Novelty Contact Lenses - A Real Halloween Nightmare

A warning has been issued about the dangers of wearing novelty contact lenses this Halloween. According to CORU, Ireland’s multi-profession health regulator who are responsible for regulating the sale contact lenses in Ireland, the products pose a serious risk to the health of those who wear them.

Peter McGrath, Chair of the Optical Registration Board at CORU, has appealed to parents and young people in particular to be aware of the dangers of these products.

“We are strongly urging people not to use novelty contact lenses this Halloween, and indeed to never use these very dangerous products. While they may look scary in photos the reality is they are scary for a whole range of other reasons, which includes the potential for lifelong damage to your eye health. We are particularly appealing to parents to not allow children wear novelty contact lenses and advise any older children about their extreme danger.”

“Contact lenses are a medical device and must only ever be used with a valid prescription. The only person qualified to provide a prescription of contact lenses is a CORU registered optometrist or dispensing optician or a doctor. In fact, if anyone else sells you contact lenses they are breaking the law.”

“When you get assessed for contact lenses a number of factors are examined including your eye shape, size and tear quality. When you buy these novelty lenses from an unauthorised seller you haven’t received any safety checks. The dangers can be added to by incorrect use of the lenses.  Many people will wear lenses for far too long, something they would have been warned about if they had bought lenses from a registered professional. Alcohol too is dangerous as it can dry out your eyes meaning the risks are once again increased.”

CORU has previously taken enforcement action, including prosecution, against retailers for selling novelty contact lens products. If members of the public see novelty contact lenses for sale they are asked to contact CORU immediately by emailing enforcement@coru.ie.

Risks of Novelty Contact Lenses

There are many risks associated with the wearing of ill-fitting, poor quality contact lenses. These include:

1. Common Problems: Unsupervised contact lens use can lead to a range of problems, which include: red, sore, gritty eyes, dry eye, sensitivity to light, headaches, blurred vision and again in extreme cases reduction in best visual acuity.
2. Incorrect base curve: If the lens is too flat it can feel very uncomfortable, cause variable vision or even fall out. If it is too steep it could cause stagnation of the tears and reduce oxygen to part of your eye, this can cause redness and swelling. If it is very steep it can become very difficult to remove and increase the risk of damaging the eye upon removal.
3. Reduced Vision: Halloween favourites like the cat’s eyes or blackout lenses can reduce the peripheral vision affecting mobility, depth perception and balance and would make driving extremely dangerous. Often the packaging contains no warning of these dangers.
4. Severe infections: Many people will not use appropriate solutions to moisten their lenses; sometimes they even use tap water or saliva to do this. This dramatically increases the risk of infections which can include bacterial conjunctivitis or a devastating condition called Acanthamoeba keratitis. Acanthamoeba is an organism commonly found in tap water and hot tubs. It causes an infection which can lead to permanent visual impairment or in the worst cases blindness.