If you’re the parent of a child, then you may have asked yourself if contact lenses are safe. The increased interest in myopia control has increased the number of children who are candidates for contact lens wear. Thus, it’s an increasingly common question. The bottom line is that contact lens related infections are a well researched area of eye care. Recent research shows that contact lens wear is safer in children than any other age group, including adults. See article: The Safety of Soft Contact Lenses in Children : Optometry and Vision Science (lww.com)

The risk of serious eye infection is approximately 1 in 5000 or 0.02%, and proper lens care and hygiene will significantly mitigate risk of complications. The most common reasons for contact lens associated problems include: sleeping in lenses, not cleaning contact lens cases, not replacing cleaning solution, and improperly reusing lenses. If worn as prescribed, daily disposable contact lenses eliminate the risks of improper hygiene completely.

Halloween is one time of the year where we typically see an increase in contact lens related infections. Many consumers may have purchases lenses that were sold illegally, and were not prescribed by an eye doctor. If you did not know, it is illegal to sell colored contact lenses without a prescription in the United States. All contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye-care professional. Retailers that sell contacts without a prescription are breaking the law, and may be fined for each violation. Many of the lenses found online or in beauty salons, novelty shops or in pop-up Halloween stores are not FDA-approved and are being sold illegally.

Never buy colored contact lenses from a retailer that does not ask for a prescription.

There is no such thing as a "one size fits all" contact lens. Lenses that are not properly fitted may scratch the eye or cause blood vessels to grow into the cornea. Even if you have perfect vision, you need to get an eye exam and a prescription from an eye-care professional in order to wear any kind of contact lens.

If a retailer is selling contact lenses illegally, you can be certain that the seller is not concerned about your eye safety.

Finally, it is important to remember that the risk of infection from lenses prescribed by an optometrist is very low, especially if the wearer is educated on how to handle lenses properly. Furthermore if issues occur, the wearer should contact their prescribing optometrist for treatment as all contact lenses are medical devices. 

Check out our other articles about contact lenses below and contact our team for your next appointment.