Prevent Blindness reminds consumers of contact lens, cosmetics safety for Halloween

As Halloween draws near, Prevent Blindness urges consumers to take extra care when considering cosmetic or decorative contact lenses or applying makeup to enhance a costume.

In a press release, the nonprofit organization reminded the public that contact lenses are classified by the FDA as prescription medical devices and should not be sold over the counter. Consumers should be aware that lenses purchased from unlicensed vendors, including online distributors or novelty stores, may be contaminated or counterfeit and therefore unsafe to use.

As part of Contact Lens Safety Month in October, Prevent Blindness has created fact sheets, sharable social media graphics and a dedicated webpage to help educate the public on safe contact lens use, including important reminders for prescription contact lens wearers wearing eye makeup for Halloween. This includes care when applying or removing contact lenses while wearing cosmetics and avoiding waterproof mascara.

To close out a month that highlights the importance of contact lens safety, Healio revisits the latest contact lens news, research and innovation recently presented at Academy ’23.

VIDEO: Residual higher order aberration can be corrected with contact lenses

Contact lenses may have a refractive therapeutic effect on residual higher order aberrations in select patients, according to a speaker.

“In the foreseeable future, I think it’s something we could all take advantage of to help our patients suffering from residual higher order aberration,” Clark Chang, OD, MSA, MSc, FAAO, from Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, told Healio. Watch here.

VIDEO: Discussing eligibility for contact lenses can ‘open the door for patients’

Talking to patients about their eligibility for contact lenses can help them explore options for improved vision, a speaker noted.

“A simple question like, ‘Hey, have you ever considered trying contact lenses?’ can really open the door for patients,” Ariel Cerenzie, OD, FAAO, FSLS, owner of Charlotte Contact Lens Institute in North Carolina, told Healio. Watch here.

Contact lens dropouts refit with different brand can be successful

Former contact lens wearers who discontinued use because of discomfort or dryness can be successful if refit with an alternative brand, according to Andrew Pucker, OD, PhD.

“If you have a patient who used to be a contact lens wearer, you should ask them about why they stopped,” Pucker, senior director of clinical and medical sciences at Lexitas Pharma Services, told Healio. Read more.

Vision satisfaction at dispensing visit may predict multifocal contact lens success

Overall vision satisfaction when fitting multifocal contact lenses increases the chances of at-home success and intention to purchase, according to Percy Lazon de la Jara, PhD, director of research programs at CooperVision.

“If practitioners follow the fitting guide of the manufacturers and they ask one question at the dispensing visit, they could predict which patients are going to be successful and which patients won’t be successful with multifocal contact lens correction,” Lazon de la Jara told Healio. Read more.

VIDEO: Herjavec advises optometrists to focus on patient comfort to grow your practice

The optometrist’s relationships with patients are built on trust and value, but part of that is comfort, entrepreneur and TV personality Robert Herjavec said at an Alcon-sponsored event.

“I had the same optometrist for 20 years,” Herjavec, CEO of the global cybersecurity firm, Cyderes, and star of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” says in this Healio video. “He always asked me if I was comfortable. I [shrugged my shoulders] and then got the same old prescription every year. You’ve got to dive into that and find out do they have any problems.” Watch here.

VIDEO: Doctors, patients provide positive feedback on Acuvue Max daily disposable contacts

Doctors and patients both reported positive experiences with vision and comfort when using the Acuvue Oasys Max 1-Day, according to two posters.

Kurt Moody, OD, FAAO, director of North America professional education at Johnson & Johnson Vision, told Healio that the doctors and patients were surveyed about their experiences with J&J’s Max 1-Day sphere and multifocal products. Watch here.

VIDEO: CooperVision contact lens research supports utility of new technologies

Several CooperVision-sponsored studies support the ease of fit and improved vision with newer multifocal contact lens technologies, as well as the approachability of orthokeratology.

Gary Orsborn, OD, MS, FAAO, FBCLA, vice president of global professional and clinical affairs at CooperVision, told Healio the company’s research indicates that multifocal contact lenses are “easier to fit than ever before and lead to higher levels of first-fit success and ultimate success with their patients.” Watch here.

VIDEO: Alcon launches reusable multifocal contact lens with water gradient platform

Alcon introduced its recently launched Total30 Multifocal contact lens, a reusable, monthly lens for patients with presbyopia that features the company’s water gradient technology.

“This is a great innovation that builds on the trusted family of our Total contact lens portfolio,” Kristen Brotherson, vice president of U.S. vision care sales at Alcon, told Healio. Watch here.

VIDEO: Bausch + Lomb multifocal design successfully transfers across materials

Bausch + Lomb’s three-zone progressive optical design successfully transferred from its samfilcon to kalifilcon materials, according to research.

Marjorie Rah, OD, PhD, FAAO, director of medical affairs for vision care at Bausch + Lomb, told Healio that with the same power lens, patients did “extremely well” with both the Ultra for Presbyopia (samfilcon A) lens and the Infuse Multifocal (kalifilcon A) daily disposable lens, which launched earlier this year. Watch here.