Prevent Blindness Declares October as Contact Lens Safety Month, Encourages Safe Habits for Contact Lens Wear

- Prevent Blindness Reminds Consumers of the Importance of Contact Lens Safety Practices, Offers Tips and Resources to Keep Eyes Healthy -

CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Prevent Blindness, the nation's leading non-profit patient advocacy organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight, has declared October as Contact Lens Safety Month to provide educational resources to consumers and encourage healthy habits for contact lens use.

Many consumers may not be aware that all contact lenses, even lenses that are "decorative," "cosmetic," and non-vision correcting, are regulated medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by a doctor. As Halloween approaches, some revelers may want to enhance their costumes with these types of contact lenses. Prevent Blindness warns that only contacts purchased through a valid prescription from a qualified eye health professional are safe to wear.

Prevent Blindness offers a variety of free resources to help educate the public on how to use contact lenses safely and effectively, including the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Expert Series episode, "Contact Lens Safety," featuring Dr. Thomas L. Steinemann, professor of ophthalmology at Case Western Reserve University.

Additional Prevent Blindness Contact Lens Safety resources include webpages, fact sheets, and social media graphics.

"Depending on your lifestyle needs, contact lenses can be a great alternative to eyeglasses," said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. "The key is to make an appointment with your eye doctor first to determine the lenses that are right for you."

Different types of contact lenses include:

• Hard contact lenses: These offer clearer vision with certain eye conditions, and specific types may last longer.
• Soft contact lenses: 
  • Daily-wear soft lenses- Ideal to be worn during vigorous physical activities and playing sports. Disposable soft contact lenses are replaced every day to every few months, depending on the type of lens.
  • Extended-wear soft lenses- Offer the same advantages as daily-wear lenses. However, due to the risk of infection associated with extended use, daily removal and cleaning is recommended.
  • Toric contacts- According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, toric contact lenses can correct vision for people with astigmatism, though not as well as hard contact lenses. Toric lenses can be for daily or extended wear.

Users should remove contact lenses before any activities with water, such as showering, bathing, swimming, or hot tub use, due to an increased risk for Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK), a serious eye infection that affects the cornea. If left untreated, AK can lead to severe vision loss, and in severe cases, blindness or loss of an eye. Contact lenses and contact lens solution that have expired should be replaced. Users should always wash their hands with soap and water before handling contact lenses and never wear someone else's lenses.

As with any vision and eye health emergency, Prevent Blindness urges contact lens wearers to contact their eye doctor immediately if they experience unexplained eye discomfort or pain, redness of the eye, watering eyes, or vision changes. Early diagnosis and treatment can help to avoid sight-threatening infections.

For more information and tips on contact lens safety, please visit Prevent Blindness at https://preventblindness.org/wearing-contact-lenses/ or https://preventblindness.org/acanthamoeba-keratitis-contact-lenses/.

About Prevent Blindness 
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, visit us at PreventBlindness.org, and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube.

SOURCE Prevent Blindness