It is not a strange sight to see. In fact, it is becoming a trend for teens and young adults to have "wild eyes," also known as decorative contact lenses. These contact lenses come in many styles – from cat eyes, sports team logos, and aliens, to what appears to be a spider in the middle of the eye. You probably saw quite a few of these at Halloween.

Cheaper Yes, But Are They Safe?

You may have noticed that stores like your pharmacy and grocer sell store-branded contact lens care products, also known as "private label" products. Often they are considerably cheaper than name-brand products. Should you use them?

These products are safe and FDA-approved, or they couldn't be sold. But there are potential problems. Sometimes private label products are made from older formulations, which don't offer the same advantages as newer products.

But here's a bigger problem: As you know, you shouldn't switch products without consulting your doctor to make sure the new solution is compatible with your lenses. Let's say that you buy a bottle of Store-brand X. You use the product, and everything is dandy. Next time you buy Store-brand X, it may not be the same product. That's because the store doesn't, of course, make its own solution. They buy it from a supplier. If a better deal comes along, they might switch suppliers - and even formulations - but still sell the revised product under the "Store-brand X" name. The revised formulation may or may not be right for your eyes or your particular contact lenses.

More information on picking the right contact lens solution in the next issue! As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at any time!

After inserting your contact lenses and rinsing the case with disinfectant, do you let the case air-dry face-up or face-down?

Face-down seems to be better, says a recent study that checked microbial contamination in cases placed in four different locations: toilet, bathroom, office and bedroom. The cases were rinsed with sterile saline and placed on facial tissue paper.

1. Rinse your face and eyes after being outside.
2. Apply cold compresses on your eyes to reduce the inflammation.
3. Wash your hair at night so you are not rolling around in pollen during the night.
4. Use Alaway eye drops (over the counter) to helping with itching.
5. Switch to daily disposable contact lenses during allergy season. If all else fails, make an appointment so I can help manage your allergies year round.