What Are Costume Contact Lenses?

Costume contact lenses are lenses that are intended to change the shape or colour of your eyes. Some lenses can even give your eyes a specialty look, such as “anime character-looking eyes”. They are usually worn for cosplay, but are donned most notably during Halloween.

Are Costume Contact Lenses Legal?

While some specialty contact lenses are sold legally in stores or online, others are sold illegally without being FDA-approved. Contact lenses are generally used as prescription devices, so when they are created just for decorative use, they might be sold illegally. In fact, there are many places you should avoid purchasing these lenses. We suggest avoiding purchasing them at Halloween stores, street vendors, or convenience stores.

What Are The Risks Of Wearing Costume Contact Lenses?

There are many risks of wearing specialty contact lenses, especially if you have not purchased them from a trustworthy source. Some risks include corneal abrasions, allergic reactions (including itchy or watery eyes), infection, and blindness. If you wear any contact lenses, pay attention to redness, burning, pain in your eye, and sudden loss of vision. If you have any of these symptoms, you are most likely experiencing contact lens irritation. Your discomfort may be from damage, dirt, or other foreign bodies. If this is the case, carefully remove your lenses to decrease your discomfort. If your discomfort persists, this might indicate a more serious problem, like a corneal ulcer or an eye infection.

Can You Still Wear Costume Contact Lenses?

While there are many risks to wearing costume contact lenses, you can still wear them if you follow the correct safety guidelines! If you have never inserted contact lenses confidently, read our blog here. These are our suggested safety guidelines:

• Get an eye exam to identify your prescription
• Purchase your lenses from an FDA-approved store with your exact prescription
• Follow the contact lens instructions
• Have an optometrist find the right fit of contact lenses for your eyes
• If your eye is irritated, remove your contact lens immediately and seek medical attention

If you are looking for contact lens aftercare tips, check out our blog to help you remove and care for your contact lenses here.

Whether you are dressing up as a zombie, a vampire, or a mummy, specialty contact lenses are not required to make your costume any spookier. However, if you are still thinking of wearing these lenses, it is crucial to follow the safety guidelines, so your eyes do not end up irritated after a night of trick or treating. To set up an appointment for a contact lens fitting, contact the optometry team at Dr D’Orio Eyecare today! Visit https://drdorioeyecare.com/book-appointment or call us at 416 656 2020 for our Toronto location, or 416 661 5555 for North York.

The post What You Need To Know About Costume Contact Lenses appeared first on Best Optometrist in Toronto.

1. Viruses And Bacteria

Any pool of water can be teeming with viruses or bacteria. The bacteria or viruses could get behind your contact lenses, causing eye irritation, and even infection. Itching due to irritated eyes can be detrimental to your overall eye health, especially when you are wearing contact lenses. You might experience contact lens irritation, as well as increased chances of developing foreign body sensation, a feeling similar to a scratching sensation, or sand, in your eye. In extreme cases, excessive itching with contact lenses can lead to corneal abrasions.

But aren’t pools safe from bacteria? Pools may try to decrease bacteria levels by using chlorine. However, chlorine is also an eye irritant, so although you might not feel itchiness and irritation from the bacteria… your eyes might be uncomfortable due to the chlorinated water.

2. Corneal Ulcers

Corneal ulcers are open sores that form on the cornea. These ulcers can be caused by infections, but also just by wearing contact lenses for too long. If you are swimming with contact lenses in, you increase the risk of developing corneal ulcers because you are more likely to develop an infection in the water. Additionally, if you have been swimming for a long time with contact lenses in, you are also more likely to experience corneal erosion.

The symptoms of corneal ulcers are sensitivity to light, swollen eyes, and eye discharge. If you wear contacts while swimming and are experiencing these symptoms, you must seek professional help immediately as early treatment is the best way to prevent permanent vision loss.

3. Dry Eye Syndrome

While you might feel dry eyes from normal use of contact lenses, when swimming, the chances of developing dry eye syndrome increases. If you are swimming in a pool, this is often due to exposure to chlorine, which may cause burning or eye redness. Both burning and redness are dry eye symptoms.

Salt water may also cause your eyes to become dry as it prevents your eyes from naturally lubricating themselves. While people who do not wear contacts might also experience these dry eye symptoms from swimming in chlorinated or salty water, if you wear contacts while you swim these symptoms are more likely to affect you.

Swimming with contact lenses can cause many risks for your eyes, but what if you cannot see without your lenses? If you have a high prescription, it may be impossible to enjoy swimming without your contact lenses. The easiest way to avoid this is by wearing tight-fitted goggles. Goggles will allow you to see underwater, while protecting your eyes from harmful irritants. If you do not have goggles on hand, take your contacts out as soon as you finish swimming. Rinse your eyes, and if possible, put your glasses on. Finally, bring some eye drops with you when you plan to swim, so that you can lubricate your eyes after swimming. This will decrease your chance of developing dry eye syndrome.

Do you want to learn more about the risks you could experience from wearing contact lenses while swimming? If you want to learn more about how to keep your eyes healthy this summer, contact the optometry team at Dr. D’Orio Eyecare today! We can assist you with your vision needs. To book an appointment today, visit https://drdorioeyecare.com/book-appointment/ or call us at 416 656 2020 for our Toronto location, or 416 661 5555 for our North York location.

The post Top 3 Risks Of Swimming With Contact Lenses In appeared first on Best Optometrist in Toronto.