Contact Lens Safety
Look Your Best and Keep Your Eyes Safe
Be smart and don’t overlook healthy contact lens wear and care.
Halloween is quickly approaching and you maybe considering purchasing some fun contact lenses to add to your costume. Before making your purchase – please understand the risk and requirements associated with wearing contact lenses and avoid illegal lenses.
Contact lenses are a medical device which require an eye exam and a valid prescription by your optometrist/eye doctor. The doctor must measure each eye to properly fit the lens and evaluate how your eye responds. They will review your history and evaluate your tests and find the the best lenses that fit properly, are comfortable for you, and provide sharp vision. All this information will be included in your prescription once your doctor has determined contact lenses are a good fit for you.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all contact lens approach which is very misleading and dangerous to consumers. Your eyes are unique and improperly fitted lenses can cause corneal scratches, infections, pink eye, decreased vision or blindness.
If you are determined to wear Halloween decorative contacts, the FDA suggests following these safety guidelines:
- Get an eye exam from an optometrist.
- Get a valid prescription for the contacts. Have your eye and lens properly measured and verify that an expiration date exists.
- Follow the directions carefully. This is important for cleaning, disinfecting and learning how to put the lenses into your eye.
- See your eye doctor right away if any of the following symptoms occur: redness, eye pain that does not go away after a short period of time and/or a decrease in vision.
- Never share contact lenses with someone else. Not only will the prescription be off, but you could wind up with conjunctivitis (pink eye).
If you are interested in wearing contact lenses, please call us or request an appointment.
For more information, on Halloween contacts please visit Vision Source.
