View from the AOP: Cosmetic lenses warning

Recent findings on cosmetic lenses from our Voice of Optometry survey came as some surprise to practitioners here at the AOP. The results showed us that one in 10 optometrists had seen a patient, in the last year, with complications as a result of wearing them. While individuals presenting with symptoms such as sore eyes or corneal ulcers was not a surprise in itself, the prevalence of this issue among over 1,000 AOP members was worthy of note.

Another startling insight from the survey was the testimonial of optometrists who shared stories such as a patient ‘rubbing their eyes’ as a way of removing lenses or a parent who had purchased novelty lenses for their child – only for them to develop a severe eye infection later.