Halloween Safety

To avoid a real-life Halloween horror story – going blind because of a costume accessory – the American Academy of Ophthalmology is warning the public against wearing costume contact lenses purchased without a prescription. These illegally sold cosmetic lenses may not be sterile and can cause a host of serious eye problems capable of morphing a fun Halloween night into a nightmare.


Tiger eyes, checkered pupils: non-prescription decorative lenses also called cosmetic, costume or plano contact lenses come in many different patterns and colors. In 2005, after reports of them causing eye injuries and infections, the Federal Drug Administration classified all contact lenses as medical devices and restricted their distribution to licensed eye care professionals, effectively banning sales of non-prescription contact lenses. Despite that, these items remain available on the internet, in convenience stores and at flea markets.
Below are four frightening ways that non-prescription decorative lenses can hurt your eyes:
  1. Scratches – Because over-the-counter lenses are not fitted and sized for the person wearing the contacts, they can easily scrape the outer layer of the eye. The resulting corneal abrasions can cause redness, light sensitivity, discharge, pain, plus the feeling that something is stuck under the eyelid.
  2. Sores – Costume contact lenses can literally create an eye sore called a corneal ulcer, with symptoms similar to corneal abrasions. The ulcers sometimes appear as a white dot on the iris – the colored part of the eye. When the ulcers heal, they can scar over and can in some cases permanently affect vision.
  3. Infections – Both corneal abrasions and ulcers create openings in the eye, making them more vulnerable to bacteria, viruses and amoebas. All of these organisms can cause serious eye infections known as keratitis. One study found that wearing cosmetic contact lenses increased the risk of keratitis by more than 16 times.  Some infections, such as herpes simplex, can be recurring and difficult to eradicate, while a number of bacteria have become resistant to common antibiotics.
  4. Blindness – In the most extreme cases, complications from wearing costume contact lenses may require surgery or end in blindness. For instance, extensive scarring from an infection can distort the cornea or make it opaque, requiring a corneal transplant to restore vision.  


If you would like to change your look this Halloween, call us at 856.845.7968 x 6.  Remember that contact lenses must be properly fitted and cared for to keep healthy eyesight.

This message was brought to you by  the National Eye Institute (NEI), the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Friedberg Eye Associates

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