October 30, 2014 
If you are thinking about wearing scary decorative contact lenses for Halloween, you might want to skip this supplement to your mask. Experts advise: they can damage the eyes, and even lead to blindness!
The contact lenses that are not used for correcting vision, but for aesthetic change of eye color and which can be bought in stores with costumes, supermarkets or similar stores that are not optical centers, can cause corneal damage or sores on it, lead to inflammation, and even permanent loss of vision, according to ophthalmologists. They advise to completely avoid these kinds of lenses!
“The eye is a very delicate area and insertion of something that is sold by someone who is not an expert in the eyes is very dangerous. Decorative contact lenses should be treated the same way as contact lenses for correcting vision – with comprehensive advices on how to put them in your eyes and with taking care of patients after that, “revealed the eye surgeon David Allamby from London ophthalmic clinics Focus.
“The lenses used for cosmetic purposes require exactly the same procedure as the lenses that are used for vision correction. This means that a person who wants to wear lenses must undergo ophthalmologic examination by a physician ophthalmologist and a training for correct contact lens wearing. To buy lenses independently, without examination and without previous experience is careless and dangerous. People are not aware of the possible adverse consequences (conjunctivitis, keratoconjunctivitis, corneal erosion or something much worse), “explained Tanja Tomljanović, dr.med. specialist ophthalmologist from Polyclinic Ghetaldus.
“There is another potential problem, and this is buying lenses online and in stores that are not specialized ophthalmic optical centers. Tip for everyone is to be responsible with their eyes and not indulge in experiments that can have very unpleasant consequences,” advised Dr. Tomljanović.
Taken from: www.ordinacija.hr