The Truth About Silicone Hydrogels Part III
October 11, 2008
Well, it’s hit the mainstream now. Silicone hydrogels are pointlessly expensive. According to the article at CBSnews.com titled Newer Contact Lenses Don’t Cut Infections, studies (that have been sited in previous posts here and here at studymyhealth) have shown that silicone hydrogel lenses are NOT the holy grail they were marketed as.
Finding that the newer lens materials don’t reduce infection risk is disappointing, Dart writes.
Although experts thought that the lack of oxygen getting to the cornea was a factor in infections, the findings suggest that other factors may be more important, he says.
The lenses may reduce the turnover of skin cells on the front of the eye, for instance, Dart says, boosting infection risk.
The studies were funded from a variety of sources, including CIBA Vision USA, which makes a variety of contact lenses. One of the supporting organizations, The Vision Cooperative Research Center, receives a royalty on the sale of silicone hydrogel lenses.
I’ll tell you that what makes me quite glad is that the spinmeisters funding these studies ended up getting burned by them. Make sure you go to your optometrist with this new knowledge and get yourself back into your older, cheaper contact lenses before you suffer yourself some permanent eye damage.
