by Joel Harrison
3. August 2011 14:26
Coloured contact lenses bought at a beauty shop have damaged a 14-year-old girl’s cornea so badly that she may need a transplant.
The girl, Erica Barnes, stated that she had only used the lenses for a day, but this time was enough to scratch her cornea, which triggered an infection, which – in turn – caused potentially blinding scarring.
According to Dr Roy Chuck, who is a professor and the head of opththalmology department at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, when this protective layer is damaged, bacteria can enter the eye without any problems. The infection can be treated, but when it the eye heals, a vision-blocking scar may appear.
Determining whether Barnes will need a transplant or not may take six months. In the meantime, she has to tolerate excruciating pain. This is because of the density of nerves on the eye surface, Dr Chuck explains.
American federal laws do not allow contact lenses to be sold without a prescription, but beauty shops still do it, failing to fit them properly or provide their customers with appropriate instructions. The results of such practices, as Barnes’ example shows, may be dramatic.
Subscribe