As you shop around for the perfect Halloween costume, beware.
Don’t reach for those decorative contact lenses that will transform your boring pupils into green feline eyes or spiral hypnotizers.
The Food and Drug Administration warns these cosmetic lenses sold in Halloween supply stores, flea markets and mall kiosks are illegal and can lead to blindness.
Contact lenses are medical devices that can only be distributed by licensed eye care professionals, according to a federal law passed in 2005.
Dr. Kendall Donaldson, an ophthalmologist at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Plantation, says consumers may not realize the serious risks of cosmetic contact lenses. She says they are not one-size-fits-all.
“Each person’s cornea is shaped a little bit differently and since these lenses are not fit on the eye you may have them rubbing on the surface of the eye which can cause these scratches or abrasions,” she says.
Donaldson explains injuries to the cornea from ill-fitting lenses can lead to bacterial infections, which could lead to corneal scarring and vision loss.
There’s also the risk of allergic reactions.
The Florida Department of Health carried out Operation Jack-O-Lantern this month and handed out cease- and-desist letter to 16 beauty supply stores in Miami-Dade and Broward that were selling the illegal contact lenses.
“We want consumers to understand that contact lenses are a medical device, that they’re not just a part of a costume,” says Donaldson.
The American Optometric Association offers these recommendations for all contact-lens wearers:
- Wear contact lenses only if they are fitted and prescribed by an optometrist.
- Do not purchase contact lenses from gas stations, video stores, websites, or any other place not authorized by law to dispense contact lenses.
- Make sure contact lenses are properly cleaned and disinfected as instructed by your eye-care professional.
- Make sure you wash your hands before handling and cleaning your contact lenses.
- Never swap or share contact lenses with anyone.
- Make sure contact lenses are properly cleaned and disinfected as instructed by your eye-care professional.
- Make sure you wash your hands before handling and cleaning your contact lenses.
- Never swap or share contact lenses with anyone.
- Never sleep while wearing contact lenses unless they are extended-wear lenses specifically designed for that purpose.
