Recent media coverage has brought attention to a report claiming that 18 soft contact lenses from three major companies in the industry were found to contain PFAS or toxic "forever chemicals". Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals used in a variety of consumer products for their ability to resist heat, stains, and water. They are referred to as "forever chemicals" because they break down very slowly and can accumulate in people, animals, and the environment over time. This has prompted concern about potential long-term health effects - studies have shown that high levels of exposure to some PFAS may be linked to increased risk of cancer and other adverse health issues. In contact lenses, PFAS are used to soften the material and enhance oxygen permeability. So, you might be wondering, are my soft contact lenses safe to be wearing? Currently, there is no scientific litera...
I hope everyone is having a nice weekend. I wanted to take a moment and talk about the recalled artificial tears that you may have heard about on the news. I have had a few calls from patients over the last couple of weeks about these. They are Ezricare non-preserved artificial tears and were recalled on February 2nd. There have been 55 reported infections with 5 people losing vision and one person dying. How can you die from an eye drop you ask... Eye drops, like all medications, are absorbed into the body as well as the eye. In this case the bacteria got into the blood stream and the patient most likely became septic, which is an infection in the blood. These particular drops are not any I have ever heard of and I have never seen them locally. They are manufactured in India. The particular issue with these is that they are non-preserved so any bacteria that is in the bottle has nothing to stop it from growing. The photos of the drop seem to show a large bottle. The non-pr...
Welcome Dr. Rachel Browne To EHS!! Hello there! Dr. Rachel here. Last week marked two months since joining Eye Health Solutions and what a busy time it has been getting to know my way around the office. Thank you to everyone who has welcomed me thus far, and to those who continue to trust me with their eye care needs. If I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rachel (Barnes) Browne and I am the “new” optometrist here at Eye Health Solutions. This coming May I will have been in practice for 10 years, and I am thrilled to continue my career working alongside exceptional physicians like Dr. Jason and Dr. Lily. I really enjoy working with patients of all ages - infants to seniors - and I love that every day is different than the next. I was born and raised in Pella, where I currently reside with my husband, Dustin, and our three children: Taylen (8), Noah (5), and Eden (2). We love being a part of a small co...
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