EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
Colored contact lenses are an accessory teens often buy for prom or Halloween, but one size does not fit all.
14 News found some of those contacts at a local gas station. We walked right in and bought a pair of emerald green lenses and they never asked to see a prescription.
While these contacts can change the color of your eyes, doctors say, they can also cause severe and permanent eye damage.
"Until somebody actually loses vision and goes blind from wearing one of these, it may just seem like harmless fun," said Dr. Michael Hodges, an Ophthalmologist with The Eye Group.
Decorative lenses may look fun, with colors like aquamarine, honey, and crazy cat eye patterns, but what's not fun, Dr. Hodges says is the damage improperly fitting lenses leave behind.
That's why the FDA banned the sale of decorative contact lenses without a prescription back in 2005.
Some boxes of non-corrective lenses purchased over the counter may say 'FDA Approved', even 'prescription only'. But that doesn't mean they're legal to sell without a prescription or that they'll fit your eyes.
14 News was able to walk right into the Marathon Gas Station on South Green Street in Henderson and buy emerald green luxury color lenses with no prescription in hand. You can even buy them online from a foreign country. One click of a mouse and for around $20, they're yours.
We quickly found out that not everyone knows about these concrete contact restrictions.
When Marathon employee, Sunny Patel, was asked if he knew about the restriction, he replied, "I don't know that."
When we also told the clerk about the possibility for eye damage, he took the display off the counter.
"That's the reason why I took it down because they're saying on there, it says, 'FDA Approved', you know, and that's why we keep it," said Patel.
Eyeglass World Optometrist, Thomas Clark, fits patients for contact lenses every day.
"You have to have a certain amount of movement to allow oxygen to flow behind the lens in addition to the amounts that flow through the lens and the tear film, keeping it moist," said Clark.
That lack of oxygen, doctors say, can cause corneal problems, infections, even blindness in extreme cases if not treated properly.
That's why it's important to go to a licensed professional for a proper lens fitting.
"They think because it's this thing that everyone's doing that it's okay to just pop something in your eye, but it really is dangerous," said patient Matthew Guest.
Back at the Marathon station, the clerk tells 14 News that they got their lenses from a supplier in Georgia and weren't warned about the dangers.
"Now you just tell me that they affect eyes and all that, so you know, eventually, we're not going to sell it anymore," said Patel.
A warning patients like Guest and doctors say they hope will catch on.
"Pay attention to your child, especially your teenagers. Notice trends. Try to keep up," said Guest.
"I think once the word gets out more and more, people won't make these kind of decisions. They know that precious vision is something that you can't afford to lose," said Hodges.
14 News did talk with a local costume shop who says they don't sell the lenses because they're illegal to sell without a prescription. When we asked where to find some, they referred us to an eye doctor saying the over-the-counter lenses can damage your eyes.
It's encouraging to find some businesses that do know the rules, and hopefully, that trend will catch on.
14 News went back to that gas station Monday afternoon and the contacts were still off the shelves. Hopefully other businesses that still do sell them will follow that example.
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