Surely the existence of coloured contact lenses is not something new. Increasing in popularity, are ‘circle lenses’ which promise to make your pupils look larger. They are so easily attainable online at astoundingly low prices, that they sound too good a deal to be true. In some unfortunate situations, that is exactly the case because not all of these lenses possess reliable medical certification.
Contact lenses can be seen as a miracle by some of us who have less than perfect eyesight. Folks today, though, can damage their eyes by getting sub-standard or fashionable lenses from the wrong sources.
*Lee 26, said she bought a pair of coloured contact lenses at a night market, believing that wearing them would make her prettier.
“The lenses dried out within minutes and my eyes burned when I tried to moisten them with eye drops.”
Despite the discomfort, *Lee continued to use them as she trusted the vendor who told her the effects were only ‘temporary’. She eventually suffered an eye infection from a scratched cornea and was advised not to use any form of eye make-up for a month.
You may think that this is an issue that does not concern students because of school rules. However, while Singapore schools do not allow students to use coloured lenses, they may still use them outside of school or choose a discreet colour like black or dark brown.
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Horror stories
*Razlin learnt his lesson the hard way. She purchased a pair (of contact lenses) from a flea market for $20.
“Within the first two hours of using the lenses, my eyes began to itch and reddened. I went back to the shop and the vendor told me that I should wear them more as my eyes were only beginning to adjust.”
Razlin blindly heeded the vendor’s advice and eventually ended up with a lens stuck in one of her eyes.
“I had to go to an optometrist to have it removed, but the damage was done. My eyes were badly hurt and I had to use an eye patch for a month. The optometrist said that if the lens had stayed in my eye any longer it would have developed into a corneal ulcer.”
When asked if she would wear contact lenses again, she said, “Never”.
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Why should you get contacts from registered providers?
The eye is an extremely sensitive organ and needs to be treated with care. Trusting someone whose credentials you don’t know or can’t ascertain may result in complications in the long run as they may be ill-equipped to handle the needs of your eyes. This threat can be avoided completely by getting prescriptions from reputable optometrists as they would be able to diagnose the degree of assistance each eye needs. They can even offer legitimate advice on care methods for wearing contact lenses.
Parents should explain to their kids the dangers of getting lenses from an eye quack and just how bad resulting ailments can be if they decide to get contacts on the cheap. But first, just consider the right age for them to even be getting a pair of lenses if it’s merely for fashion’s sake.
Tips to avoid damage to kids’ eyes
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Besides getting a proper prescription from a registered optometrist, teach your kid these tips on contact lens care. By doing this, she can lessen the risk of an eye infection:
- Change the storage container for your lenses twice or four times a year.
- Remember to ask your optometrist how to look after your lenses properly.
- Take out your lenses before diving into the pool.
- Recycling is good but not in the case of lens solution. Throw away the liquid you’ve used every time and always add fresh solution to the empty case.
- Try not to use non-sterile water (distilled water, tap water and homemade saline) on your lenses as it could cause nasty eye-infections thanks to the microorganisms present.
- Don’t make your own saline solution or try to clean your lenses in it.
- Never put your lenses in your mouth as your saliva is not sterile.
Check out some good eye practices, just FYI.
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