How concerned should users be after an infection linked to eye drops resulted in permanent vision loss in five people and at least one death? Here's what eye experts and infectious-disease specialists advised.
Close up cropped shot, face of senior woman eye looking straight, into distance. Eyesight, ophthalmology clinic advertisement for older, eye-care, disease prevention, vision care and treatment conceptMillions of Americans use eye drops for conditions such as dry eye, glaucoma and itchiness caused by allergies or air pollution.
How concerned should eye drops users be about their risk of infection? We asked eye experts and infectious-disease specialists. Here's what they advised.Eye drops is an all-encompassing term that refers to all eye medications, including artificial tears and prescription products that treat specific diseases, such as glaucoma.
Infection risk from preservative-free drops is "extremely low when used correctly," he said. People should not touch the tip of the vial to their eyes or keep a vial for more than a day, referring to those who try to get more than one dose from the small containers. "Pseudomonas aeruginosa is very destructive," said Elizabeth Connick, professor of medicine and immunobiology and chief of the division of infectious diseases at the University of Arizona. "It secretes proteins that can destroy the clear tissue at the front of the eye - the cornea - and allows it to invade the eye. It can impair vision or even blind someone.
Since the bacterium loves water, other potential reservoirs can include hot tubs and humidifiers, he said.Some but not all. "This is an ongoing investigation," Sharan said, and the CDC is "looking more at underlying conditions among patients."It may be difficult for people to distinguish between a potentially serious eye infection and other less threatening conditions, since the symptoms often are similar, experts said.
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