Reusing contact lenses increases sight-loss risk

Users of reusable contact lens are almost four times as likely as those wearing daily disposables to develop a rare sight-threatening eye infection, a study has found.

Researchers suggest people should avoid wearing lenses while swimming or in the shower, and that packaging should include “no water” stickers.

The study, published in the journal Ophthalmolog y, identified several factors, including reusing lenses, that increase the risk of Acanthamoeba keratitis, an infection of the cornea.

The team, led by scientists at UCL, estimate that up to 62 per cent of cases could be prevented if people switched to using daily disposable lenses.