scholarly journals Microbiological analysis of contact lens cases and effective health behaviors

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e17-e17
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Eslami ◽  
Hamid Reza Ghasemi Basir ◽  
Abbas Moradi ◽  
Mina Bayat

Introduction: Contact lenses are increasingly being used for cosmetic or therapeutic purposes, followed by subsequent contamination and complications such as keratitis. The lens case is one of the most common places to find the cause of contamination. Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the health behaviors affecting the lens case contamination and its relationship with the result of lens case culture which can help in prevention of complications. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study that was performed in northwest of Iran, 150 asymptomatic participants were assessed for health behaviors affecting the lens case contamination and their lens cases were sampled for culture and antibiogram. Data were analyzed with SPSS-16 software. Results: The frequency of positive microbial culture in medical and cosmetic contact lens cases was 30.7% and 66.8%, respectively and 32.7% in general. Among the isolated bacteria observed in positive cultures, Alcaligenes,Enterobacter aerogenes, gram-positive Diphtheroid bacilli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis were the most common microorganisms, respectively. Conclusion: A significant proportion of contact lens cases, especially those used for cosmetic purposes had bacterial contamination. Failure to replace the lens case for more than 9 months and the mismatch of the lens solution brand with its storage case will increase bacterial contamination. Washing the lens case with soap and water, and drying it after washing, will reduce bacterial contamination.

10.2196/18996 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. e18996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takenori Inomata ◽  
Masahiro Nakamura ◽  
Masao Iwagami ◽  
Akie Midorikawa-Inomata ◽  
Jaemyoung Sung ◽  
...  

Background Discontinuation of contact lens use is mainly caused by contact lens–associated dry eye. It is crucial to delineate contact lens–associated dry eye's multifaceted nature to tailor treatment to each patient’s individual needs for future personalized medicine. Objective This paper aims to quantify and stratify individual subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye and clarify its risk factors for future personalized medicine using the smartphone app DryEyeRhythm (Juntendo University). Methods This cross-sectional study included iPhone (Apple Inc) users in Japan who downloaded DryEyeRhythm. DryEyeRhythm was used to collect medical big data related to contact lens–associated dry eye between November 2016 and January 2018. The main outcome measure was the incidence of contact lens–associated dry eye. Univariate and multivariate adjusted odds ratios of risk factors for contact lens–associated dry eye were determined by logistic regression analyses. The t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding algorithm was used to depict the stratification of subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye. Results The records of 4454 individuals (median age 27.9 years, SD 12.6), including 2972 female participants (66.73%), who completed all surveys were included in this study. Among the included participants, 1844 (41.40%) were using contact lenses, and among those who used contact lenses, 1447 (78.47%) had contact lens–associated dry eye. Multivariate adjusted odds ratios of risk factors for contact lens–associated dry eye were as follows: younger age, 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-0.99); female sex, 1.53 (95% CI 1.05-2.24); hay fever, 1.38 (95% CI 1.10-1.74); mental illness other than depression or schizophrenia, 2.51 (95% CI 1.13-5.57); past diagnosis of dry eye, 2.21 (95% CI 1.63-2.99); extended screen exposure time >8 hours, 1.61 (95% CI 1.13-2.28); and smoking, 2.07 (95% CI 1.49-2.88). The t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding analysis visualized and stratified 14 groups based on the subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye. Conclusions This study identified and stratified individuals with contact lens–associated dry eye and its risk factors. Data on subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye could be used for prospective prevention of contact lens–associated dry eye progression.


Author(s):  
Ismail Abuallut ◽  
Abdulaziz A. Hakami ◽  
Mohammed I. Alameer ◽  
Mohammed O. Shami ◽  
Nasser M. Hakami ◽  
...  

Background: Contact lenses are medical devices which are used as an alternative to spectacles to correct problems with eyesight. Poor hygienic handling of these lenses poses an ocular health risk. Increased popularity and usage of contact lenses in combination with insufficient cleanliness results in increased bacterial infections of the eye, even resulting in blindness. Materials and Methods: We employed a quantitative cross-sectional study, where we used questionnaires to gather data. We conducted the study among students of the Health Faculty at Jazan University where we recruited 361 participants. Using the questionnaires, we assessed the use of contact lenses and the hygiene practice when handling them among the participants. To the best of our knowledge, only one study has been conducted in the Jazan region to assess contact lens awareness and practice, which can be consider as a gap of knowledge that make our study can be consider a vital observation about usage of contact lens in the Jazan region. Results: We found that 52.6% of the participants use contact lenses. Among those it is predominantly females who use contact lenses, and their motivation is primarily for cosmetic reasons. We further found that the majority of contact lens users exhibit good hygiene practices when handling contact lenses. However, there remains more than a quarter of participants for whom the hygiene practice is poor to moderately good. Conclusion: The majority of participants 172 (84.7%) had good practice level regarding wearing contact lenses. Considering the significant fraction of participants who showed inadequate hygiene practice, we recommend better information and training for those who use contact lenses. This information and training should be predominantly made available on the internet or through contact lens vendors, as these are the most common information channels among the participants.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 951-953
Author(s):  
Sadaf Qayyum ◽  
Zubair Wahab ◽  
Rabia Saeed ◽  
Anbar Zulfiqar ◽  
Ayisha Shakeel ◽  
...  

Aim: To compare the contrast sensitivity in different categories of myopia using two different optical correction spectacles and contact lens correction. Methods: This cross-sectional study in design was conducted from August 2018 to May 2019 at the Ophthalmology Department of Madinah Teaching Hospital Faisalabad.45 subjects corrected with spectacles lenses and contact lenses all had corrected visual acuity of 6/9 or better were studied.The extent of myopia determined the three groups. All individuals were subjected to spectacles and Contact lens correction using slitlamp for anterior eye examination and for the fundus examination. The assessment of visual acuity was carried out by the Snellen vision Chart at 6m distance and contrastssensitivity was tested by Pelli- Robson chart. Results: Results showed a significant relationship between contrast sensitivity and type of optical correction. There were significant results of the independent t-test for spectacle and contact lenses 0.00 (p<0.005). However, the mean contrast sensitivity was better for all the three groupswith contact lens correction as compared to spectacle lens correction.Contact lenses provide better contrast sensitivity than spectacle lenses. Conclusion: Comparison between contact lens and spectacle correction was done and better quality contact lenses reduce optical defocus and give better results of contrast sensitivity. Results also concluded that loss of contrast sensitivity will be interpreted as early loss of retinal functions in severe myopes. Keywords: Myopia, Contrast sensitivity, Spectacle lens, Contact lens


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takenori Inomata ◽  
Masahiro Nakamura ◽  
Masao Iwagami ◽  
Akie Midorikawa-Inomata ◽  
Jaemyoung Sung ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Discontinuation of contact lens use is mainly caused by contact lens–associated dry eye. It is crucial to delineate contact lens–associated dry eye's multifaceted nature to tailor treatment to each patient’s individual needs for future personalized medicine. OBJECTIVE This paper aims to quantify and stratify individual subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye and clarify its risk factors for future personalized medicine using the smartphone app DryEyeRhythm (Juntendo University). METHODS This cross-sectional study included iPhone (Apple Inc) users in Japan who downloaded DryEyeRhythm. DryEyeRhythm was used to collect medical big data related to contact lens–associated dry eye between November 2016 and January 2018. The main outcome measure was the incidence of contact lens–associated dry eye. Univariate and multivariate adjusted odds ratios of risk factors for contact lens–associated dry eye were determined by logistic regression analyses. The t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding algorithm was used to depict the stratification of subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye. RESULTS The records of 4454 individuals (median age 27.9 years, SD 12.6), including 2972 female participants (66.73%), who completed all surveys were included in this study. Among the included participants, 1844 (41.40%) were using contact lenses, and among those who used contact lenses, 1447 (78.47%) had contact lens–associated dry eye. Multivariate adjusted odds ratios of risk factors for contact lens–associated dry eye were as follows: younger age, 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-0.99); female sex, 1.53 (95% CI 1.05-2.24); hay fever, 1.38 (95% CI 1.10-1.74); mental illness other than depression or schizophrenia, 2.51 (95% CI 1.13-5.57); past diagnosis of dry eye, 2.21 (95% CI 1.63-2.99); extended screen exposure time &gt;8 hours, 1.61 (95% CI 1.13-2.28); and smoking, 2.07 (95% CI 1.49-2.88). The t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding analysis visualized and stratified 14 groups based on the subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye. CONCLUSIONS This study identified and stratified individuals with contact lens–associated dry eye and its risk factors. Data on subjective symptoms of contact lens–associated dry eye could be used for prospective prevention of contact lens–associated dry eye progression.


Author(s):  
Debayan Mallik ◽  
Anju Gahlot ◽  
Ashok Maini ◽  
Sughandha Garg

Background: The increased use of computers in the workplace has brought about the development of a number of health concerns majority related to eyes which prompted us to carry out this study to find out the factors relating to eye and vision problems associated with computer work and recommendations for preventing or reducing their developments.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, which was carried out amongst employees of Rama University, Mandhana, Kanpur, India. The data was collected between June 2016 and October 2016. A total of 214 individuals gave their consent and participated in the study. A pretested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data.Results: 214 personnel were interviewed. Mean age of study subjects was 33.5±11.013 years with 58.88% of subjects being in the age group of 25-35 years. 49 (22.9%) reported spending 2-3 hours 118 (54.83%) spent 3-6 hour/day, while 47 (22%) of the respondents spent more than 6 hour/day working on a computer. Prevalence of dry eye was found to be 75% (160/214). The common symptoms were watery eyes (31.77%), followed by sensitivity to light & blurring of vision (both 17.76%), sensation of having something in the eyes (14.95%), difficulty in night time driving (13.08%), eye redness (11.21%) and difficulty in wearing contact lenses (5.6%).Conclusions:Three fourth of the computer professionals we studied had mentioned to have some computer-related health problems. This is a significant proportion and denotes that the occupational health of the people working in the computer field should be emphasized as a field of concern in public health. The ergonomics of the working environment of the computer professionals have a direct impact on their wellbeing. Hence the organizations employing them, as well as the professionals themselves need to be sensitized regarding the importance of the regular eye & health check-ups and proper working conditions. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
D de Assumpção ◽  
S M Álvares Domene ◽  
A M Pita Ruiz ◽  
P M Stolses Bergamo Francisco

Abstract Background The consumption of red meat should not surpass 500 g of cooked weight per week. Regular consumption can exceed this recommendation, increasing the risk of chronic diseases. Objective Estimate the prevalence of the regular consumption of red meat according to health behaviors in Brazilian adults (≥18 years). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with data from the 2013 National Health Survey, which is a household inquiry with a representative sample of the population ≥18 years of age. The regular consumption of red meat (beef, pork, goat) was defined as ≥ 5 days/week. Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated according to health behaviors (healthy and unhealthy eating patterns, smoking, practice of physical activity during leisure and alcohol intake). Results A total of 60,202 adults were interviewed, 52.9% of whom were women and mean age was 42.9 years (95%CI: 42.6-43.2). The prevalence of regular red meat consumption was 36.7% (95%CI: 36.0-37.5) and was higher among those who ingested soft drinks/artificial juice (PR = 1.08) and sweets (PR = 1.05) ≥3 days/week, ingested beans (PR = 1.07) and raw vegetables (PR = 1.03) ≥5 days/week, ingested fatty meat (PR = 1.09), smokers (PR = 1.05), individuals who were inactive during leisure (PR = 1.04) and those who consumed alcohol ≥2 times/week (PR = 1.06). The prevalence was lower among those who ate fruit (PR = 0.99) and chicken (PR = 0.95) ≥5 days/week, those who ate fish (PR = 0.90) at least 1 day/week and those who drank no fat/low fat milk rather than whole milk. Conclusions The regular consumption of red meat was higher among individuals who ingested unhealthy foods more often, those who ingested fatty meat, smokers, those who ingested alcoholic beverages and those who did not practice physical activity. Actions are needed to reduce the frequency of red meat consumption. Key messages Regular consumption of red meat can exceed the recommendation of 500 g of cooked weight per week. The regular consumption of red meat was associated with the more frequent ingestion of unhealthy foods and fatty meat.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naohiko Aketa ◽  
Miki Uchino ◽  
Motoko Kawashima ◽  
Yuichi Uchino ◽  
Kenya Yuki ◽  
...  

AbstractThis population-based cross-sectional study was performed to determine the mean corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV), and hexagonality (HEX), and their associations with myopia in Japanese adults living in Chikusei city. Of 7109 participants with available data, 5713 (2331 male and 3382 female) participants were eligible for analysis. After assessing the relationship between participant characteristics and spherical equivalent refraction (SER), the association of SER with the abnormal value of ECD (< 2000 cells/mm), CV (≥ 0.40), and HEX (≤ 50%) were determined using the logistic regression models adjusting for potential confounders (age, intraocular pressure, keratometric power, height, and antihypertensive drug use). In male participants, there was no statistically significant relationships between SER and endothelial parameters. In female participants, compared to emmetropia, SER ≤ − 6 D had significantly higher odds ratio (OR) of having the abnormal value of CV (OR = 2.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.39–3.10) and HEX (OR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.29–3.23), adjusted for potential confounders, indicating that the high myopia was associated with the abnormal values of CV and HEX. Further adjustment for contact lenses wear partly attenuated these associations. Association between the SER and ECD was not detected.


2020 ◽  
pp. 101053952098092
Author(s):  
Shuaijun Guo ◽  
Lucio Naccarella ◽  
Xiaoming Yu ◽  
Rebecca Armstrong ◽  
Geoffrey Browne ◽  
...  

While health literacy research in mainland China has gained increasing attention, most studies focus on adults. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of health literacy in the relationship between a range of upstream factors and health behaviors among Chinese secondary students. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 650 students in Years 7 to 9 from 4 secondary schools in Beijing. Based on an adapted health literacy framework from Manganello, a self-administered questionnaire was designed to collect information on upstream factors, health literacy, and health behaviors. Path analysis results showed that the proposed framework was mostly supported by empirical data after modification indices were examined and 3 direct paths were added. Students’ self-efficacy, social support, and school environment were associated with health literacy, which in turn predicted health behaviors. A holistic approach is needed to improve both adolescent health literacy and health behaviors for Chinese school-aged adolescents.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1147-1153
Author(s):  
Fatima Ali Mazahir ◽  
Manal Mustafa Khadora

AbstractObjectivesWe evaluated the spectrum of diseases accompanying congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in the United Arab Emirates and compared them with internationally studied patterns.MethodsThe presented retrospective cross-sectional study took place in two government tertiary care centres. In total, 204 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CH and a minimum period of follow-up of 1 year were included. Patients with Down syndrome, infants born at <35 weeks of gestation, and babies with TORCH (Toxoplasma gondii, Other viruses [HIV, measles, etc.], Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex) infections were subsequently excluded from the study.ResultsOf the subjects with CH, 39% had associated extrathyroidal anomalies (ETAs); among these, 25% had a single anomaly. A significant proportion of Arab males were affected by CH as compared to other ethnic groups. Dyshormonogenesis was the commonest aetiological cause (55%) of CH. Males with an ectopic lingual thyroid gland had significant ETAs as compared to females of the same cohort. The most common ETAs were congenital heart disease (16%), followed by urogenital tract anomalies (14%).ConclusionsDetection of a high rate and variability of ETAs associated with CH necessitates the formulation of a structured screening programme including appropriate clinical, laboratory, and imaging tools to detect ETAs at an earlier stage.


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