Novelty Contacts Win Gold, But at What Price?

The biathlete from Estonia, Grete Gaim, sure is getting a lot of “gold medal” press attention due to the novelty contact lenses she wore during her 7.5km sprint at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Normally a competitor who finishes in 71st place wouldn’t generate such interest, but her appearance with the white-eyed contact lenses has been called:

Novelty lenses can certainly be fun. But any type of contact lens is still a medical device and should be treated with care. You should never purchase non-prescription contact lenses because they won’t fit your eye correctly. This can lead to infection (pink eye), inflammation, corneal scarring, general eye discomfort or even blindness. 

Some people wonder if they can wear novelty contact lenses after LASIK vision correction. The answer to this question is different for every individual and will depend on your overall eye health. If you have had LASIK vision correction in Chicago and are considering novelty contact lenses, please contact Doctors for Visual Freedom in Chicago today to schedule an eye exam. 

Remember, novelty contact lenses are not “one size fits all.” They must be properly prescribed by an eye doctor. Never buy these products from a Halloween store, street vendor or even on the Internet if you don’t have an exact prescription. 

To learn more about contact lenses or LASIK in Chicago, call Dr. Mark Golden at Doctors for Visual Freedom at (312) 291-9680 or visit www.doctorsforvisualfreedom.com.