By Nick Gale
(CHICAGO) Illinois health officials are warning of the dangers of wearing colored contact lenses this Halloween.
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is reminding the public that purchasing colored contact lenses from anyone other than a licensed eye care professional or pharmacist is dangerous. In recent years, illegally-purchased colored contacts have flooded the retail market during Halloween and are most often found at malls, beauty supply stores and via online websites. These lenses are often made overseas in non-FDA approved facilities with tinting materials that may be toxic to the eye. Without a proper examination and fitting, colored contacts can cause damage to the eye, including blindness.
“Decorative contacts surge in popularity every year around the Halloween season as a fashion or costume accessory,” said Bryan A. Schneider, IDFPR Secretary. “Unfortunately, both children and adults alike often neglect to realize that these lenses are classified as medical devices that pose the same potential safety and health issues as corrective lenses. As regulators, it is important that we remind consumers of the unnecessary dangers of infection from over-the-counter colored contacts made from potentially unsafe materials.”
Optometrists and Ophthalmologists in Illinois have reported seeing patients who have suffered from infections or corneal scratches as a result of contact lens problems. Because contact lenses sit directly on the cornea and could potentially limit the amount of oxygen reaching the eye, all contact lenses pose some risk to wearers. By requiring lenses to be fitted and sold by professionals, that risk is limited and managed.
In addition to scratches from ill fitting lenses, bacteria build within the eye very rapidly and can cause infections. Some types of bacteria can cause permanent scarring within twenty hours of the outbreak, if left untreated. While the infection may look like pinkeye, an easily treated eye infection, contact lenses can cause eye ulcers which must be treated with strong antibiotic medicine. If left untreated, ulcers can cause partial or total irreversible blindness.
Sales of contact lenses to consumers without a valid prescription are considered the unlicensed practice of optometry and subject to cease and desist orders and civil fines of up to $10,000. Illinois residents are encouraged to notify state officials if they see lenses for sale at retail outlets that do not require a prescription from a licensed eye-care professional. Consumers can file complaints at www.idfpr.com or by calling their consumer hotline number at 1-888-4REGUL8 (1-888-473-4858).
@ 2016 WLS-AM News
