“Halloween, decorative contact lenses and your eyes may not be a great combination,” remarked NJ Ophthalmologist & Corneal Specialist Joel Confino, M.D. of The Eye Care & Surgery Center with offices in Westfield, Warren and Iselin, New Jersey. “Halloween can be a really fun time but it’s always wise to be a bit cautious with contact lenses,” Dr. Confino explained. “Many Halloween celebrants like to turn their eyes from blue to some far out appearance or ghoulish look by using over-the-counter, decorative contact lenses that may seem like fun, but can lead to serious vision-threatening problems,” further explained Dr. Confino. According to the Food and Drug Administration, all contact lenses are regulated medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye-care professional. Even someone with perfect vision would still require an eye exam and a prescription in order to wear any kind of contacts, including cosmetic lenses.
Some websites advertise decorative contacts as if they were fashion accessories or toys with fanciful, playful packaging in order to attract teens and young adults, especially girls. The problem is not that people use decorative, noncorrosive lenses-sometimes called Plano-or zero-powered lenses, but that they buy the devices without a prescription through unlicensed vendors on the Internet or at flea markets and specialty shops.
The buyer of these over-the-counter contact lenses faces a huge risk including scratched corneas, pink eye and more serious types of blinding infection as a result of a corneal ulcer
In 2005, a federal law was passed that classified all contact lenses as medical devices and restricted their distribution to licensed eye-care professionals. Illegal sale of contacts can result in civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation.
In 2005, a federal law was passed that classified all contact lenses as medical devices and restricted their distribution to licensed eye-care professionals. Illegal sale of contacts can result in civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation.
The safe and effective use of contact lenses-whether decorative or not-requires proper fitting and education about their care to prevent the potential for serious eye problems from becoming a reality. If you or a friend would like to learn more about contact lenses of any type including decorative contacts please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter and schedule an appointment.
The Eye Care & Surgery Center is staffed by a team of Board Certified NJ Ophthalmologists who are subspecialty Fellowship trained New Jersey eye surgeons, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, surgery for cataracts, intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, reconstructive and cosmetic facial surgery including eyelid surgery and facial and skin rejuvenation as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services.
With locations in Westfield and Warren and Iselin, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice serving the central and northern New Jersey including Old Bridge, East Brunswick, Sayreville, Milltown, North Brunswick, Kendall Park, Somerset, Dunellen, Bridgewater, Manville, Bound Brook, Raritan, Edison, Colonia, Woodbridge, Metuchen, Avenel, Carteret, Piscataway, Middlesex, Somerville, South Plainfield, North Plainfield, Roselle Park, Garwood, Clark, Kenilworth, Cranford, Gillette, Berkeley Heights, Stirling, Scotch Plains, Summit, Chatham, Watchung, Pluckemin, Rahway, Plainfield, Mountainside, Springfield, New Providence, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Bernardsville, Millington, Union, Elizabeth, Linden, Jersey City, Irvington, Orange, West Orange, Livingston, Short Hills, Florham Park, Madison, Bloomfield, Montclair, Clifton, Garfield, Wayne, Parsippany, Troy Hills and Paramus, New Jersey.
