A Taichung-based doctor warned against buying contact lenses online after a Taichung woman scratched her corneas removing such contacts.
On Thursday last week, a 22-year-old woman surnamed Wang (王) reported experiencing severe pain after removing contacts she had bought online, Asia University Hospital Eye Center deputy director Lin Chun-ju (林純如) said.
Wang had worn them for only six hours, Lin said, adding that she had vomited as a result of the pain at the ophthalmologist’s clinic.
Wang went to a hospital, where doctors found abrasions on her corneas, which healed after about a month of treatment with eye drops, antibiotics and ointments, as well as anti-nausea medication and painkillers, Lin said.
Although lenses can often be found online at a 20 to 30 percent discount, such lenses might not have been approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and are not legal or safe to use, Lin said.
To prevent eye damage, contacts must use a preservation solution of a neutral concentration, or it could cause the lenses to drain moisture from the cornea, she said.
When corneal tissue is dehydrated or injured, it becomes vulnerable to bacterial infection, she said.
In Wang’s case, an improper solution concentration is likely to blame, as she had injuries despite wearing the contacts for a normal amount of time, Lin said.
Poor-fitting contact lenses might also abrade the eye due to excessive movement, even if the lenses appear to be the correct prescription, she said, adding that abrasion injuries could lead to corneal ulcers, which could cause vision loss or blindness.
“By law, contact lenses are medical devices the online sale of which are not permitted,” Lin said. “To protect their eyes, people should see an ophthalmologist and an optometrist before buying contact lenses, and should buy only from licensed dealers.”
Twenty-four Republican members of the US House of Representatives yesterday introduced a concurrent resolution calling on the US government to abolish the “one China” policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Led by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the resolution calls for not only re-establishing formal relations, but also urges the US Trade Representative to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan and for US officials to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the UN and other international organizations. In a news release announcing the resolution, Tiffany, who represents a Wisconsin district, called the “one China” policy “outdated, counterproductive
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “[we] appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
ON PAROLE: The 73-year-old suspect has a criminal record of rape committed when he was serving in the military, as well as robbery and theft, police said The Kaohsiung District Court yesterday approved the detention of a 73-year-old man for allegedly murdering three women. The suspect, surnamed Chang (張), was arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the death of a 71-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙). The Kaohsiung City Police Department yesterday also unveiled the identities of two other possible victims in the serial killing case, a 75-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃), the suspect’s sister-in-law, and a 75-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張), who is not related to the suspect. The case came to light when Chao disappeared after taking the suspect back to his residence on Sunday. Police, upon reviewing CCTV
TRUMP ERA: The change has sparked speculation on whether it was related to the new US president’s plan to dismiss more than 1,000 Joe Biden-era appointees The US government has declined to comment on a post that indicated the departure of Laura Rosenberger as chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Neither the US Department of State nor the AIT has responded to the Central News Agency’s questions on the matter, after Rosenberger was listed as a former chair on the AIT’s official Web site, with her tenure marked as 2023 to this year. US officials have said previously that they usually do not comment on personnel changes within the government. Rosenberger was appointed head of the AIT in 2023, during the administration of former US president Joe