ARTIFICIAL Tears manufacturer Ezricare has had to recall its products after users experienced horrific side effects from using the treatment.
Here's what we know about why it has been recalled, and what people have said about the product.
What is Ezricare Artificial Tears?
Ezricare is a brand of eye drops, prescribed for eye dryness.
It is an over-the-counter form of medication.
Ezricare has recalled its products due to a link to an aggressive bacteria, which has caused deaths and lifechanging illnesses to users.
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Health authorities in the US have warned against purchasing the product while they continue their investigation.
Why are the eyedrops being recalled?
The products are being recalled due to a link to pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterial infection that is immune to antibiotics.
Most of these have been attributed to eye drop companies Ezricare and Delsam Pharma.
The bacteria starts through bad hygiene either due to hands that haven’t been washed or medical equipment and surfaces not being sanitized.
According to the Centre For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) at least three people have died after using the drops.
Furthermore, other users have reported going blind after usage, and some have had to have their eyeballs surgically removed.
Through data collected by the CDC between May 2022 and February 2023, at least 68 people have been infected with the bacteria.
According to the CDC eye infection symptoms may include:
- Yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eye
- Eye pain or discomfort
- Redness of the eye or eyelid
- Feeling of something in your eye (foreign body sensation)
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Blurry vision
What has been said about Ezricare Artificial Tears?
A spokesperson for Ezricare said in February 2023 that they were “not aware of any testing that definitively links the pseudomonas aeruginosa outbreak to EzriCare Artificial Tears” but had taken steps to recall the product.
A CDC spokesperson said in March 2023: “Patients who have used EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears and who have signs or symptoms of an eye infection should seek medical care immediately.”
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have warned customers against buying other products from the brand as well, such as eye ointment, because of links to bacterial infection.
