The use of contact lenses are becoming an alternative for users that have eyeglasses frame glasses against allergies. In addition, the use of contact lenses is generally dominated by women's votes can also add beauty to the users.However, a study conducted by the University of La Laguna, declared a contact lens can cause blindness. User contact lens hygiene is not the contact lens contact lenses can become a paradise for the causes of blindness protozoa, Acanthamoeba.
Acanthamoeba is one of the protozoa that can cause blindness eyes. Protozoa Patologis it can not be turned off with a normal contact lens cleaning.
Acanthamoeba is generally found in soil, water and damp areas. Several species of Acanthamoeba species consume bacteria and can cause infections to humans. Acanthamoeba infection usually called amoebic keratitis with that attack the human eye. Based on the research, as much 85 percent of amoebic keratitis attack contact lens users.
Contact lens users who do not remove the lens at the time of swimming in chlorinated water containing a cleaning process or the way the water soak in more risk of Acanthamoeba contamination.
"The Acanthamoeba has increased over the last twenty years all over the world, particularly the contact lens users," said researcher University of La Laguna, DR Basilio Valladares. When users contact lens lenses soak in the water lens will contamination with acanthamoeba. Indirectly protozoa long run it will be direct contact with eyes.
According to Valladares, conditions that will be more dangerous because of Acanthamoeba can not be killed only with the normal cleaning process. Researchers have tried Acanthamoeba that can only be killed with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin and fluid liquid antiseptic chlorhexidine with a high concentration. chlorhexidine cleaning liquid contact lenses that are not currently have a high enough concentration.
The researchers examined 153 contact lens users in Tenerife, Spain and find the 90 contact lens contamination Acanthamoeba. 30 percent of the amount stated protozoa exposed to contamination patologis the high-risk cause blindness.
"Currently we are developing solutions that can kill the pathogen species to contact lenses, we expect the user may contact lenses is cautious," said Valladares.
