer hygiene and the need for consistent information about how to wear and care for contact lenses to help prevent such infections.
For more information, tips, and the science behind the recommendations, visit the CDC's web site.
