Halloween is rapidly approaching. For some, Halloween is their once a year opportunity to transform into someone (or something) else. People spend enormous amounts of money to create authentic costumes right down to changing the color of their eyes. Orlando Ophthalmologist, Dr. Brock Magruder, wants you to know that you should never use colored costume contact lenses as part of your Halloween attire. The risks are too great, even if you only plan to wear them once, and here’s why:
- Colored contact lenses manufactured for costume use are one size fits all. Prescription contact lenses are made in various sizes and curvatures and are prescribed for patients based on the best fit. An ill-fitting lens can cause serious damage to the cornea of your eye. A corneal scratch is the most common result of wearing poorly fitting lenses. This condition is very painful and can result in permanent scarring of the cornea.
- A corneal scratch is subject to a high risk of infection such as keratitis.
- Improper hygiene and insertion of colored costume lenses pose a greater risk of developing conjunctivitis (pink eye), which is a contagious infection that can easily spread to both eyes and to others.
- Colored contact lenses can cause blurry vision and/or decreased vision. In extreme cases, blindness is a real possibility.
- All of the above can result from wearing these types of lenses only one time.
Let’s be realistic. Did Victor Frankenstein fix his monster’s vision or care what color they were before bringing his creation to life? Highly doubtful. When Dracula transforms from bat into vampire does his eye color change or does his vision improve? Don’t think so. So why would anyone want to jeopardize the health of their eyes or their vision just to play a part? It’s just not worth the risk.
People who wear prescription contact lenses are instructed in their proper insertion and removal along with correct cleaning and storage methods. Over-the-counter colored contacts do not provide the consumer with any of the procedures used to keep your eyes safe, especially if they have been purchased at the local Halloween store, novelty store, or beauty salon. If you have chosen to wear these colored contact lenses and experience the slightest discomfort, we cannot stress enough the importance of getting to your eye care professional immediately! Permanent damage can be caused in as little as 24 hours, so you cannot afford to ignore any symptoms you might experience.
Don’t take a chance of having your eyes look mummified! Severe swelling and redness is a real possibility if you chose to wear colored lenses for a costume. At Magruder Laser Vision, Orlando Ophthalmologist, Doc Brock, and his skilled team want you to protect your eyes and keep them healthy. Magruder Laser Vision. Correcting Vision. Changing Lives.
