State regulator warns
Halloween colored contacts could permanently damage your
eyes
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[October 27, 2016]
With the Halloween season upon us, the Illinois Department of
Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is reminding the public
that purchasing colored contact lenses from anyone other than a licensed
eye care professional or pharmacist is dangerous. In recent years,
illegally-purchased colored contacts have flooded the retail market
during Halloween and are most often found at malls, beauty supply stores
and via online websites. These lenses are often made overseas in non-FDA
approved facilities with tinting materials that may be toxic to the eye.
Without a proper examination and fitting, colored contacts can cause
damage to the eye, including blindness.
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“Decorative contacts surge in popularity every year around the
Halloween season as a fashion or costume accessory,” said Bryan A.
Schneider, IDFPR Secretary. “Unfortunately, both children and adults
alike often neglect to realize that these lenses are classified as
medical devices that pose the same potential safety and health
issues as corrective lenses. As regulators, it is important that we
remind consumers of the unnecessary dangers of infection from
over-the-counter colored contacts made from potentially unsafe
materials.”
IDFPR licenses an estimated 2,300 optometrists and hundreds of
ophthalmologists in Illinois. Many have reported seeing patients who
have suffered from infections or corneal scratches as a result of
contact lens problems. Because contact lenses sit directly on the
cornea and could potentially limit the amount of oxygen reaching the
eye, all contact lenses pose some risk to wearers. By requiring
lenses to be fitted and sold by professionals, that risk is limited
and managed.
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In addition to scratches from ill fitting lenses, bacteria build
within the eye very rapidly and can cause infections. Some types of
bacteria can cause permanent scarring within twenty hours of the
outbreak, if left untreated. While the infection may look like
pinkeye, an easily treated eye infection, contact lenses can cause
eye ulcers which must be treated with strong antibiotic medicine. If
left untreated, ulcers can cause partial or total irreversible
blindness.
“While there are a number of concerns, the risk of infection is
among the highest,” said Dr. Christine Allison, Illinois Optometric
Association President. “Mild to severe bacterial infections can
ravage the eye resulting in major ramifications.” Dr. Allison
reminds parents that “all contact lenses are considered a medical
device and should be prescribed by their Optometrist.”
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Because the health risk is serious and most of the customers seeking cosmetic
contact lenses are teens and young adults, IDFPR is partnering with the Illinois
State Board of Education and the Department of Public Health to alert teachers,
administrators and health care professionals in every school district and county
in the state about the serious health and vision problems facing young people
and warning signs to look for in their students and patients.
Sales of contact lenses to consumers without a valid prescription are considered
the unlicensed practice of optometry and subject to cease and desist orders and
civil fines of up to $10,000. Illinois residents are encouraged to notify state
officials if they see lenses for sale at retail outlets that do not require a
prescription from a licensed eye-care professional. Consumers can file
complaints at www.idfpr.com or by calling our consumer hotline number at
1-888-4REGUL8 (1-888-473-4858).
[Illinois Department of Financial and
Professional Regulations]
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