ATLANTA -- Some metro Atlanta eye doctors tell us they are seeing patients infected with an eye fungus believe to have been caused by a popular contact lens solution. Dr. Randy Martin investigates.

In the United States, more than 30 million people wear soft contact lenses. The FDA is investigating a serious fungus that appears to have infected a specific brand of contact lens cleaning solution.

The daily soft lenses are made of soft, flexible plastic that allows oxygen to pass through the eyes and they require careful cleaning.

Laura Holmes of Barnesville says that pain and discomfort led her to ophthalmologist, Dr. Doyle Stulting.

He diagnosed her with a rare infection of the cornea caused by a fungus named Fusarium. It recently has been seen in soft contact lens wearers, the majority of whom used Bausch and Lomb’s ReNu Moisture Loc Cleaning Solution.

The company removed it from store shelves around the country.

“Last week I saw 4 patients who had corneal infections associated with contact lens products,” Dr. Stulting says.

The fungus is commonly found in plants and soil and can caused eye infections when there’s trauma, but it’s rarely seen in contact lens wearers.

“The typical symptoms are pain, redness, sensitivity to light or reduced vision or blurred vision – so if you have any of those, then those are warning signs,” Dr. Stulting says.

This fungal infection is not contagious and can be treated with an antibiotic solution.

Holmes says, “It’s still swollen and it’s still uncomfortable and I still have light sensitivity, but it’s getting a lot better.”

Dr. Randy Martin says it’s important for people to take care of their contacts by washing their hands with non-detergent soap and thoroughly drying them before ever touching their contacts. And, after placing the contact lenses in your eyes, wash out your lens case with hot water and allow it to dry. Put in fresh lens solution every night before you remove your contacts. Also, the lens case should be replaced every 3 to 6 months.

And if any contact lens wearer develops symptoms, especially after using ReNu Moisture Loc, they should seek medical attention right away.

“We’ll be able to save vision in patients who present early and are treated appropriately,” Dr. Stulting says.