A MAN wore cosmetic contact lenses with a Halloween costume – and I thought he was going to go blind.
Kyle Bryant, 22, from Windsor, was getting ready to hit the tiles with pals for a night of spooky fun last year.
Donning a white “blood” splattered shirt with the creepy lenses, Kyle put them in and initially thought little of it.
The novelty lenses cost just £10 from an online seller – but within minutes of popping them in, his eyes started to feel a “swelling”.
And after around 45 minutes, Kyle felt like the lens was scratching against the front of his eyeball.
But only after removing the lenses was the true extent of the damage revealed.
Experts from Specsavers claim cheap cosmetic contact lenses can scratch the surface of the eye, cut off vital oxygen, and even introduce dangerous bacteria – all of which can lead to infection and, in serious cases, blindness.
Kyle said: “People had told me to be careful with them beforehand. It was only when I took them out, I realised the contact lens was scratching my eyeball.
“It was really painful – my eye was getting bigger and bigger. It was swelling. I was worried it was going to affect my vision.
“It definitely has put me off wearing them, which is a shame as they actually look pretty cool.”
The damage to Kyle’s eye resulted in his eyeball appearing, and feeling, larger for a number of days, and he also experienced soreness.
As a result, it has put him off buying fancy dress lenses ever again, even though they are still readily available at many online or storefront retailers.
Giles Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers, said: “The scratching Kyle experienced suggests these lenses were likely poorly manufactured and ill-fitting.
“Contact lenses sit directly on the delicate surface of the eye, and any irregularities in the lens material or curvature can cause corneal abrasions – essentially scratches to the front of the eye.
“The swelling he described is a typical inflammatory response to this kind of trauma.
“Kyle’s experience is a stark warning about the dangers of buying cosmetic contact lenses from unregulated online sellers, particularly around Halloween when these novelty lenses become incredibly popular.
“What started as a bit of fun for a costume could have resulted in permanent vision damage.
“I cannot stress enough that people should never purchase contact lenses from unregulated online sellers, market stalls, or fancy-dress shops.
“These lenses are often manufactured without proper quality controls and sold without any regard for the wearer’s eye health or safety.
“Contact lenses are medical devices, not fashion accessories, and should always be fitted by a qualified professional.”
