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Health & Fitness

Popular Halloween Products Can Lead to Eye Damage

As kids, teens and some adults shop for Halloween costumes, I would like to issue this caution. Nonprescription novelty contact lenses could permanently damage your eyes. 

 

Decorative contact lenses may look cool with your Halloween costume, but they are not worth risking permanent vision loss. As an ophthalmologist, I can’t stress enough how dangerous it is to use these products without a proper fitting and prescription from an eye care professional.                  

Decorative contact lenses are increasingly popular to create elaborate costumes, offering blood drenched vampire eyes, glow-in-the-dark lizard eyes and more. Unfortunately, decorative contact lenses can also lead to real life nightmares, including permanent eye damage and vision loss.

All contact lenses require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye care professional such as an ophthalmologist — a medical doctor who specializes in the eye. Even someone who has perfect vision needs to get an eye exam and a prescription to wear any kind of contacts, including decorative contact lenses. Products that claim “one size fits all” or “no need to see an eye specialist” can mislead consumers and may be on the market illegally.

A 2005 federal law classified all contact lenses as medical devices and restricted their distribution to licensed eye care professionals. Illegal sale of contact lenses can result in civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation. Additionally, some decorative lenses, such as trendy circle lenses are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved. Consumers should buy decorative contact lenses only from an eye care professional or a seller who asks for a prescription and sells FDA-approved products.

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The Food and Drug Administration warns that decorative lenses “are not cosmetics or over-the-counter merchandise. They are medical devices regulated by the FDA. Places that advertise them as cosmetics or sell them without a prescription are breaking the law”.

To safely wear decorative contact lenses this Halloween or any time of year, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends following these guidelines:

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  • Get an eye exam from an eye care professional such as an ophthalmologist.
  • Obtain a valid prescription that includes the brand name, lens measurements, and expiration date.
  • Purchase the decorative contact lenses from a licensed eye care professional or an eye product retailer who asks for a prescription.
  • Follow the directions for cleaning, disinfecting, and wearing the lenses.
  • Never share contact lenses with another person.
  • Get follow-up exams by your eye care provider.

To obtain a prescription for decorative contact lenses, an eye care professional will measure each eye to ensure proper fit. Contacts that are not fitted by an eye care professional may scratch the eye or cause blood vessels to grow into the cornea. An eye care professional will also provide contact lens care instructions. Contacts left in for too long or that are not cleaned & disinfected can significantly increase the risk of an eye infection.

Symptoms of an eye injury or infection from decorative contact lenses might include redness, pain in the eye, or decreased vision. If you have any of these signs, remove the lenses and seek immediate medical attention from an eye care professional. Eye infections like bacterial keratitis can quickly become serious and cause blindness if left untreated.

 http://www.newjerseyeyemd.com/

 

 





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