Almost all wearers promote infection.

• Position: Contact Lenses - Brief article

Almost all of the 41,000,000 estimated contact lens wearers in the U.S. may be engaging in at least one behavior known to increase their risk of eye infections, according to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. Nearly one-third of contact lens wearers who participated in a national survey went to the doctor for red or painful eyes related to wearing contact lenses.

More than 99% of survey respondents reported at least one risky behavior. The majority of wearers keep their contact lens cases for longer than recommended (82.3%); "topping off" solution in the case--adding new solution to the existing solution instead of emptying the case out fully before adding new solution (55.1%); or wearing their lenses while sleeping (50.2%).

Each of these behaviors has been cited in previous studies to raise the risk of eye infections by five times or more.

"Good vision contributes to overall well-being and independence for people of all ages, so it's important not...