Dispensing optician Gordon Ayling, manager of D Glick opticians in Wickford, Essex, has issued a pubic warning to steer clear of a drinking game called vodka eyeballing (News 28.5.10).
Ayling told the Essex Echo newspaper that 'a girl in her early 20s came in after trying it and we had to direct her straight to Southend Hospital'. Optometrist Derek Glick described some of the possible effects of the fad: 'There could be ongoing pain and an aversion to light, and perhaps the need for a corneal transplant from a donor eye.'
Extra large cosmetic contact lenses that make eyes appear larger because they cover part of the sclera, not just the iris, have been popularised by Lady Gaga in her Bad Romance music video (above). Gaga's eyes were probably computer generated, but many American girls seeking a similar look have ordered contact lenses online from Asia without a prescription according to the New York Times. Concerns were also raised about whether the lenses prevent oxygen reaching the eyes.
Online contact lens company Coastal Contacts showed a 12 per cent increase in sales to $37.3m for the second quarter ended April 30, 2010, compared to $33.3m for the same period last year. The total order volume exceeded 384,000 orders and the company acquired 104,000 new customers in the second quarter alone. Sales of spectacles grew to $4.7m, representing a 136 per cent increase over the same period in 2009. Coastal's president, Roger Hardy, predicted that the spectacle market had the potential to become bigger than its contact lens business.
Financial results for Scottish optical chain Black & Lizars obtained by the Glasgow Herald show a fall in turnover for the year to the end of September 2009 to £13.8m in comparison to £14.8m the year before. The group's new management team said that it would continue to 'modernise the business and re-focus on the lucrative fashion market'.