If we read a fashion magazine today, or even watch a movie about vampires such as “Twilight,” we often notice the extraordinary colour of the eyes of the models or actors. As young adults, sometimes it is very tempting to try these coloured contact lenses. However, sometimes important safety concerns are ignored.
The source of the lenses
Normally, when we want to buy prescribed contact lenses, our optometrist would carefully measure our eyes to see if our eyes are suitable. However, some coloured contact lenses are very easy to obtain through the Internet or certain stores in the mall. Moreover, these contact lenses can be bought by anyone without a doctor’s prescription. Furthermore, the brand and the production information of the contact lenses are often unclear. Most of the time, these contact lenses have only ‘one size.’ As the result, buying and wearing these contact lenses can cause very serious problem to our eyes.
Risks of wearing these contact lenses
A recent study done by Shwetambari et al. has shown that wearing these ‘unknown’ colored contact lenses can lead to keratitis. Keratitis is a term used to describe the inflammation of the cornea, which can occur if the contact lenses do not fit the eyes properly. The symptoms usually includes watery and painful eyes. And the one of the main causes comes from the contact lenses that are not properly fit. The contact lenses that are bought from unknown sources usually are one size only; and they do not fit everyone’s eyes. As the result, the contact lenses can ‘scar’ the cornea, and that gives virus or bacteria chances to infect the ‘scarred’ location of the cornea. If not treated properly, vision lost can happen in serious cases.
http://www.worldclasslasik.com/lasik/lasik-vs-contacts-new-york-new-jersey
The following video discusses the danger of buying colour contact lenses from unsafe sources:
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Personal experience
When I was in highschool, I bought a pair of blue contact lenses from a friend. I had no idea where they were made, and how long I could wear them. After two months, my eyes became very dry and painful. I went to see an optometrist, and after some tests, the optometrist told me that my left eye had a scar and had to be treated with antibiotic to make sure there were no bacterial infections. After that incident, I had never wear coloured contact lenses again.
If we make sure our eyes are suitable for wearing coloured contact lenses, it is usually safe and fun to wear them, espcially in special occasions.
Posted by Jeremy Cheng
