Each year more than 1 million people suffer from eye injuries. 90% of these injuries are easily avoidable so it is important that we take the correct steps in looking after our eyes to prevent any injuries or internal damage occurring.
With Halloween quickly approaching, it is important to highlight the dangers of cosmetic contact lenses, as the side effects can be damaging. We strongly advise that these contact lenses, as easily accessible as they are, should be avoided entirely. The cheap materials and poor construction of these Halloween accessories can be dangerous on something as delicate as our eyes, and without experience of using contact lenses can raise even more complications. Only prescription contacts should be trusted, which will bear the ‘CE’ symbol on the packaging, which ensures that the contacts conform to health and safety standards and that they are medical devices made to meet the requirements laid out by the Medical Devices Directive (MDD).
An eye exam will be needed prior as well as a valid prescription from the eye doctor when purchasing a pair. This prescription will give the vendor a brand name, expiration date and eye measurements as we all have different sized eyes. Prescription coloured contacts can not only provide you with a cosmetic change for Halloween but also still aid in improving vision, whilst costume store lenses are purely cosmetic and are not designed to remain in the eyes for a long period of time. Any contact lenses that begin to feel uncomfortable in the eye should be taken out immediately. Cheap contact lenses bought from retail stores and costume stores etc may be too large for the eyes or contain paints which could then lead to things like:
Infections
Scarring
Outer Layer Scratching
Corneal Swelling
Impaired Vision
Eye Ulcers
Vision Loss
It is important to have knowledge on how to clean contact lenses, as failure to do so can lead to further complications. Contact lenses that have not been cleaned correctly will retain bacteria within them and not cleaning them will only submerge the eyes in this bacteria. As well as being clean, they should also only be worn by the individual they were prescribed to and not shared amongst others as this can lead to infections. They could also cause damage to another persons eyes as their size specifications will not be the same. For information on our ophthalmology services: www.healthharmonie.com/ophthalmology