Halloween Contact Lenses Warning: May Cause Blindness

Doctors are warning that novelty Halloween lenses can carry serious risks. Buying contact lenses from beauty supply stores or Halloween shops could be dangerous. Contact lenses need to be fitted to your eye, as they change shape for each manufacturer. The measurement needs to be done by a licenses optometrist. An ill-fitting contact can scratch your eye or allow an infection to set in. This could lead to vision loss and possible blindness.

The other issues is with prescription. Novelty lenses may not have accurate eye sight prescriptions on the label and you might be buying the wrong strength for your eyes. This could lead to headaches and eventual sight damage.

The sale of any contact lenses without asking for prescription is against federal law. Many temporary Halloween stores stock novelty lenses that are available without prescription  This makes the practice illegal. They are considered medical devices are are subject to increased regulation.

Officials are giving citations to stores they find selling illegal contact lenses. The sale of the contacts is down from previous years, namely because of their price. Many of these novelty contacts are only approved for single use, making it an expensive costume piece.

If you are on the market for novelty contact lenses, visit your optometrist for their recommendation. There you can get an accurate prescription and fitting, and you can be sure that they are safe to use.

Source: Palm Beach Post