Irish health regulator warns ‘extremely dangerous’ novelty contact lenses sold for Halloween could lead to permanent blindness
AN Irish health regulator has warned of the "serious risks" of using novelty contact lenses for Halloween, saying they are "extremely dangerous" to anyone who wears them.
Low quality and unregulated lenses can cause sore or dry eyes and in some cases could lead to permanent blindness.
CORU, multi-profession health regulator, also warn that some Halloween favourites such as snake eyes or blackout lenses can affect depth perception and balance, making driving extremely dangerous.
It is a criminal offence for unauthorised distributors to sell contact lenses in Ireland.
Ginny Hanrahan, CEO of CORU, strongly advised anyone considering novelty lenses for a costume not to wear them.
She said: "We are appealing to parents, who have an important responsibility, to discuss these risks with their children and ensure that no young person inadvertently exposes themselves to these risks.
“Novelty contact lenses may look like harmless fun, but the reality can be far more serious."
'NOT HARMLESS'
"Poor quality lenses or poor hygiene practises can also lead to far more serious complications including severe infections that in a worst case scenario could cause permanent blindness.
"Contact lenses are a medical device and like any such device must only ever be used with a valid prescription and under appropriate supervision.
"If novelty lenses are bought from an unauthorised seller you are not receiving the usage instructions, you cannot know if they are suitable for your eyes and the lenses themselves have not been subject to the required safety checks.”
"The only person qualified and permitted to provide a contact lens prescription in Ireland is a CORU registered optometrist, dispensing optician or a doctor.
SERIOUS RISKS
Using ill-fitting or poor quality lenses can cause red, sore, gritty eyes, dry eye, sensitivity to light, headaches and blurred vision.
If the lens is too flat it can feel very uncomfortable, cause variable vision or even fall out.
If the lens is too steep it could cause stagnation of the tears and reduce oxygen to part of your eye, this can cause redness and swelling.
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If it is very steep it can become very difficult to remove and increase the risk of damaging the eye upon removal.
Many people do not use appropriate solutions to moisten their lenses, sometimes even using tap water or saliva to do this.
This dramatically increases the risk of infections which can include bacterial conjunctivitis or a condition called Acanthamoeba keratitis, which can lead to permanent visual impairment or in the worst cases blindness.