European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                T if extended Wear contacts can be hazardous to your sight by Anne c. Roark los Angeles times extended Wear Contact lenses introduced  years ago and now worn by 1 million americana arc More than 10 times 35 Likely As cider kinds of lenses to cause serious co inflammation that can Lead to blindness according to studies published in the new England journal of Medicine. Scientists have Long suspected that the More hours a Day patients Wear Contact lenses the greater the risk to their eyes even when the lenses Are prescribed for extended use but the new England journal studies sponsored by the major manufacturers of Contact lenses and conducted by researchers at Harvard medical school and the Massachusetts Eye and ear infirmary Are the first to document the extent of the danger lacing those who Wear soft Contact lenses overnight or longer. About one fifth of All Contact Lens users Are in this category the risk of serious Eye damage with any Lens is minuscule Only iwo enl is of t percent said Barbara Kelley director of Public affairs for Bausch and lomb the nation s largest manufacturer of Contact lenses and a member of the Contact Lens Institute which sponsored the studies. Nonetheless Kelley said the risk was already perceived As being significant enough that in april Bausch and lomb began telling users of its extended Wear tenses to limit wearing time to seven Days after which the lenses should be removed and cleaned in May. The food and drug administration in anticipation of the publication of the new England journal studies advised All Contact tens manufacturers to inform patients that a previous 30-Day limit on wearing Lime should be reduced to seven Days. The studies documented what is considered the worst Hazard of Contact Lens Wear scratching or abrasion of the Cornea that can Lead to ulceration which in untreated will cause permanent damage and May cause blindness precisely what causes the increased risk of Eye damage in patients who Wear lenses for Long periods is not Clear according to the Massachusetts researchers one theory is that lenses worn round the clock result in hypoxia. Or a decreased Supply of oxygen to the cells of the Cornea which in turn makes the Cornea More susceptible to abrasion and infection another theory is that extended Wear especially in the lenses Are no cleaned regularly increases the Opportunity for bacteria growth which can endanger the health of the Eye. People who Pul lenses in their eyes and leave them there Are being seduced by the convenience. And simply Don t take care of their lenses said David Krasnow a Santa Monica calif., optometrist who specializes in filling Contact lenses. Indeed the Massachusetts researchers found in a Survey of ophthalmologists in five new England Stales and a detailed study of 99 patients with corneal ulcers the Overall level of Lens care among both patients and control subjects was alarmingly  ii is estimated the editors of the new England journal said in an editorial thai 50 percent of those who Wear Contact lenses care for them unhygienic ally they do not clean the lenses As prescribed. They allow Mold to grow on their cleaning equipment. They pop the lenses into heir Mouths to wet them. Contact lenses were first introduced on the Market in the 1940s As hard uncomfortable Glass discs about the size of a Quarter. Today contacts Are about the size of a Fingernail. They Are made from a variety of plastic products and Are worn by about 7 percent of americans the safest Are thought to be those made of hard plastic or Gas permeable rigid plastic but they Are also the most uncomfortable. By Lar the easiest to Wear though the most complicated to care for Are soft lenses introduced in 1971 and made from a variety of porous liquid absorbing plastics. Extended Wear soil lenses were introduced in 1981, and disposable extended Wear lenses were introduced last year. According to the studies about two in every 10.000 people who Wear Standard hard contacts will get a Cornea abrasion that leads loan ill Ammad ulcer for aspirin a dose of caution by Gerri Kobren Baltimore Sun like any drug aspirin has its risks and Sid effects to go along with the  of those effects stomach irritation can be minimized if you Swallow the aspirin with a full Glass of water says to Wallin clinical pharmacist at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. Also advises de Haas director of drug information at the University of Maryland medical system always take it standing up or silting up straight to prevent irritation of the oesophagus. You might also try buffered aspirin which avoids irritation by changing the acid balance in the stomach or coated aspirin which does not dissolve until in reaches the intestine. But if you continue to experience distress Stop taking it and consult a physician. Also if any of the symptoms of aspirin overdose occur ringing in the ears nausea and vomiting dehydration lethargy confusion and loss of consciousness seek medical help immediately. As with All other medicines aspirin should be kept out of the reach of children it is a major cause of poisoning in youngsters Haas says. Additionally Wallin warns. There s an association with Reye s syndrome a serious and sometimes fatal neurological disorder. The centers for disease control recommend that you avoid aspirin in Young children or adolescents Wilh flu like symptoms of Chicken  other situations in which aspirin should not be used even occasionally without a physician s advice according to Haas and Wallin Are tuesday september 26, 1989 annual Contact Lens costs costs physician lenses solutions total retail 1989 Market shares disposable $120-170 " 35oloo 0 30 470-700 2% permeable $200-250 160200 100-150 400-600 18% Eilender Wear $ 50-150 in too 100-150 240-500 20% Dally $ 30-120 a. 50150 100-150 180-420 35% assumes average wearing period o l 0 Days t cleaned daily worn 1-2 years � balance is older typos of lenses Saint  few Tel Iaco those who Wear Gas permeable hard lenses and Whoso who Wear soft lenses and remove them every night the risk is about four in 10,000. But Lor Whoso who Wear contacts round the clock the risk jumps to 21 in 10,000. Months before the results of the new England journal study were Mads Public ophthalmologists Al the Emory University medical school Eye clinic in Atlanta said they had stopped dispensing extended Wear contacts even though they had been Early enthusiasts Lor the lenses. If you have bleeding disorders or medical conditions in which bleeding is or has been a problem ii you have uncontrolled hypertension which is a risk Factor for Hemorrhagic stroke. Ii you Are taking other anti coagulant drugs if you Are about to have surgery. If you have stomach or intestinal ulcer or other chronic gastric distress. If you have reason to believe you Are hypersensitive or allergic to aspirin. This is most Likely to occur in people Wilh asthma. People who Are allergic to aspirin May also be allergic to other non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs oven though they do nol contain the Acety Salicylate that is the Active ingredient in aspirin. If you Are pregnant. Although the ability of Low dose aspirin to protect against to Xemia is being studied the anti clotting effect of regular aspirin poses known clangers to the fetus and the Mother during the last stages of pregnancy. If you have kidney or liver disease or gout. The stars and stripes Page 17