With Halloween right around the corner, there aren’t many of us who aren’t preparing an extravagant costume for the frightful season. If your costume includes colorful contact lenses, you might want to learn more about eye safety this Halloween. Some horror stories around the Halloween season have more truth than fiction to them. For example, it is entirely possible to go blind because of a costume accessory.
We don’t mean to rain on anyone’s Halloween festivities, but your eye health is important to us, as it should be to you. That’s not to say there aren’t any festive contact lenses that are safe to use, because there are. They come with a prescription, though. Those without prescription are typically illegally sold cosmetic lenses that aren’t sterile and can lead to infections and even vision loss.
Contact Lenses and Halloween Eye Safety
This Halloween season, the American Academy of Ophthalmology hopes to educate the masses on eye safety during the festivities. They have offered up a few worthwhile tips to ensure your Halloween costume doesn’t stick with you into the new year.
- Visit an Eye Care Professional — For appropriate and safe contact lenses this Halloween, visit an eye care professional for a prescription. If you visit a Halloween costume or supply store, you’ll note many colored lenses say, “one size fits all” or “no need to visit an eye doctor.” These are false statements and extremely dangerous.
- Contact Lens Care — Even with a prescription for your contact lenses, you need to take proper care of them. By maintaining and cleaning your contact lenses, you prevent infections and vision loss.
- Do Not Share — You should never share your contact lenses with another person. Doing so is a good way to spread pink eye and other infections or germs.
- Spread the Word — Do not let your friends lose their eyesight. Before someone makes a foolish mistake, spread the word about the dangers of costume contacts without a prescription.
Healthy Contact Lenses — Wear and Care
No matter the type of contact lenses, cosmetic or otherwise, proper care and wearing techniques are important. The following tips and techniques are designed to reduce your risk of infections or vision loss.
- Do not share your contact lenses with anyone.
- Rub and rinse contact lenses in disinfecting solution — never water or saliva — to clean them properly after you’ve removed them from your eyes.
- Do not store contact lenses in water.
- Replace contact lenses as often as your eye doctor tells you.
- Do not “top off” your cleaning solution.
See Us for Safe Cosmetic Contact lenses
When it comes to cosmetic contact lenses for Halloween, schedule an appointment with a licensed and experienced eye doctor for a prescription. Do not risk your eye health for a single night of fun. Contact us online or call Eye Care of Delaware at (302) 454-8800.
