Dry eyes are a real pain. Thankfully, when this happens, there are many products we can use to treat them.
The most common are eye drops, or artificial tears, which lubricate our eyes and keep them healthy.
At least that is what they are supposed to do! Whereas now various products are being recalled after serious eye infections developed from the use of these eye drops.
Be Aware
The CDC started an investigation into multiple cases of blindness and serious eye infection. The investigation began two months ago.
Specifically, the CDC wants to find out more about how a dangerous bacteria named Pseudomonas aeruginosa managed to impact 50 people across a dozen states.
It caused one death and several people to go blind. The antibiotic-resistant bacteria are extremely dangerous and led to various product recalls.
A stunning 4.95 million people per year die from being unable to be treated with antibiotics, and it’s a very deadly condition.
Ezra Artificial Tears was the main product recalled in link to this outbreak, after being linked to serious infection and vision damage. Ezra Artificial Tears are made by Ezricare, an Indian company owned by a corporation named Global Pharma.
As far as aware these are the only products that have been recalled in the eye drop category, but it’s definitely advisable to remain cautious and look up the latest alerts in this category.
Just because you buy it at the store does not mean it’s safe.
The patients' eyes were painfully inflamed.
They could sense light but could see almost nothing else.
A doctor called one case the worst eye infection he'd ever seen. https://t.co/0GPu9j1G3V— CBC News (@CBCNews) February 28, 2023
Dealing With Dry Eyes
Dry eyes can be the result of health issues, but are often simply the result of living in a dry place, irritation from contact lenses, or being around a lot of smoke. Issues with having dry eyes tend to become worse as you get older.
It’s important to have good nutrition to keep your eyes healthy, including plenty of Vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and plenty of hydration.
Having a healthy diet and avoiding too many sugary products and processed foods is also good for your eyes.
It’s also good to eat more organic and healthy food so you don’t ingest a lot of antibiotic byproducts in processed foods and meats, which increase your risk of developing antibiotic resistance.
Things like antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer, for example, which were pushed so hard during the pandemic, are terrible for you and can lead directly to antibiotic resistance.
Global Pharma Healthcare previously recalled over-the-counter eye drops linked to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections and recently expanded it to include the eye ointment cream. https://t.co/WAJuU9tixD
— Fox5NY (@fox5ny) March 1, 2023
Ezra Responds to Accusations
For its part, EzriCare (maker of Ezra Artificial Tears) initially said it had heard no complaints but later responded, saying the “ongoing investigation” led to them stopping the distribution of their product.
At the end of the day, it’s important to be cautious. Be careful what you put in your eyes and make sure to stay up to date on product recalls and warnings.
