US, Decorative Lenses: Health Problems Are Rising

According to american optometrists. Health problems linked to cosmetic contacts are rising, especially among young.Even with FDA regulations and warnings still in place, cosmetic contacts already are available without a prescription. The lenses are sold at flea markets and convenience stores, according to the federal agency. They also can be bought online.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue an alert this fall warning consumers not to purchase the contacts without a prescription. Lenses dispensed by prescription are fitted properly and come with instructions on how to use them, including proper cleaning. The FDA said it would direct Customs officials to detain decorative lenses at U.S. ports of entry and it would seize lenses on the market that violate federal law.

The FDA has received reports of people developing corneal ulcers from wearing the lenses for too long, according to its October alert. Other risks from improper wear include infections, allergic reactions, vision impairment and eye loss in extreme cases.

One of the reasons the cosmetic lenses are readily available without a prescription is because the FDA doesn't do a good job of enforcing federal law, said Tom Henteleff, legal counsel for the Contact Lens Council, a group representing manufacturers. "The question is: Does the FDA really go out and enforce where an individual organization is dispensing them without a valid prescription?" Henteleff said. "And FDA has not been very aggressive in doing that."