Costume Contacts Can Cause Bacterial Infections, Vision Loss

Don’t trade a fun Halloween night out for a no-fun visit to your optometrist the next day.

Costume contact lenses, bought over (or under) the counter without a professional consultation with your optometrist, can cause a lifetime of damage to your eyes. The American Optometric Association warns that only an evaluation from an eye doctor can determine if a patient is a good candidate for problem-free wearing of contact lenses.

The internet is full of costume contacts offers — but beware! Even FDA-approved lenses can cause serious eye abrasions and infections if they haven’t been specifically fitted to your eyes.

Brian Kane, O.D., owner of the Family EyeCare Clinic, an optometry practice with offices in Willoughby and Painesville, recently said,
“Many people aren’t aware that all contact lenses – corrective and cosmetic – are federally regulated medical devices. It’s illegal to sell contact lenses without a prescription and it’s not smart to buy them. I am glad to prescribe them, but only after a full examination in my office, and making sure my patient has training on the special care that costume lenses require.”

Action to take

The simplest, safest course of action is: just don’t buy costume contacts.
If you must enhance your Halloween experience, don’t take shortcuts. Before Halloween, get a prescription and special instructions on the care of costume contacts from your optometrist.
If a contacts seller doesn’t ask for your prescription, walk or click away. And never buy costume contact lenses at gas stations, video stores, or any vendor like them. Such sales are illegal, and for good reason. Buy only from your optometrist after a contact lens examination.
Professionally made special-effect contact lenses from reputable manufacturers can be as safe as any other contact lens as long as you follow the rules:
• Clean, disinfect, and care for costume contacts the same as you would for corrective contacts, as directed by your optometrist.
• Never share contacts with anyone and don’t swim while wearing them.
• Keep wearing time under eight hours. (Costume contacts are thick, have a layer of paint, and so don’t breathe as well as corrective lenses).
Go to www.familyeyecareclinic.biz for more information on contact lenses.

The Family EyeCare Clinic maintains practices at –

77 Normandy Drive,
Painesville, Ohio,
Phone 440-352-0616

37131 Euclid Avenue,
Willoughby, Ohio,
Phone 440-946-8809

For directions and hours, go to www.familyeyecareclinic.biz

Submitted by Family EyeCare Clinic