News Release

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – October 22, 2012 – As kids across the state shop for their Halloween costumes, the Florida Society of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology are warning Florida parents and teens about the dangers of non-prescription decorative contact lenses. Decorative contact lenses are increasingly popular to create elaborate costumes, offering blood drenched vampire eyes, glow-in-the-dark lizard eyes and more. Unfortunately, decorative contact lenses can also lead to real life nightmares, including permanent eye damage and vision loss.

All contact lenses require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye care professional such as an ophthalmologist – an eye medical doctor. Even if someone has perfect vision, they need to get an eye exam and a prescription in order to wear any kind of contacts, including decorative contact lenses. Products that claim “one size fits all” or “no need to see an eye specialist” can mislead consumers and may be on the market illegally.

“Unlike corrective lenses, which most patients understand to require professional screening and fitting, decorative lenses are easily obtainable in costume shops and online, which leads people to believe that they are safe,” said Charles B. Slonim, M.D., president of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology. “Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see permanent eye damage and vision loss from over-the-counter cosmetic lenses. We discourage all consumers from wearing contact lenses obtained in beauty salons, novelty shops, or costume stores.”

In 2005, a federal law classified all contact lenses as medical devices and restricted their distribution to licensed eye care professionals. Illegal sale of contact lenses can result in civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation. Additionally, some decorative lenses, such as trendy circle lenses, are not FDA-approved. Consumers should only buy decorative contact lenses from an eye care professional or a seller who asks for a prescription and sells FDA-approved products.

To safely wear decorative contact lenses this Halloween or any time of year, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends following these guidelines:

• Get an eye exam from an eye care professional such as an ophthalmologist.
• Obtain a valid prescription that includes the brand name, lens measurements, and expiration date.
• Purchase the decorative contact lenses from a licensed eye care professional or an eye product retailer who asks for a prescription.
• Follow the directions for cleaning, disinfecting, and wearing the lenses.
• Never share contact lenses with another person.
• Get follow up exams by your eye care provider.

To obtain a prescription for decorative contact lenses, an eye care professional will measure each eye to ensure proper fit. Contacts that are not fitted by an eye care professional may scratch the eye or cause blood vessels to grow into the cornea. An eye care professional will also provide contact lens care instructions. Contacts that are left in for too long or that are not cleaned and disinfected can significantly increase the risk of eye infection.

Symptoms of an eye injury or infection from decorative contact lenses might include redness, pain in the eye, or decreased vision. If you have any of these signs, remove the lenses and seek immediate medical attention from an eye care professional. Eye infections like keratitis can quickly become serious and cause blindness if left untreated.

Read a patient story and view the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s 30- and 90-second public service announcements.

Those who notice redness, irritation or discomfort from wearing contact lenses should make an appointment with an ophthalmologist immediately. For more information on decorative contact lens safety or to find an Eye M.D., visit www.geteyesmart.org.

About the Florida Society of Ophthalmology

The mission of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology is to promote and to protect the medical specialty of ophthalmology through active participation in legislative advocacy and through providing continuing medical education and the dissemination of responsible information to its members, physicians and to the citizens of Florida to ensure the delivery of the highest standard of eye care throughout the state of Florida. For more information, visit www.mdeye.org.

About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons - Eye M.D.s - with more than 32,000 members worldwide.  Eye health care is provided by the three "O's" - ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases, infections and injuries, and perform eye surgery. For more information, visit www.aao.org. The American Academy of Ophthalmology's EyeSmart® program educates the public about the importance of eye health and empowers them to preserve their healthy vision. EyeSmart provides the most trustworthy and medically accurate information about eye diseases, conditions and injuries. OjosSanos™ is the Spanish-language version of the program. Visit www.geteyesmart.org or www.ojossanos.org to learn more.

Note to media: High-resolution images and interviews with ophthalmologists available upon request.

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