Monday, October 21, 2013

Corneal Specialist Cautions on Halloween Contact Lenses

Corneal Specialist Leslie Doctor, M.D. cautioned patient considering Halloween contact lenses as part of their costume. “Wearing non prescription decorative contact lenses for Halloween can be really fun if you are trying to have devil eyes or zebra eyes or just change the color of your eyes-BUT-over-the-counter decorative contact lenses can also lead to serious vision-threatening problems,” explained Dr. Doctor, a Fairfield County Ophthalmologist with offices in Westport, Norwalk & Wilton, CT. “Even someone with perfect vision would still require an eye exam and a proper fitting and prescription in order to wear any kind of contacts safely- including cosmetic contact lenses.”

According to the Food and Drug Administration, all contact lenses are regulated medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye-care professional. 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 is not that people use decorative, non corrective contact lenses-sometimes called Plano-or zero-powered lenses, but that they buy the devices without a prescription through unlicensed vendors on the Internet or at flea markets and specialty shops.

The buyer of these over-the-counter contact lenses faces a huge risk including scratched corneas, pink eye and more serious types of blinding infection as a result of a corneal ulcer

In 2005, a federal law was passed that classified all contact lenses as medical devices and restricted their distribution to licensed eye-care professionals. Illegal sale of contacts can result in civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation.
 
The safe and effective use of contact 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 Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor &Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851
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