Dr. Ashley Cowart, board-certified optometrist, sat down with local TV news station News4Jax to discuss the dangers of costume contact lenses and provide safer alternatives.
Cosmetic contact lenses can change your eye color and they may take your Halloween costume to the next level. But many are unaware of the eye health risks they pose. In fact, costume contacts are illegal if purchased without a prescription.
Watch the full TV news clip or click the link below to hear from Dr. Cowart and learn about the importance of protecting your eyes from non-prescription contact lenses.
Read the full story on News4Jax.com.
Video Transcript
Costume contact lenses are sometimes important to your Halloween costume — or at least you think so — but they also pose a risk to your eyes. According to an FDA investigation, harmful bacteria are found on about 60% of these costume contacts that are purchased online without a prescription, and doing so is dangerous — and apparently illegal as well. It’s important to take proper precautions if you do want to change your eye color. Joining me this week to talk about some of those dangers, and the things we should know to keep our eyes safe this Halloween, is Jacksonville optometrist Dr. Ashley Cowart with Florida Eye Specialists. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me.
I’ve been wearing contacts since eighth grade, and I cannot imagine popping those things in just for the night. Certain cosmetic and costume contact lenses can be uncomfortable, but as eye doctors, what we’re really worried about are the illegal, non-FDA-approved contact lenses that tend to flood the market during this Halloween season.
Tell me what people should be looking for, because you’re saying they’re illegal, so they really shouldn’t be selling them anywhere — but they’re readily available. Unfortunately, there are some unethical retailers, and they’re found in a variety of places, from online to flea markets and even gas stations. The problem with these lenses is we really don’t know where they’re being manufactured; they can be made in facilities that are not sterile. The real danger is you can open the package and then expose your eye to things like harmful bacteria and fungus that can cause some really serious eye infections.
The bacteria is one thing, but it can also cut and scratch your eyes — what are some of the other things you can experience? In order for a contact lens to be safe and healthy, it’s very important that it be fit properly. Our eyes all have different shapes, sizes, and curvatures, and your eye doctor can recommend the best size and fit for you. An improper size can cause eye redness, scratches, eye pain, and even lead to infection.
So we do need to see the doctor and get the right sizes? Absolutely. The good news is that cosmetic and costume contact lenses can be a very safe option — just see your eye doctor to get a prescription. When you think about the long-term cost, the risk of an infection can be hundreds of dollars in in-office treatments, medications, pain and suffering, and time off work. For that small amount of time to come in to your eye doctor and be fit — and the lenses really aren’t that expensive — it’s well worth the investment. Thank you so much for sharing; definitely something to consider as these are available on Halloween.
