J&J Join Contact Lens Recycling Revolution

Contact lens giant, Johnson & Johnson recently announced their recycling scheme. In a similar fashion to Matheson Optometrist, they have public collection points for lenses. Patients simply collect their lenses in a box at home and drop them off in practice. The foil seal, plastic blister case and soft contact lenses can all be kept together! 

We are excited and proud to be pioneering the field with the environment in mind. You can drop off your used lenses at any of our practices. 

The small pieces of plastic break up and pollute the environment, often when patients flush their lenses down the toilet. We wrote a blog post in more detail about this, which you can read here. 

Let us know what you think of our recycling collections on our Facebook page! 

https://www.facebook.com/mathesonoptometrists/

Increase of contact lens related sight threatening eye infection

UCL, University College London alongside Moorfields Eye Hospital led  a study of infection in contact lens wearers. Since 2011, the researchers found three times as many incidences of Acanthamoeba keratitis in South-East England. A rare but preventable cause of blindness.

When contact lens users are aware of the risks involved in poor lens hygiene, they often adopt the correct habits and infection is unlikely. The increased cases illustrates the need for awareness.

Findings published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, saw reusable contact lens wearers were at the highest risk. This group are more likely to have used ineffective lens solution, have water contaminate their lenses and admitted to poor lens hygiene.

What is Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK)?

• An eye disease affecting the cornea, the front surface of the eye. 
• It becomes inflamed and painful due to the infection. 
• The Acanthamoeba bug forms cysts during infection. 
• It is not only contact lens wearers that can be infected, but wearers pose a higher risk due to contamination of lens cases. 

What are the statistics?

• It can affect 2.5 in every 100,000 contact lens wearers.
• 25% of people with AK need corneal transplants to treat the disease or restore vision. 
• A quarter of affected patients become severe cases, loosing up to 75% of their vision or going blind all together. 
• Since 2000 - 2003 where incidences were 8-10 in a year, it's now noted that we treat between 36-65 cases annually.

What increases the risk?

• Researchers found that people were three times more likely to contract AK, if they had poor contact lens hygiene. 
• Those who did not consistently wash and dry their hands as part of their lens routine. 
• Also, in people who wore their contact lenses swimming or in hot tubs, while showering or face washing.

Where is Acanthamoeba found?

• The Acanthamoeba bacteria is actually found in the UK more commonly than in other countries. 
• Water contamination is the main concern for the UK, as Acanthamoeba is found in higher levels in domestic water supplies, as opposed to mains water. 
• As well as hot and cold water, it can also be found in soil.

How can I prevent an AK infection?

• Always follow your Optometrists advice on good lens hygiene and best practice.
• Wash and completely dry your hands before handling your lenses. 
• Avoid wearing your lenses swimming, when washing your face or showering/bathing. 
• Consider switching to a daily disposable lens, you can ask your optometrist to check your suitability and which lens type would be best for you. As the lens is replaced each day, there is no feeding ground for bacteria to grow over time and each lens is clean and fresh.

References:

Acanthamoeba keratitis
British Journal of Ophthalmology

Healthy Habits, Healthy Eyes - Moorfields

UCL

Contact Lenses or Glasses?

Many people wear contact lenses for sport, special occasions or simply prefer them to their glasses. Modern lenses have come a long way since the traditional lenses first designed.

A daily disposable lens is exactly as it sounds. A fresh and clear lens is worn each day. Which is clean and has no oil build up. A properly fitted daily lens feels very comfortable, as it's thin and durable. An optometrist will fit them to the curve of your eye and make sure they interact well with your eyes.

There are lenses that can be worn for longer periods of time. At the end of each day, the lens is removed, rubbed and rinsed with cleaning solution and stored for next use. 

High prescriptions are also now catered for. With lenses being able to correct astigmatism and even 'reading' contact lenses. Which like varifocals, have a distance and near part. Meaning you could enjoy a conversation and check the menu without having switch glasses (depending on the suitability of your prescription).

When you think about how much you move around during sports, this is where contacts really shine. As they are fit onto your eye, you have a much bigger field of view. You don't need to look through any gaps, distortion or around a frame. There are no reflections from spectacle lenses and rain drops wont block your vision either, nor will they steam up!

A daily disposable is often preferred if they lenses are only for occasional use, or a for a few hours at sports practice. If your looking for wear your lenses more consistently, maybe on a day to day basis a monthly lens would be more suitable. A monthly lens is as it says on the tin. Wear them for a few hours a day, clean them off and store for the next use. Then at the end of a month cycle, bin them and start a fresh. 

Many parents are surprised to know that we fit children with lenses too. Most children and capable of inserting and removing lenses, they are quick to catch on and given good instruction, handle them safely. Lenses can help with sports at school, for children who need their glasses full time. It can help with their reaction times, confidence and view while playing.

Have you tried the new soft contact lenses? A fan of the RGP hard lenses? We fit contact lenses at all of our practices. 

We also now have recycling bins in our practices, read more about how tiny contact lens materials can break up in the sea.Click Here

Recycling Your Contact Lenses

Patients who dispose of their old contact lenses by throwing them down the drain or

flushing them down the toilet could be contributing to the problem of microplastic

pollution, scientists say. Given the estimated 5 million wearers of contact lenses in the UK

alone, how many millions of people are disposing of these plastics improperly? 

The American Chemical Society carried out a research that showed that 20 percent of more than 400 contact lens wearers, who were randomly recruited in an online survey, preferred to

flush their used contact lenses down the toilet or sink. There is information to support the

fragmentation of contact lenses into microplastics within a wastewater treatment plant.

Due to their size and packaging materials, recycling facilities typically cannot handle contact

lens processing, so they are diverted to landfills. A team concluded that microbes in the

wastewater-treatment facility actually altered the surface of the contact lenses, weakening

the bonds in the plastic polymers and promoting their disintegration into microplastics. The

lenses can then make their way into rivers, lakes and the ocean through runoff. Even if the

whole lens does not escape through waste water filters, the fragments of them can be risky,

too, contaminating the environment. 

The fastest-growing part of the contact lens market is daily disposable lenses, which create a lot more waste. Microplastics, may be ingested by fish and other animals thereby entering the food chain.

As unfortunately, contact lens waste is unsuitable to be placed in our recycling bins, if you

are unable to get to one of our specialist contact lens recycling banks at our practices, our

advice is to dispose of your contact lenses in your regular non-recycling bin.