With Halloween around the corner, those who plan on dressing up are being urged to look after their eyes when choosing their ‘spooktacular’ eye accessories.
Whether it is vampire-inspired red contacts, spiderweb-like lashes, or the timeless cat-eye, the experts at Specsavers want to ensure fancy dress revellers treat their eyes with the care they deserve however they choose to celebrate this October 31.
An increasingly popular trend is for people to wear coloured novelty contact lenses; however, they can damage the eyes – especially if not handled in the right way. Not knowing how to wear or care for them can also result in numerous minor eye conditions - such as red eye, infections, and scratches - as well as more serious complications that can, in severe cases, lead to sight loss.
Kerril Hickey, chairman of Specsavers Ireland, warns of the importance of staying safe this Halloween and making sure people protect their eyes.
"Halloween contact lenses have become a popular choice the last few years, however, consumers are often not aware of the risks associated with misusing contact lenses," he said.
"In particular, if a wearer hasn’t had a proper consultation with an optometrist beforehand, they probably haven’t been taught how to wear or care for their lenses correctly. The results can be nasty and range from mildly irritating complications, such as blurry vision and conjunctivitis, to potentially sight-threatening conditions, such as fungal infections like microbial keratitis," Mr Hickey warned.
Industry body, the Association of Optometrists Ireland, is working to drive out the unregulated sale of coloured contact lenses across Ireland to reduce the associated dangers of using unregulated colour contact lenses.
"If you do start to notice any discomfort, irritation, or pain during or after wearing Halloween contact lenses, it is important that you visit your optometrist immediately. Most of our stores offer eye health clinics where you can receive treatment for a range of minor eye conditions without needing to visit your GP or hospital," Mr Hickey concluded.
