Halloween Eye Contacts – Be Aware!

As Halloween approaches and you plan your costume, keep in mind those purchasing colored contact lenses from anyone other than a licensed eye care professional or pharmacist is dangerous. Decorative contact lenses just change the look of your eyes. They do not correct your vision. They can temporarily change your brown eyes to blue or make your eyes look like cat eyes or vampire eyes for Halloween.

You can buy contact lenses, including decorative contact lenses, from your eye doctor, on the Internet or from a mail-order company. It’s very important that you only buy contact lenses from a company that sells FDA-cleared or approved contact lenses and requires you to provide a prescription. Decorative contact lenses are actually medical devices. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversees their safety and effectiveness, just like contact lenses that correct your vision.

Anyone selling you contact lenses must get your prescription and verify it with your doctor. They should request not only the prescription, but also the name of your eye doctor and their phone number. If they don’t ask for this information they are breaking federal law and could be selling you illegal contact lenses. Remember — Buying contact lenses without a prescription is dangerous!

Right now there are a lot of products that you can buy without a prescription but they may not be safe or legal. Never buy contact lenses from a street vendor, a beauty supply store, flea market, novelty store or Halloween store - and you should always have a prescription.

NYS Health Department says illegally purchased colored contacts have flooded the retail market during Halloween and are most often found at malls, beauty supply stores and via online websites. These lenses are often made overseas in non-FDA approved facilities with tinting materials that may be toxic to the eye. Without a proper examination and fitting, colored contacts can damage the eye including blindness.

In addition to scratches from ill-fitting lenses, bacteria build within the eye very rapidly and can cause infections. While some infections look like pink eye, contact lenses can cause eye ulcers, which must be treated with a strong antibiotic. If left untreated, ulcers can cause partial or total, irreversible blindness.

Decorative contact lenses are sometimes called, among other names: fashion contact lenses, Halloween contact lenses, colored contact lenses, cosmetic contact lenses, theatre contact lenses

Know the Risks

Wearing decorative contact lenses can be risky, just like the contact lenses that correct your vision.

Wearing any kind of contact lenses, including decorative ones, can cause serious damage to your eyes if the lenses are obtained without a prescription or not used correctly.

These risks include: a cut or scratch on the top layer of your eyeball (Corneal Abrasion), allergic reactions like itchy, watery red eyes, decreased vision, infection, and blindness.

When wearing any type of contact lenses, be aware of signs of possible eye infection, which include: redness, pain in the eye(s) that doesn’t go away after a short period of time, and decreased vision.

If you have any of these signs, you need to see a licensed eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) right away! An eye infection could become serious and cause you to become blind if it is not treated.

You can avoid some of these risks by getting any type of contact lenses from your eye doctor. Be sure to follow the directions for cleaning, disinfecting, and wearing the lenses that your doctor gives you. If your doctor doesn’t give you any directions — ask for them!

Dos and Don’ts

Do get an eye exam! A licensed eye doctor will examine your eyes to make sure the contact lenses fit properly. The fit of your contact lenses is very important. A wrong fit can cause damage to your eyes. Be sure to always go for follow-up eye exams.

Do get a prescription! Your eye doctor will write you a prescription for all contact lenses, including decorative lenses. The prescription should include the brand name, correct lens measurements and expiration date.

Do follow the contact lens care instructions! Follow the instructions for wearing, cleaning and disinfecting your contact lenses that come with your contact lenses. If you do not receive instructions, ask an eye doctor for them.

Do seek medical attention right away and remove your contact lenses if your eyes are red, have ongoing pain or discharge! Redness, pain and discharge from the eyes are signs of an eye infection. If you think you have an eye infection from your contact lenses, remove them and see an eye doctor right away.

Don’t share your contact lenses with anyone else! You wouldn’t share your toothbrush, would you? All eyes are not the same size and shape and your contact lenses are fitted just for you.

Don’t buy any contact lenses without a prescription! If you don’t see an eye doctor and get a prescription, then the contact lenses you get may not fit properly and may not work well. They could even damage your eyes. Sometimes wearing contact lenses can damage the top layer of your eyeball (cornea). Even if you aren’t having any problems now, the lenses still could be causing damage to your eyes. By having regular checkups and buying contact lenses with a prescription, you will reduce the chances of any undetected damage to your eyes.

It’s your job to make sure you protect your eyes by having an eye exam, getting a prescription and buying contact lenses from a legal source.