Dangerous Reasons Not Wear OTC Halloween Contact Lenses
Dressing up for Halloween is one of the best times of the year. But if you plan to purchase and wear scary contact lenses from your local retailer or online this holiday, don't. Although Halloween contacts add the finishes touches to the perfect costume, the eyewear can cause infections if it's not FDA-approved or regulated. If an eye infection goes untreated or spreads to the rest of your ocular tissues, such as the retina and optic nerve, you can lose your eyesight. Before you wear scary contacts this Halloween, keep these dangerous reasons in mind below.
What Happens If You Wear Halloween Contacts?
Ulcers describe open sores that develop in or on your body's tissues, including on the corneas of your eyes. Corneas are the paper-thin clear tissues that cover the surfaces of your eyes. Because of their location in the eyes, it's easy to scratch and tear your corneas with the rigid edges of unsafe Halloween contact lenses.
Once you do injure your corneas, bacteria and other dangerous pathogens pass through them and infect your eyes. Most bacterial eye infections go away with the right treatments, but some infections are so dangerous that they penetrate the optic nerve, retinas, and other critical tissues of the eyes.
You may need surgery, such as corneal replacement and optic nerve surgery, to repair the tissues mentioned above. Your eye doctor offers safer options to jazz up your Halloween costume.
Where Should You Get Your Halloween Contacts?
Costume contacts that aren't FDA-approved are illegal. If you choose to wear contacts, obtain them from an optometrist. An optometrist examines your eyes to see if you have any injuries to your corneas, irises, optic nerves, and retinas that place you at risk for infections. An optometrist treats your eye problem before they prescribe you costume contact lenses.
The texture of the optometry-prescribed Halloween contacts is soft and smooth instead of rigid and sharp. Softer contacts won't cut or scratch your corneas when you wear them. In addition, an eye doctor fabricates their contact lenses under sterile conditions. Sterile conditions include keeping all optical equipment clean, sanitized and free of airborne and surface pathogens.
If you can't see an optometrist for your eye exam and Halloween contacts, create the perfect look with makeup that doesn't contain parabens and other harmful chemicals. Highlight your eyes with eyeliner, eyeshadow and even mascara in blues, oranges and other cool colors. You can also wear a mask and hat to add the finishing touches to your costume.
If you have more questions or concerns about Halloween contact lenses, schedule an appointment with an optometrist today (go to websites like this for more information).