A natural antibacterial that’s already being used to combat malaria could soon be cleansing your contact lens.
Hydroquinine, an organic compound in tree bark, kills almost all bacteria that accumulates on the contact lens, and protects against microbial keratitis, a serious infection that can cause permanent sight loss.
Most solutions on the market aren’t so effective and leave biofilm or clusters of bacteria on the lens. The agents can also cause reactions and painful side effects.
But soaking your lens overnight in a disinfecting agent that contains hydroquinine prevents contamination and infection, say researchers from the University of Portsmouth.
Most important of all, this can prevent microbial keratitis, a serious eye infection caused by lens that haven’t been properly cleaned. People who wear their lens overnight or for longer than the recommended number of hours are most at risk from the infection, which affects about 3.5 million people around the world every year.
Hydroquinine is a natural antimalarial, and it’s also used in the Netherlands to treat night cramps.
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