These Halloween Contacts Can Cause Eye Infections

Contacts with cat pupils or neon colors can be fun, but are you sure you want to put a piece of plastic from a costume store into your eye? Experts, like those at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, warn against it. These non-prescription contacts are technically illegal in the U.S. (even though plenty of companies sell them anyway). The CDC warns that the risks include “eye sores and vision loss.”

Cheap Halloween contacts tend to be one-size-fits-all, but the AAO points out that contacts should never be one-size-fits-all. A contact that is too large or too small for your eye can cause corneal abrasions, corneal ulcers, and can result in infections like keratitis. Infections can, in severe cases, lead to blindness. A 2017 report from the FDA found bacterial contamination in 27% of costume contacts.

If you do wear contacts (Halloween or otherwise), the AAO recommends keeping an eye out for symptoms like redness, swelling, pain, or excessive discharge. Seek care as soon as you suspect an infection. Your eyes are more sensitive to infections than other parts of the body, so be cautious.

Legally, contacts require a prescription, so if those colored contacts you’re eyeing can be bought without showing a doctor’s prescription, they’re not legit. The real thing can be expensive, though: I found prices ranging from $40 to $110 per pair from lens.com, Discount Contacts, and Wicked Eyez.

These websites all let you order online, but you’ll have to provide your prescription information before you can check out. Fortunately, the Federal Trade Commission has ruled that providers must give you your contact prescription after a fitting so that you can take the prescription elsewhere. And they cannot charge you extra for this.

Once you’ve got the lenses, you have to know how to take care of them. If you wear contacts every day, you already know the drill. But if you’re just picking up a pair to use with a costume, here are the basics:

• Wash your hands before handling the lenses.

• Store them in contact lens solution, and keep the lenses and their case clean.

• Don’t sleep or swim with them in.

• And for Pete’s sake, don’t share them with your friends!

After all, the bloodshot look stops being cool after you take your zombie costume off.