Cat’s eyes lenses left me blind after fancy dress party
Sight loss warning from €10 novelty accessories
Ciara Griffin A WOMAN has told how she nearly lost her sight after wearing “cat eye” contact lenses for a Halloween party.
Ciara Griffin, 30, dressed up as superhero Catwoman, complete with the €10 novelty lenses over her eyes.
But she went to sleep without taking them out and ended up in A&E the next morning.
Dublin City Council worker Ciara bought the lenses in Henry Street in the capital.
She said: “I thought they would go perfectly with my outfit. The lenses popped into my eyes no problem.
“My sight was a little blurry but I didn’t mind that as I just thought that was what it was like to wear contacts. The blurriness eventually settled down.
“I went off to the party in great form and everyone commented on how great the lenses and outfit were.
“We all had a great time and then headed into the city centre for a few hours.
“When I got home I went straight to bed and didn’t take the lenses out. When I woke up my eyes were a bit sore and I tried my best to take them out which didn’t prove to be easy. I was really starting to feel unwell.
“I left trying to take them out for a while as it was proving too painful. When I eventually got them out it was complete shock as I couldn’t see a thing. I really started to panic it was just the worst feeling.”
Ciara, from Castleknock, Dublin managed to use her mobile phone to call her sister.
She said: “Thankfully, my sister answered and told her what was happening.
“She got in contact with a doctor friend of hers who told her to get me to a hospital A&E as quickly as she could. Basically I was told it would take several weeks to establish if my sight would come back properly.
“My sight gradually came back over time but now I use glasses when working on a computer.
“I really want to warn people to be careful when it comes to using the novelty lenses.”
Don Stack, optician and founder of Opticalrooms, said: “Zombie or devil contact lenses may elevate a Halloween costume’s fright factor, but wearing them without a prescription could result in something far more terrifying – blindness.
“While it is illegal to sell non-prescription contact lenses they can still be easily purchased at many places such as beauty supply stores, costume shops and on the web.
“Falsely advertised as ‘one size fits all’ or ‘no prescription necessary’ these lenses can cause serious eye damage.
“The lenses can cause scratches to eyes. This is called corneal abrasion which Ciara suffered, which is not only painful but can cause permanent damage.”
news@irishmirror.ie