With Halloween preparations in full swing, people often overlook the harms of decorative contact lenses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against the hazards of those contact lenses.

Decorative contact lenses are known by many other names – Halloween contact lenses, fashion contact lenses, coloured contact lenses, cosmetic contact lenses, or theatre contact lenses.

Halloween parties, cosplays, and other themed events are a few of the occasions where these lenses are popular. The lenses are generally used to offer unique shapes and colours to the eyes to match the general look.

The very first thing to find out about contact lenses is that all kinds require a prescription. These are “medical devices” which are monitored by US FDA for safety and effectiveness. If a vendor is selling decorative contact lenses without asking for a prescription, it is against the law and wishes to be reported.

Making light of this warning can do some serious damage to the eyes.

“Consumers must know that everlasting eye damage can occur from using non-prescription lenses,” Thomas Steinemann, MD, a practicing ophthalmologist at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, said, American Academy of Ophthalmology reported. “Personally, I even have seen far too many serious cases in each children and adults from using decorative lenses.”

A few of the risks related to wearing incorrect decorative contact lenses include a cut or scratch on the cornea (corneal abrasion), allergic reactions, infection, decreased vision, and even blindness.

The FDA has released a listing of dos and don’ts regarding decorative contact lenses:

• At the beginning, get a watch exam. After taking a look at the eyes, a licensed eye doctor will assure that the contact lenses fit properly. An ill-fitted contact lens can damage the eyes. Also, be sure to get follow-up eye exams as instructed by the doctor.
• Next, get a prescription. The appropriate prescription should include the brand name, lens measurements, and expiration date.
• Religiously follow the care instructions. Contact lenses include instructions on wearing, cleansing, and disinfecting them. In the event you don’t find the instructions, seek the advice of a watch doctor.
• Remove contact lenses and seek medical assist in case of an infection. Eye infection symptoms include redness, pain, and discharge from the eyes.
• Don’t share contact lenses with others. There isn’t any one-size-fits-all since all eyes should not of the identical size and shape.
• Do not buy contact lenses with out a prescription. Avoid buying contact lenses from a street vendor, beauty supply store, flea market, novelty store, Halloween store, or unknown online distributors. There may be a probability the contact lenses could also be contaminated and/or counterfeit.

Protected avenues to purchase contact lenses are from a watch doctor, on the Web, or from a mail-order company, including foreign manufacturers/distributors of decorative lenses. Pay special attention to make sure the corporate is selling FDA-approved contact lenses.