all Information copy from www . cdc .gov
Fast fact
Who Uses Contact Lenses
- An estimated 45 million people in the U.S. wear contact lenses
- Two-thirds of contact lens wearers are female
- The average age of contact lens wearers worldwide is 31 years old
- An estimated 8% of contact lens wearers are under 18 years old, 17% are between ages 18-24, and 75% of adults age 25 and older wear contacts
Benefits of Contact Lens Use
- People can use many different methods to improve their vision, and no single method is the best solution for everyone. Contact lenses are one of several effective options.
- Contact lenses can help people see better without affecting their appearance or interfering with many sports and activities.
- Some children and teens report feeling dramatically better about their appearance when wearing contact lenses
- Compared to wearing glasses, children switching to contact lenses reported significant improvements in the areas of perceived appearance, participation in activities, and satisfaction with vision correction
- Specially designed contact lenses can improve the ability to focus and temporarily reduce poor distance vision (near-sightedness) in certain contact lens wearers
Complications & Risk Factors
- Serious eye infections that can lead to blindness affect up to 1 out of every 500 contact lens users per year 9.
- Not following proper contact lens care instructions has been linked to outbreaks of serious eye infections 10.
- Between 40%-90% of contact lens wearers do not properly follow the care instructions for their contact lenses 11.
- Approximately 99% of respondents reported at least one contact lens hygiene behavior previously associated with an increased risk of eye infection or inflammation 1.
- Improper cleaning and irregular replacement of contact lenses and contact lens cases—as well as other behaviors relating to contact lens hygiene and care—have been linked to a higher risk of complications 11-13.
- Keratitis—a painful eye infection often linked to improper contact lens use—leads to 1 million doctor and hospital visits annually, at a cost of $175 million to the US healthcare system
Prevention
Keep your eyes healthy while wearing contact lenses by following these tips, and always be sure to carry a pair of glasses with you—just in case you have to take out your contact lenses.
