Tips to Keep Your Eyes Safe This Halloween

Halloween is almost here – and that means you’re busy planning a costume that will outdo anything you’ve ever worn before.  Whether your Halloween plans involve mischievous tricks or fun treats this year, the last thing you want to happen on the spookiest night of the year is an eye injury.

As it turns out, ophthalmologist visits tend to increase during the October month.  Decorative contact lenses, pointed props, and unsanitary make-up can all contribute toward eye infections, injuries, and other scary sights. What’s more, these eye injuries can last well into the holiday months, leaving you wishing you had taken a few precautions with your eyesight.

Want to keep your eyes safe this Halloween?  Here are a few tips that will keep you trick-or-treating with healthy vision:

• Never – we repeat, never! – buy cosmetic contact lenses without a prescription from your ophthalmologist. Not only is this incredibly dangerous – but it’s also illegal.  If you just have to have snake eyes for your costume or you want to try a bold new eye color, schedule an appointment with your ophthalmologist for a prescription.  Trust us, your eyes will thank you.

• Be careful with any pointed props, like spears, pitchforks, swords, and other accessories. This tip is incredibly important for small children, who may be more likely to poke themselves in the eye if they get too excited about getting full-sized candy bars.

• Wear hypoallergenic, trusted make-up. While the Halloween store may have plenty of ghoulish make-up, you can’t exactly trust a brand that only makes make-up for one night a year.  Go with the make-up you know – and never use make-up that you’ve kept since last Halloween.  Old make-up can lead to the kind of eye infections that are spookier than any scary costume.

• Make sure that your vision isn’t impaired by your costume. If you’re wearing a mask, ensure that the eyeholes are large enough for you to enjoy perfect peripheral vision.

Make sure that a few ghoulish frights are the only scary things about this Halloween.  To learn more about keeping your eyes safe and sound during Halloween, schedule a consultation with Dr. Griffiths at NewView Eye Center in Reston, VA.

NewView Eye Center serves the greater Washington, DC area. (703) 834-9777