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Beware of Decorative Contact Lenses this Halloween

The American Academy of Ophthalmology discourage buying costume contact lenses without a prescription.

Though decorative contact lenses can enhance a Halloween costume, they can also damage the eye, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

"Obtaining decorative lenses including colored contacts and novelty or costume lenses without a prescription is dangerous," stated a press release from the academy.

Purchasing contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from a licensed eye care professional can cause serious eye disorders and infections that can lead to blindness, the release warned.

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"Most people believe that decorative lenses don’t require the same level of care or consideration as corrective contact lenses because they can be purchased over-the-counter or on the Internet. This is far from the truth,” said Thomas Steinemann, MD, professor of ophthalmology and a clinical correspondent for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

“In fact, permanent eye damage can occur from using over-the-counter lenses. We want to discourage all consumers, especially teens, from buying contact lenses in beauty salons, novelty shops or in Halloween stores.”

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Costume shops—such as Halloween Express—sell contact lenses in a range of colors from yellow to blue to black and in a variety of special affects such as jagged teeth, spiderweb and bio-hazard. The store's site advertises that, "Your face, your eyes in particular, hold the central focal point of your costume look," and that "[a]dding the amazing special effect of various contact lenses is going to give your costume ensemble an extra mesmerizing and magical touch that can’t be obtained in any other fathomable way."

If you click to purchase a pair of contacts on the costume store's website, it states that the item is a one size item if there is no size option displayed. However, the American Academy of Ophthalmology urges that "there is no such thing as “one-size-fits-all” contact lenses."

"To protect the eyes, an eye care professional measures each eye in order to properly fit contacts for the patient," according to the press release. "Contacts that are not properly fitted may scratch the eye or cause blood vessels to grow into the cornea."

Therefore, the academy suggests thinking twice before purchasing a pair of decorative contact lenses to augment your or your child's Halloween costume this year.

For more information on the safe wearing of decorative lenses visit Get Eye Smart.

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