contact lenses

Benefits of Daily Contacts: Comfort, Convenience, and Eye Health

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Are you tired of dealing with the hassle of cleaning and storing your monthly contact lenses? Have you considered switching to daily disposable contacts? If not, you may be missing out on numerous benefits that can improve your vision, comfort, and eye health.

Convenience  

In our latest video, Dr. Marcus Cuff explores the numerous benefits of daily disposable contact lenses. One of the biggest advantages of these lenses is the convenience they offer. With daily contacts, there’s no need to clean or store them after each use, which saves you time and eliminates the risk of lens contamination. 

Comfort

Another benefit of daily contacts is improved comfort. These lenses are made with advanced materials that provide a comfortable fit and retain moisture, which reduces dryness and irritation. Additionally, daily lenses can be a great option for those with allergies, as they help to prevent the buildup of allergens on the lens surface. 

Less Risk of Infection

Daily disposable contact lenses also offer superior eye health benefits. Since these lenses are only worn once and then discarded, there’s no risk of bacteria or other contaminants building up on the lens over time, which can lead to infections and other eye problems. 

Give Dailies a Try with Performance Eyecare

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a convenient, comfortable, and safe contact lens option, daily disposable contacts may be the perfect solution for you. With their numerous benefits, including improved comfort, convenience, and reduced risk of eye infections, daily contacts can help you see the world more clearly and comfortably.

If you’re interested in learning more about this option, watch our latest video and schedule an appointment with us to determine if daily disposable contact lenses are right for you. 

Performance Eyecare is the Midwest’s largest, privately held eye care provider with nine locations in Missouri and Illinois.

Tips For Your First Time in Contact Lenses

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Preparing for your first time in contacts? In this video, Dr. Thomas Cunningham, a top-rated eye doctor for Performance Eyecare, shares his tips for first time contact lens wearers. 

Our best advice for patients preparing to wear contact lenses is to not worry! Before attempting to put the lenses in, we recommend practicing getting your (clean) finger close to your eye. Take your time with this, getting closer until you’re comfortable enough to touch your eye. This will take some of the anxiety away from putting lenses in for the first time. 

Once patients learn that touching their eye is not harmful or painful, they quickly pick up how to insert the contact lenses into their eyes.

Wearing contact lenses for the first time can seem daunting, but with the right guidance and practice, you’ll be able to wear them with ease. Dr. Cunningham’s tips for first-time contact lens wearers are an excellent resource for those who are new to the world of contacts. So, whether you want to wear contacts for cosmetic reasons or medical necessity, Performance Eyecare has you covered.

Book an appointment today and experience the benefits of wearing contacts with the help of our experienced and knowledgeable eye doctors.

We Answer Common Questions Our Patients Have About Contact Lenses

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Q:  How can I be certain that I can wear contact lenses?
A: We can assure you if you are a great candidate for contact lenses, especially with the advanced technology that our office utilizes. For example, did you know there are bifocal contact lenses for those with presbyopia and lenses for our patients who suffer from astigmatism?

Q: Will the contact lens get lost or stuck behind my eye?
A: Believe it or not, we get this question all the time and the quick answer is no! It is going to take time to adjust to wearing your new contacts, but most people do not even realize or remember that they are wearing them; that is how comfortable they are. And, if you do experience discomfort, we can recommend several remedies for you once we are able to pinpoint the cause of irritation.

Q: Are contact lenses comfortable to wear?
A: For almost everyone, the answer is yes! We use a soft contact lens on most patients which can stick to the lens of your eye when your eye or contact lens is dry, however; simple re-moisturizing by applying saline solution or contact lens solution will bring you back to a comfortable state of vision.

Q: Are they hard to take care of?
A: It does take a responsible patient to take care of their contact lenses, just as it does someone who is wearing glasses with frames. Cleaning & disinfecting your lenses is quick, painless and easy! Or, Performance Eyecare also offers disposable lenses that you can toss out at the end of your day; never having to worry about cleaning them.

Q: Will I experience other eye problems once using contact lenses?
A: If you follow the instructions of contact lens care that our optometrist will give you, then you are less likely to develop any eye problems or infections. Before you leave our eye care offices, we will be sure you are sure how long you are to wear your prescribed lenses, how frequently you should replace them and how to care for them when they are not being used.

Q: What if I can’t get them into my eye?
A: It is going to seem difficult at first, as this is your first time placing something into your eye. Rest assured, our eye care professionals will make sure you feel comfortable knowing how to place and remove your lens before leaving the office.

Q: Is it more expensive to get contact lenses than glasses?
A: Surprisingly, contact lenses can be less expensive than some of our leading brand name eyeglasses. If money is your concern, do not hesitate to talk with our eye care staff as we will make sure you understand the wonderful and cost effective investment you are making for your vision.

Q: Am I too old for them?
A: How old is too old? All of our patients are applicable recipients to wearing contact lenses at the authorization of the Performance Eyecare optometrists. The answer may surprise you, but on your next visit just ask your eye care doctor if you are a good candidate for contact lenses.

For more questions you may have about contact lenses, or the type of services we offer, please contact us online or call us at the location nearest you!

Colored contacts could add to your style

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Are there benefits to using colored contacts

If you’re looking to create a subtle, bold or anywhere in between look, getting colored contact lenses might be the way to go.

Prescription color contacts can correct your myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism while enhancing or completely changing your eye color. Plano color contacts are worn purely for cosmetic purposes and have no lens power to correct vision.

Color contacts come in three kinds of tints:

Visibility tint. This is usually a light blue or green tint added to the lens, just to help you see it better during insertion and removal or if you drop it. Visibility tints are relatively faint and do not affect your eye color.

Enhancement tint. This is a solid but see-through tint that is a little darker than a visibility tint. This is meant to enhance the natural color of your eyes. This type of tint is usually best for people with light-colored eyes and want to make their eyes more intense.

Opaque tint. This is a non-transparent tint that can change your eye color immediately. If you have dark eyes, you’ll need this type of color contact lens to change your eye color.

So, which color should you choose?

Those with light color eyes should choose an enhancement tint that defines the edges of your iris and deepens your natural color if you’re going for a more subtle look. If you want to experiment with a different eye color while still looking natural, you might want to choose a gray or green contact lens if your natural eye color is blue.

Those with dark eyes should choose opaque colored tints. For a natural-looking change, try a lighter honey brown or hazel colored lens. If you want to really stand out from the crowd, go for contact lenses in vivid colors, such as blue, green or violet.

What You Need To Know About Colored Contacts

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Colored Contacts are all the rage these days, giving people the option to change the look of their eyes in an instant. Even if you don’t need contacts to correct your vision, you can purchase them for cosmetic reasons, just like you can purchase glasses with non-prescription lenses. There are 3 types of colored contact lenses that can change your eye color and look.

Enhancement contacts change light-colored eyes into different shades of blues, greens and grays. Each will look different depending on your original eye color, as the two blend together uniquely. These contacts do not change eye colors that are originally darker.

Opaque contact lenses are very popular because they totally change the color of your eyes whether you have light or dark eyes. They can give you a dramatic new look.

Special effects lenses are used to add flair and reality to Halloween costumes and for stage performances, such as to look more like a vampire or zombie and the like. They can create a special effect or simply be a bold fashion statement. Some companies are making new types of lenses called circle lenses that widen the look of the iris by adding a black circle around the outside of the lens. This is especially popular in Korea.

What You Need to Know About Colored Contacts

Unfortunately, there are companies selling contacts that are non-prescription and are not approved by the FDA. This is against the law and very dangerous to the health of your eyes. If you are considering purchasing colored contacts it is very important to have a vision exam with a certified optometrist to make sure the prescription is correct, as well as to obtain the proper fit. Our eyes are all unique and even if you have 20/20 vision, you will need to be professionally fitted for contacts.

Purchasing contacts without a prescription can lead to problems such as infections, a scratched cornea, pink eye, decreased vision, and blindness. This can be due to the wrong prescription, poor fit, poor care of the lenses, and improperly made lenses. According to FDA optometrist Bernard P. Lepri, O.D., M.S., M.Ed., “Bacterial infections can be extremely rapid, result in corneal ulcers, and cause blindness–sometimes within as little as 24 hours if not diagnosed and treated promptly.”

There are colored contacts to fit most eyes including those with vision correction. We specialize in fitting even the most difficult to fit contact lens wearer. Contact us today to find out more about the vision exams and colored contacts we offer.

Performance Eyecare carries contacts for ‘hard-to-fit’ eyes

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eye doctor in Swansea IL & St. Louis

Not everyone is an ideal candidate for contact lenses. If you have one or more of the following conditions, contact lens wear may be more difficult:

  • astigmatism
  • dry eyes
  • presbyopia
  • giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC)
  • keratoconus
  • post-refractive surgery (such as LASIK)

But “difficult” doesn’t mean impossible. Often, people with these conditions can wear contacts quite successfully. Let’s take a closer look at each situation – and possible contact lens solutions.

Contact lenses for astigmatism

Astigmatism is a very common condition where the curvature of the front of the eye isn’t round, but is instead shaped more like a football or an egg. This means one curve is steeper or flatter than the curve 90 degrees away. Astigmatism won’t keep you from wearing contact lenses – it just means you need a different kind of lens.

Lenses specially designed to correct astigmatism are called “toric” lenses. Most toric lenses are soft lenses. Toric soft lenses have different corrective powers in different lens meridians, and design elements to keep the lens from rotating on the eye (so the varying corrective powers are aligned properly in front of the different meridians of the cornea).

In some cases, toric soft lenses may rotate too much on the eye, causing blur. If this happens, different brands that have different anti-rotation designs can be tried. If soft lens rotation continues to be a problem, gas permeable (GP) lenses (with or without a toric design) can also correct astigmatism.

Dry eyes can make contact lens wear difficult and cause a number of symptoms, including:

  • a gritty, dry feeling
  • feeling as if something is in your eye
  • a burning sensation
  • eye redness (especially later in the day)
  • blurred vision

If you have dry eyes, the first step is to treat the condition. This can be done a number of ways, including artificial tears, medicated eye drops, nutritional supplements, and a doctor-performed procedure called punctal occlusion to close ducts in your eyelids that drain tears away from your eyes.

Once the dry eye condition is treated and symptoms are reduced or eliminated, contact lenses can be tried. Certain soft contact lens materials work better than others for dry eyes. Also, GP lenses are sometimes better than soft lenses if there’s a concern about dry eyes since these lenses don’t dry out the way soft lenses can.

Replacing your contacts more frequently and reducing your wearing time each day (or removing them for specific tasks, such as computer work) can also reduce dry eye symptoms when wearing contacts.

Contact lenses for giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC)

Giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) is an inflammatory reaction on the inner surface of the eyelids. One cause of GPC is protein deposits on soft contact lenses. (These deposits are from components of your tear film that stick to your lenses and become chemically altered.)

Usually, changing to a one-day disposable soft lens will solve this problem, since you just throw these lenses away at the end of the day before protein deposits can accumulate on them. Gas permeable lenses are also often a good solution, as protein deposits don’t adhere as easily to GP lenses, and lens deposits on GP lenses are more easily removed with daily cleaning.

In some cases of GPC, a medicated eye drop may be required to reduce the inflammation before you can resume wearing contact lenses.

Contact lenses for presbyopia

Presbyopia is the normal loss of focusing ability up close when you reach your 40s.

Today, there are many designs of bifocal and multifocal contact lenses to correct presbyopia. Another option for presbyopia is monovision. This is wearing a contact lens in one eye for distance vision and a lens in the other eye that has a modified power for near vision.

During your contact lens fitting we can help you decide whether bifocal/multifocal contact lenses or monovision is best for you.

Contact lenses for keratoconus

Keratoconus is a relatively uncommon eye condition where the cornea becomes thinner and bulges forward. The term “keratoconus” comes from the Greek terms for cornea (“kerato”) and cone-shaped (“conus”). The exact cause of keratoconus remains unknown, but it appears that oxidative damage from free radicals plays a role.

Gas permeable contact lenses are the treatment option of choice for mild and moderate keratoconus. Because they are rigid, GP lenses can help contain the shape of the cornea to prevent further bulging of the cornea. They also can correct vision problems caused by keratoconus that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses or soft contacts.

In some cases, a soft contact lens is worn under the GP lens for greater comfort. This technique is called “piggybacking.” Another option for some patients is a hybrid contact lens that has a GP center, surrounded by a soft “skirt”.Contact lenses after corrective eye surgery

More than one million Americans each year have LASIK surgery to correct their eyesight. Sometimes, vision problems remain after surgery that can’t be corrected with eyeglasses or a second surgical procedure. In these cases, gas permeable contact lenses can often restore visual acuity and eliminate problems like glare and halos at night.

GP lenses are also used to correct vision problems after corneal transplant surgery, including irregular astigmatism that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses.

GP lenses prescribed after LASIK and corneal transplants sometimes have a special design called a “reverse geometry” design to better conform to the altered shape of the cornea. The back surface of these lenses is flatter in the center and steeper in the periphery. (This is the opposite of a normal GP lens design, which is steeper in the center and flattens in the periphery.)

Problem-solving contact lens fittings cost more

Fitting contact lenses to correct or treat any of the above conditions will generally take much more time than a regular contact lens fitting. These “hard-to-fit” cases usually require a series of office visits and multiple pairs of trial lenses before the final contact lens prescription can be determined. Also, the lenses required for these conditions are usually more costly than regular soft contact lenses. Therefore, fees for these fittings are higher than fees for regular contact lens fittings. Call our office for details.

Find out if you can wear contact lenses

If you are interested in wearing contact lenses, call our office to schedule a consultation. Even if you’ve been told you’re not a good candidate for contacts because you have one of the above conditions or for some other reason, we may be able to help you wear contact lenses safely and successfully.

Performance Eyecare has same day contact lenses

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Woman holding contact lens to eye

There’s no need to sit around waiting and wondering when your prescription contact lenses are going to be finished. At Performance Eyecare, we have several hundred contact lenses in our office and can routinely fit our contact lens patients the same day. It is not uncommon to hear from our new contact lens patients, “You mean you have MY contact lens prescription here and I can take my contact lenses home today?”

If you’re new to wearing contact lenses, Liz Segre of AllAboutVision.com has some tips to help you with common questions:

Is my contact lens inside out?

The trick is to place the lens on your finger so that a cup is formed. Then hold the lens up directly in front of your eyes so you’re looking at the side of the cup.

If the lens forms a “U” with the top edges flared out, it’s inside out. If it forms just a “U,” it’s in the correct position.

Applying your contact lenses

Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before applying your contact lenses, but avoid scented or oily soaps that might adhere to the lens surface. Especially avoid using products containing lanolin and moisturizing lotions.

Some eye doctors say to always apply the first contact lens in the same eye, so you’ll avoid the possibility of mixing up lenses for the right eye and left eye.

Other basic guidelines for contact lens application:

  1. Gently shake your lens case containing the storage solution, to loosen the contact lens should it be stuck. (Don’t try pulling at the lens with your finger, or you might damage it.)
  2. Slide the lens out of its case and into the palm of your hand. Rinse thoroughly with the appropriate contact lens solution.
  3. Place the contact lens on the tip of your index or middle finger, which should be dry or mostly dry.
  4. With the fingers and thumb of your other hand, simultaneously pull up on your upper eyelid and down on your lower eyelid.
  5. Position the lens on your eye while looking upward or forward, whichever you find to be easier. You also can apply the contact lens by placing it on the white of the eye closest to your ear.
  6. Gently close your eye, roll your eyes in a complete circle to help the lens settle, and then blink.
  7. Look closely in the mirror to make sure the lens is centered on your eye. If it is, the lens should be comfortable and your vision should be clear.

Removing your contact lenses

Always wash your hands before removing contact lenses. If you are standing in front of a sink, use a clean paper towel to cover the drain where the contact lens might accidentally fall.

To remove soft contact lenses, look upward or sideways while you pull down on your lower eyelid. With a finger, gently maneuver the lens onto the white of your eye. There, you can very gently pinch the lens together with your index finger and thumb and lift it off the eye.

Rigid contact lenses can be removed by holding out the palm of your hand, bending over, and then opening your eye wide. With one finger of your other hand, pull the skin between your upper and lower eyelid (just outside the lateral aspect of your eye) outward toward your ear with your eye wide open. Then blink. The contact lens should pop right out and into your open palm.

Contact Lens Myths

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Are you afraid of wearing contact lenses? Check out these contact lens myths debunked and then decide if they are right for you.

MYTH: I can’t wear contact lenses

Just about everyone can now wear contact lenses thanks to technological advances. Some of the advances now allow those with astigmatism and those who need bifocal contact lenses.

MYTH: A contact lens will get lost behind my eye

It’s impossible for a contact lens to get lost behind your eye. That’s because a thin membrane called the conjunctiva covers the white of your eye and connects to the inside of your eyelids.

MYTH: Contact lenses are uncomfortable

There is a brief period for you to get adapted to the change, but you will likely not notice that you are wearing contact lenses. There are remedies available should the contact lenses cause discomfort.

MYTH: Contact lenses can get permanently stuck to my eye

Soft contact lens can stick to the surface of your eye if it’s dried out. However, you can remoisten the lens by applying sterile saline or multipurpose contact lens solution to get it moving again.

MYTH: Contact lenses are too much trouble to take care of

One-bottle contact lens care systems make cleaning your lenses easy. Alternatively, you can choose to eliminate the care altogether by getting daily disposables or 30-day extendable wear ones.

MYTH: Wearing contact lenses cause eye problems

If you follow your eye doctor’s instructions on how to care for your lenses, how long to wear them and how frequently to replace them, wearing contact lenses is safe.

MYTH: I’ll never be able to get them in my eyes

It might be difficult at first, but your eye care professional will make sure you learn how to apply and remove them before you leave their office.

MYTH: Contacts can pop out of my eye

The old-fashioned hard ones could, but today’s contacts fit closer to the eye so it’s very rare for one to dislodge from a wearer’s eye unexpectedly.

MYTH: Contact lenses are too expensive

They can be less expensive than a good pair of eyeglasses. Even daily disposable lenses can cost about a dollar a day.

MYTH: I’m too old to wear contact lenses

Thanks to the bifocal contact lenses and contacts designed for dry eyes, getting older is no longer a barrier to successful contact lenses. You should ask your doctor if you’re a candidate for contacts.

At Performance Eyecare, we can routinely fit our contact lens patients the same day as their exam. Get in touch with your local office to schedule your contact lens appointment today!

Preparing for an Eye Exam

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Eyecare experts recommend you have a complete eye exam every year to keep your eyes healthy. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your exam:

Eye Exams for Kids

Some experts estimate that approximately 5% to 10% of pre-schoolers and 25% of school-aged children have vision problems. According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), all children should have their eyes examined at 6 months, 3 years, and again when they start school. Children without vision problems or risk factors for eye or vision problems should then continue to have their eyes examined at least every two years throughout school.

Children with existing vision problems or risk factors should have their eyes examined more frequently. Common risk factors for vision problems include:

  • premature birth
  • developmental delays
  • turned or crossed eyes
  • family history of eye disease
  • history of eye injury
  • other physical illness or disease

The AOA recommends that children who wear eyeglasses or contact lenses should have their eyes examined at least every 12 months.

Eye Exams for Adults

The AOA also recommends an annual eye exam for any adult who wears eyeglasses or contacts. If you don’t normally need vision correction, you still need an eye exam every two to three years up to the age of 40, depending on your rate of visual change and overall health. Doctors often recommend more frequent examinations for adults with diabetes, high blood pressure and other disorders. That’s because many diseases can have an impact on vision and eye health.

If you are over 40, it’s a good idea to have your eyes examined every one to two years to check for common age-related eye problems such as presbyopia, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Because the risk of eye disease continues to increase with age, everyone over the age of 60 should be examined annually.

How much does an eye exam cost?

Eye exams are available in many settings so the fees can vary widely. Generally speaking, contact lens exams cost more than regular eye exams. Likewise, an additional or higher fee may be charged for specialized services such as laser vision correction evaluations.

Many insurance plans cover at least a portion of eye exam services. Check to see what your benefits are and which eye doctors in your area participate in your plan before you make an appointment. Then be sure to give your doctor’s office your insurance information to verify coverage.

What information should I take with me to my eye exam?

It’s important to have some basic information ready at the time of your eye examination. Bring the following items to your exam:

  • All eyeglasses and contact lenses you routinely use, including reading glasses.
  • A list of any medications you take (including dosages).
  • A list of any nutritional supplements you take (including dosages).
  • A list of questions to ask the doctor, especially if you are interested in contact lenses or laser vision correction surgery.
  • Medical or vision insurance card if you will be using it for a portion of your fees.

Allergy Season & Contact Lenses

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Allergy season is extra harsh for those who wear contacts! It’s bad enough to have allergies, but to have allergies AND wear contacts can add extra discomfort to your life during the pollen season.

According to the American Optometric Association, more than 75 percent of contact-wearers suffer from eye discomfort caused by allergens. Soft lenses are likely the main culprit of the irritation as they function as sponges which keeps the allergens in the eye.

Tips for Allergy Season

So what can contact-wearers do to combat the allergy season? Here are a few ideas!

  • Switch to eyeglasses. It’s easier said than done for those who normally wear contacts from morning to night, but it might be the simplest thing to do. Allergens, such as pollen and dust, tend to stick to plastic surfaces of contacts, so wearing glasses should decrease your chances of an attack.
  • Contact-wearers should also wash the allergens out of the eye and moisten irritated eyes with artificial tears. It’s recommended that you don’t buy over-the-counter redness relievers to treat your allergic symptoms because most of those products are considered cosmetic-only.
  • How often do you clean your contacts? It’s recommended you clean your contacts more often and using a preservative-free solution to avoid allergic reactions. Those who wear disposable lenses should consider replacing them more frequently.
  • This might be the hardest tip: try not to rub your eyes. Rubbing will only cause it to get worse. Instead, place a cool, damp cloth over your eyes to reduce any swelling or itching. It might look weird doing this, but it won’t look as bad as having excessively red and puffy eyes.
  • The most important tip is to see your eye doctor. Allergy sufferers can choose from medical products specifically designed to protect their eyes. The doctor can also check to see if the symptoms are caused by a different medical problem.

Multifocal Contact Lenses

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Once we reach our mid-40s, presbyopia – the normal, age-related loss of flexibility of the lens inside our eye – makes it difficult for us to focus on near objects. In the past, reading glasses were the only option available to contact lens wearers who wanted to read a menu or do other everyday tasks that require good near vision.

But today, a number of multifocal contact lens options are available for you to consider. Multifocal contact lenses offer the best of both worlds: no glasses, along with good near and distance vision.

Types of multifocal contact lenses

Some multifocal contact lenses have a bifocal design with two distinct lens powers – one for your distance vision and one for near. Others have a multifocal design somewhat like progressive eyeglass lenses, with a gradual change in lens power for a natural visual transition from distance to close-up.

Multifocal contacts are available in both soft and rigid gas permeable (RGP or GP) lens materials and are designed for daily wear or extended (overnight) wear. Soft multifocal lenses can be comfortably worn on a part-time basis, so they’re great for weekends and other occasions if you prefer not to wear them on an all-day, every day schedule.

For the ultimate in convenience, one-day disposable soft multifocal lenses allow you to discard the lenses at the end of a single day of wear, so there’s no hassle with lens care.

In some cases, GP multifocal contact lenses provide sharper vision than soft multifocals. But because of their rigid nature, GP multifocal contacts require some adaptation and are more comfortable if you condition your eyes by wearing the lenses every day.

Hybrid multifocal contacts are an exciting new alternative. These lenses have a GP center and a soft periphery, making it easier to adapt.

Astigmatism? No problem.

All types of multifocal contact lenses – GP, soft, and hybrid – are available to correct astigmatism at the same time as presbyopia.

Monovision

Until you have a contact lens fitting, there’s no way to know for sure if you’ll be able to successfully adapt to wearing multifocal contact lenses. If multifocal lenses aren’t comfortable or don’t give you adequate vision, a monovision contact lens fitting may be a good alternative.

Monovision uses your dominant eye for distance vision and the non-dominant eye for near vision. Right-handed people tend to be right-eye dominant and left-handed folks left-eye dominant. But your eye care professional will perform testing to make that determination.

Usually, single vision contact lenses are used for monovision. One advantage here is that single vision lenses are less costly to replace, lowering your annual contact lens expenses. But in some cases, better results can be achieved using a single vision lens on the dominant eye for distance vision and a multifocal lens on the other eye for intermediate and near vision. Other times, your eyecare professional may choose a distance-biased multifocal on your dominant eye and a near-biased multifocal on the other eye. These techniques are referred to as “modified monovision” fits.

For more information on multifocal contact lenses, schedule an appointment with your nearest Performance Eyecare office!

Eye Protection This Halloween

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As noted by Kristina Tarczy-Hornoch, M.D., there are several tips parents should be aware of before letting your child roam around for candy.

  1. Don’t wear decorative (non-prescription) contact lenses

This addition to costumes is on the rise, especially amongst teenagers, but it’s causing a major concern for eye doctors.

It’s against the federal law to sell contact lenses in unlicensed outlets such as costume and party stores, but it’s sometimes loosely followed. These decorative lenses may be made from inferior plastic or contain toxic dyes.

Eye infections can become a major concern for those who improperly wear and handle contact lenses. It can rapidly develop into corneal ulcers and possible blindness.

If blurred vision, redness, discomfort, swelling or discharge occurs, discontinue use of the contact lens immediately. Schedule a visit with a physician sooner rather than later to address any remaining damage.

  1. Only use make-up approved by the FDA on the face and around the eyes

If your child plans on wearing face paint and make-up, please use a hypo-allergenic brand and pay close attention to the label.

When applying make-up near or around the eye, stay away from the lid margin (lash line). If you decide to use make-up close to your eyes, please use only products approved for use in that area such as eye-liner or eye shadow.

Remove the make-up with cold cream instead of soap and water. Rinse your eye with water if make-up gets into it. See an eye care professional as soon as possible if redness or irritation persists.

  1. Avoid swords and other pointed objects on kids’ costumes

We all hear from our kids how they need a sword, knife, spear or wand to complete their costume. It may be tempting, but a serious eye injury can occur if one of those pointed objects hits someone.

If your pirate needs a sword, find a belt carrier where it can stay safely nestled while he or she roams the neighborhood. You should buy or construct only accessories made of soft or flexible materials.

If your child does get poked in the eye, you should inspect it for signs of redness, decreased vision or pain. Eye injuries may be more serious than they appear. You should take your child to the doctor if he or she reports pain or blurred vision or if the eye is discolored or bloodshot.

If you notice irritation in your child’s eyes after Halloween, reach out to our team and we will be happy to help!