Keep bottle closed at all times
December 13, 2009 8:32 PM Subscribe
What are the risks of leaving a bottle of contact lens solution open on the counter regularly?
The bottle itself says to "keep bottle tightly closed at all times," and not to touch the tip to any surfaces. We've been doing the latter, but leaving the lid off for convenience during the day. The bottle has a small tip, with a tiny hole, though it is a big bottle of solution. After borrowing a friend's bottle in a pinch, we found that the next morning, it seemed like our lenses were soaking in stinky swamp water. That was a bit of a scare! Ours has never been noticeably bad, and we didn't even give it a second thought until that scare. Now I'm paranoid, and imagining a slimy coating running over my eyes every time they go in.
Please help us convince ourselves to keep that dang bottle closed during the time we're not using it, or let us know why we're actually not at that much risk! Scary infected eye images and bacteria pictures are welcome. Eek!
The bottle itself says to "keep bottle tightly closed at all times," and not to touch the tip to any surfaces. We've been doing the latter, but leaving the lid off for convenience during the day. The bottle has a small tip, with a tiny hole, though it is a big bottle of solution. After borrowing a friend's bottle in a pinch, we found that the next morning, it seemed like our lenses were soaking in stinky swamp water. That was a bit of a scare! Ours has never been noticeably bad, and we didn't even give it a second thought until that scare. Now I'm paranoid, and imagining a slimy coating running over my eyes every time they go in.
Please help us convince ourselves to keep that dang bottle closed during the time we're not using it, or let us know why we're actually not at that much risk! Scary infected eye images and bacteria pictures are welcome. Eek!
So two things occur to me:
1) Evaporation. This would modify the salinity of the solution by reducing how much water is there versus the salt (which doesn't evaporate).
2) Inoculation. Even that tiny hole is big enough for bacteria, many of which are airborne.
I'd close it.
posted by Netzapper at 8:52 PM on December 13, 2009 [1 favorite]
1) Evaporation. This would modify the salinity of the solution by reducing how much water is there versus the salt (which doesn't evaporate).
2) Inoculation. Even that tiny hole is big enough for bacteria, many of which are airborne.
I'd close it.
posted by Netzapper at 8:52 PM on December 13, 2009 [1 favorite]
Corneal infections from contact lens solution are severely unfun and require immediate medical attention.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 8:55 PM on December 13, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 8:55 PM on December 13, 2009 [1 favorite]
Don't take chances with your eyes. The opening of the bottle may be small, but bacteria is way smaller.
posted by amro at 8:57 PM on December 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by amro at 8:57 PM on December 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
I've had contacts (and therefore have been using contact solution of one kind or another) for 25 years, and I'm usually fairly lazy on this score, so I leave the bottle open about half the time. It hasn't caused me any problems so far (the two or three eye infections I've ever had were definitely caused by things other than gucky contact solution), but you may not want to play the odds.
posted by scody at 11:04 PM on December 13, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by scody at 11:04 PM on December 13, 2009 [3 favorites]
Why not use a spray, like Lens Plus? That's what I used when I wore contacts. It's ozone-friendly.
Also, why do you need to leave the bottle open for convenience? Are you putting in and taking out your contacts several times a day? You put the cover back on the toothpaste, right? Just put up a sticky note reminding you to put the lid on where you can see it upon exiting the bathroom.
Oh, and hopefully the open bottle isn't anywhere near your toilet.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 12:35 AM on December 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
Also, why do you need to leave the bottle open for convenience? Are you putting in and taking out your contacts several times a day? You put the cover back on the toothpaste, right? Just put up a sticky note reminding you to put the lid on where you can see it upon exiting the bathroom.
Oh, and hopefully the open bottle isn't anywhere near your toilet.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 12:35 AM on December 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I took a parasitology class, and we learned that this can also grow in contact lens solutions (in addition to the usual environments it is found in).
posted by bolognius maximus at 6:19 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by bolognius maximus at 6:19 AM on December 14, 2009
I know someone who leaves the bottle open 27/7 and has never had a problem. I wouldn't do it though.
posted by caddis at 9:22 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by caddis at 9:22 AM on December 14, 2009
I am a person who leaves the bottle open 24/7 and has for years, but now you all are freaking me out.
posted by something something at 10:26 AM on December 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by something something at 10:26 AM on December 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
Um, ditto something something. Yikes.
posted by kestrel251 at 10:53 AM on December 14, 2009
posted by kestrel251 at 10:53 AM on December 14, 2009
If you keep it in the bathroom and depending on the location of your toilet I'm sure some fecal coliform bacteria would be able to find its way to your bottle fairly easily.
posted by Redmond Cooper at 4:50 PM on December 14, 2009
posted by Redmond Cooper at 4:50 PM on December 14, 2009
Response by poster: So, in a nutshell, we're going to be keeping the lid on. Our anecdotal evidence is that we've never really had a problem, but after the scare with our friend's bottle, why bother taking the chance? I like my eyes, and that amoeba picture is spooky. We also don't want poo bacteria in our eye. Thanks for the information!
posted by swrittenb at 10:17 AM on December 16, 2009
posted by swrittenb at 10:17 AM on December 16, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
I once accidentally used expired contact lens solution. I plopped my contacts in and my eyes both started tearing and twitching horribly. I was in so much pain that I could hardly remove them. My eyes continued to spasm for nearly four hours while I was curled in a fetal position on my bathroom floor. It was really, really horrible.
So keep your lens solution fresh.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:49 PM on December 13, 2009 [2 favorites]