Overview
- Kyle Bryant, 22, says a $13 (£10) pair of novelty contact lenses bought online for a Halloween costume left him with a painfully swollen eye.
- Symptoms began within minutes and by about 45 minutes he felt the lens scratching his eyeball, with soreness and swelling lasting for days.
- Specsavers clinical services director Giles Edmonds said the scratching suggests the lenses were poorly manufactured and ill-fitting, causing corneal abrasions and inflammation.
- Experts warn cheap, unregulated cosmetic lenses can reduce oxygen to the eye and introduce bacteria, increasing the risk of infection and potential blindness.
- Consumers are urged to avoid lenses from unregulated online sellers, market stalls, or fancy-dress shops and to have any contact lenses fitted by a qualified professional.