Lady Gaga's doe-eyed look in her "Bad Romance" video has caused a dangerous trend to catch on among teens in the U.S. Teens are purchasing "Circle Lenses," colored contact lenses that make the colored part of the eye (iris) appear larger. These lenses are illegal in the U.S. but are readily available on the Internet, so teens and young adults are buying them without seeing an eye doctor, having their eyes fitted for the lenses to ensure a proper fit, and without instruction in proper use. Poor use can cause scratches, called corneal abrasions, tears (lacerations), and infections of the eye, even blindness in rare cases.
To have even a corneal abrasion is a painful and inconvenient experience. I had it as a med student while on a trauma surgery rotation and they let me out for the day! The eye becomes extremely sensitive to light. and your vision is blurred. It causes one to feel unable to open the eye, because of the sensation that a tiny but sharp object is on the eye. The eye often waters constantly, and the more you rub and blink your eye, the worse pain becomes. The pain can be excruciating. It requires a doctor's visit for an exam and anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic eye drops or ointment and then follow up with a specialist. In terms of infections, even contact lenses prescribed by a doctor put people at risk for infections when not handled properly. Imagine the damage you could do using contact lenses that do not fit you and without proper instruction. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has discouraged the use of nonprescription cosmetic contact lenses which have been illegal in the U.S. since 2005.
For media inquires about Dr. Rapp's expertise, please contact Bridgett S. Joe at 713-498-0552 or via email at bhjoe@scprelations.com.
Have a question for Rapp M.D.? Send them to Kadisha.Rapp@yahoo.com!
No comments:
Post a Comment