FAQs: Renu

Frequently Asked Questions About Bausch & Lomb ReNu® with Moisture Loc®

• What is fungal (Fusarium) keratitis?
• Symptoms of Fungal Keratitis
• Diagnosis of Fungal Keratitis
• Treatment of Fungal (Fusarium) Keratitis
• 6 Recommendations for Clean and Safe Contact Lens Wear
• Risk Factors for Corneal Infection

What is fungal (Fusarium) keratitis?

Fungal keratitis is a serious and painful corneal infection caused by a fungal organism.  Fungal keratitis typically develops when the eye comes into traumatic contact with plant matter which implants a fungus directly onto the cornea.  The fungus grows slowly in the cornea. Until recently, fungal keratitis was rarely reported by wearers of contact lenses. 

Symptoms of fungal keratitis include blurred vision, a red and painful eye that does not improve when contact lenses are removed, increased sensitivity to light and excessive tearing or discharge.  If you experience these symptoms, contact your doctor or ophthalmologist for treatment. 

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Symptoms of Fungal Keratitis

• Include Blurred Vision
• Red Eye – Does not improve once contact is removed
• Painful Eye – Does not improve once contact is removed
• Increased sensitivity to light
• Excessive tearing or discharge

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should return to your optometrist immediately or contact Blizzard, McCarthy & Nabers, L.L.P.

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Diagnosis of Fungal Keratitis

Clinically, it is often difficult to differentiate between fungal and bacterial infections confirmation may be obtained by your doctor through corneal culture, corneal tissue biopsy or confocal microscopy.

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Treatment of Fungal (Fusarium) Keratitis

Laboratory results take time to get back, so your doctor may place you on antibiotics pending results.  Should fungal treatment be warranted, topical or oral anti-fungal agents may be used.  In some cases, surgical intervention is necessary.

First-line treatment includes topical and oral antifungal medications.  Patients who do not respond to medical treatment usually require surgical intervention, including corneal transplantation.  Approximately 15-27% of patients require surgical intervention.  In some cases even corneal surgery will not restore vision, and the patient will be permanently blind or otherwise permanently vision impaired.  Therefore, it is otherwise permanently vision impaired.  Therefore, it is important to realize that early diagnosis coupled with appropriate treatment is critical to recovery from Fusarium Keratitis.

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6 Recommendations for Clean and Safe Contact Lens Wear

1. Always wash your hands before handling your contact lens.
2. Carefully and regularly clean contact lenses.
3. Store lenses in cleans and proper case.  Replace case every 3 months.
4. Use only cleaning products recommended by your optometrist.
5. Never re-use old solution.
6. Replace contact lenses as prescribed by your doctor.

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Risk Factors for Corneal Infection

The risk factors for fungal infections of the cornea include:

• Trauma to the eye, especially trauma whit plant materials poked in the eye with a branch or leaf or trauma outdoors (where fungi are most likely to be growing
• Wearing contact lenses
• Chronic disease of the surface of the eye
• Using ReNu® with Moisture Loc® multi-purpose contact solution.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently discovered that contact lens wears who use cleaning and storage solution made by Baush & Lomb have a greatly increased risk for a particular type of cornea infection: Fusarium Keratitis.  At this time it is not known if the solution itself is infected with the fusarium fungus chemicals in the solution adversely affect the eye in individuals more susceptible to a Fusarium infection, which common cause of fungal Keratitis:
• Eye surgery
• Overusing anesthetics applied to the surface of the eye or an ointment
• Conditions that weaken the immune system, such as HIV or warm climates.
• In the Southern States fungal Keratitis causes for one-third of corneal infections compared to approximately one percent in northern states.

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