(Fairfax, VA) — The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery today warned consumers, especially teenagers, about the inappropriate use of contact lenses. 

As early as June, reports of teenagers requiring emergency room treatment for eye trauma emerged after they obtained tinted “decorative” and “animal eye” contact lenses.  The lenses have been obtained -- without having been properly prescribed or fitted by an eye care professional -- from novelty, convenience, beach ware, and beautician shops and not from licensed, professional eye care entities.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has raised concerns about the improper use of such contacts because of the potential for increased marketing activity during the Halloween season.

“Inappropriately used, contact lenses can cause irritation, infections, scratching or scarring of the cornea (the clear outer part of the eye), corneal ulcers, vision impairments such as halos and glare, and future intolerance to contacts,” said Marguerite McDonald, MD, President of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.  

“Tinted contacts obtained from non-licensed, non-professional eye care entities may be contacts whose coloring agents have not been approved by the FDA.  Before a color additive is listed as safe for use in coloring contact lenses, information about the additive is carefully evaluated by the FDA for biocompatability with eye tissue. This review process effectively eliminates the use of color additives that are toxic to eye tissue and those that can cause cancer, McDonald said.”

“Vision is one of the most precious things we have and eye infections or scarring can haunt people for the rest of their lives.  The use of tinted or decorative cosmetic contact lenses may be appropriate as part of an overall vision correction strategy as long as the patient is first examined by a qualified eye care professional and trained in the proper cleaning, care, and use of contacts.  Without such measures, people run the risk of serious or permanent eye injury,” said Dr. McDonald.  

The FDA has indicated that there are genuine health concerns with decorative contact lenses obtained from “underground” sources.  People interested in using cosmetic contacts should consult an eye care professional such an ophthalmologist or an optometrist.