AOA warns consumers about risks of decorative contact lenses.
Medical News Today (10/21) reports, “With Halloween approaching, the American Optometric Association (AOA) is warning consumers about the risks of wearing decorative contact lenses without a prescription from an eye doctor.” While the Food and Drug Administration regulates “decorative lenses as a medical device, similar to corrective lenses,” some “decorative lenses continue to be illegally marketed and distributed directly to consumers through a variety of sources, including flea markets, the Internet, beauty salons, and convenience stores.” Paul Klein, O.D., chair of the AOA’s Contact Lens and Cornea Section, emphasized that “purchasing contact lenses without a prescription can result in serious eye health and vision damage since consumers are not properly educated on cleaning and disinfecting, nor in proper removal and application of the contact lens.” He explained that “consumers who wear these contact lenses put themselves at risk of serious bacterial infection, or even significant damage to the eye’s ability to function, with the potential for irreversible sight loss.” Additional “risks associated with the use of decorative contact lenses include conjunctivitis, swelling, allergic reaction, and corneal abrasion due to poor lens fit.”