Risks of Contact Lenses for Halloween

Center for Sight wants to make Fall River residents aware that the improper use of decorative cosmetic contactlenses for Halloween poses risks to eye health and vision. The Food and Drug Administration, regulates all contact lenses as medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye-care professional. Even someone with perfect vision would still require an eye exam and a prescription in order to wear any kind of contacts, including cosmetic decorative contact lenses for Halloween. Some websites advertise decorative contacts as if they were fashion accessories or toys with fanciful, playful packaging in order to attract teens and young adults, especially girls.

The Problem with Decorative Cosmetic Contact Lenses

The problem is not that people use decorative, non-corrective contact lenses, but that they buy the devices without a prescription through unlicensed vendors on the Internet or at flea markets and specialty shops.

The Eye Health & Vision Risks with Decorative Cosmetic Contact Lenses

The risks of using improper cosmetic non-corrective decorative contacts are significant to eye health and vision. The buyer of these over-the-counter contact lenses faces a range of risks including scratched corneas or corneal abrasions, “pink eye” conjunctivitis and more serious types of blinding infection as a result of a corneal ulcer or keratitis.

The safe and effective use ofcontact lenses-whether decorative or not-requires proper fitting and education about their care to prevent the potential for serious eye problems from becoming a reality. If you or a friend would like to learn more about contact lenses of any type including decorative contacts please call Center for Sight at 508-730-2020, visit www.center-for-sight.com or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an appointment.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.