Uncategorized

Laura’s Story: Costume Contacts Scarred My Eye

Just 10 hours after she first put in a pair of colored contact lenses that she’d bought at a souvenir shop, Laura Butler of Perkersburg, W. Va. , had “extreme pain in both eyes,” she said. “Because I had not been properly fitted by an eye care professional, the lenses stuck to my eye like a suction cup.” Colored contact lenses are popular year-round for people who want to change the color of their iris. But every year at Halloween there is a surge of people using colored contact lenses to enhance their costumes

However, few know the risks associated with these lenses. “Most people believe that decorative lenses do not require the same level of care or consideration as a standard contact lens because they can be purchased over-the-counter or on the Internet,” says Thomas Steinemann, MD, professor of ophthalmology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. “This is far from the truth.”

Non-Prescription Costume Contacts Are Illegal

It’s illegal to sell any contact lenses without a prescription in the United States. All contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye-care professional. “Many of the lenses found online or in beauty salons, novelty or in pop-up Halloween stores are not FDA-approved and are being sold illegally,” Dr. Steinemann said. Retailers that sell contacts without a prescription are breaking the law and could be fined for each violation.

Never buy colored contact lenses from a retailer who doesn’t ask for a prescription.

Learn more from the American Academy of Ophthalmology


What Are You Reading These Days?

We’ve noticed that many of our patients enjoy reading a good book. We’re collecting recommendations for a “good read,” and we will be sharing them every month in our newsletter.

At right is just one reading recommendation for September 2022

Click here to see all recommendations for October

Have a reading recommendation? Email it to our Newsletter Editor.


Tell Me More About… Pickleball!

Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor racket/paddle sport where two players (singles), or four players (doubles), hit a perforated hollow polymer ball over a 36-inch-high (0.91 m) net using solid faced paddles. The two sides hit the ball back and forth over the net until one side commits a rule infraction. Pickleball was invented in 1965 as a children’s backyard game on Brainbridge Island, Washington, USA. In 2022, pickle ball was adopted as the official state sport of Washington.

The appearance of a pickleball court, and the manner of play, resemble tennis, but the court is the size of a doubles badminton court, less than a third the size of a tennis court. Court lines and rules are specific to pickleball and include two 7-foot-areas (2.1 m) on either side of the net known as the non-volley zones, where the ball cannot be hit with the paddle unless the ball bounces first. The official rules specify side-out scoring, where only the serving team can score a point. All serves are made with an underhand stroke.

The hard polymer ball produces significantly less bounce than softer flexible balls, such as a tennis ball. The minimal bounce combined with the non-volley zone and underhand serve result in a game with dynamic pace and strategy ranging from soft dink shots (which give rise to the nickname “Dinkheads,” which pickleball players embrace) that stay within the two non-volley zones, to powerful drive shots and overhead smash shots. To minimize any advantage the serving side or receiving side might have at the beginning of the game, the ball must bounce once on each side of the net before either team may volley the ball, which is to hit the ball in the air before it bounces

Between 1965 and 2020, it became a popular sport in the US Pacific Northwest, and in the meantime began to grow elsewhere. In 2021 and 2022 the sport was named the fastest growing sport in the United States by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, with over 4.8 million players. Growing interest in the sport is attributed to a number of factors including a short learning curve, appeal to a wide range of ages and fitness levels, and low startup costs. There are now thousands of pickleball tournaments throughout the United States, including the US National Championships and the U.S. Open Tournament, along with two professional tours and one professional league. Pickleball is also experiencing growth outside the United States with a number of other national and international competitions.

Learn more


Connect with The Optical Shoppe

(908) 719-2020


YES! there are Glasses for Pickleball!

Safety Glasses of course, containing your Eyewear Prescription

(Psst…these aren’t just for Pickleball – they will protect your eyes while doing yardwork or household chores)

These RecSpecs from Liberty Sport offer a 9-Point Ventilation System – Venting channels along the lens perimeter, end points and nose pad for maximum airflow & heat dissipation. Ultra-flexible sculpted temples Rim and nose padding provide additional cushioning along the center and sides of the frame. Engineered with high-impact injected polymer for performance. Meets or exceeds ASTM F803 impact resistance for several sports. Six color options.

Changing the game in sport protective eyewear, the Maxx Air was engineered with fast fog recovery to ensure clear vision for maximum vision performance. With our patent pending, 9-point ventilation system, air continuously flows across the lenses, nose pad and end pieces to reduce heat buildup and clear away fog during high-pressure games and changing temperatures. Both youth and adult athletes can gain the competitive advantage in both protection and performance. Prescription available through The Optical Shoppe.

ENJOY $25 OFF

Be sure to mention “Pickleball” when you order your safety glasses. Offer expires Dec. 1, 2022


NICE! Shop for New Frames in Our Online Frames Gallery

Don’t Wait: You can shop for frames online!


Our Doctors are Always Here to Help

Scheduled appointments offered 6 days a week and some evenings.

Emergency services available. 

Call Now: 908-781-2020

Doctor Headshot