The head of the Georgia Optometric Association says a new trend among teens and college-age students called “Beezin’” can pose serious long-term risk to their eye health, including spreading viruses like herpes to the eye.
According to Dr. Glenda Brown, president of the association, some teens are applying Burt’s Bees lip balm to their eyelids to experience a tingling sensation caused by the peppermint oil ingredient. The teens compare the sensation to getting high.
“Playing with lip balm can seem relatively harmless but can have disastrous consequences,” Brown said. “Georgia’s eye experts are urging teens to avoid this trend. Putting your vision at risk for a few moments of fun is not smart.”
The American Optometric Association first issued a notice about the practice last week, and the Georgia Optometric Association followed with one to Georgia parents on Monday.
Brown said the main concern is that germs from lip balm can be transferred to the eyes, which could lead to conjunctivitis more commonly known as pink eye.
“One out of 40 patients that we see with pink eye have a more advanced case called viral conjunctivitis,” Brown said. “This is a painful and difficult form of pink eye to treat.”
That’s because with Beezin’ it is even more than conjunctivitis, she said, because there is a strong chance of spreading viruses like herpes from the mouth to the eye, especially when the lip balm is shared.
“You could end up with a reoccurring herpes infection in the eye,” Brown told The Atlanta Journal Constitution during an interview at her Suwanee office.
If left untreated, a reoccurring infection in the eye could lead to blindness.
The peppermint oil found in the Burt’s Bees lip balm is an eye irritant, so no matter what the outcome, the user will likely experience inflammation of the eye, redness and/or swelling.
Brown said the skin on the eyelid is thinner than on any other place on the body, making it extremely sensitive to foreign substances, including over-the-counter lotions or creams.
To alleviate symptoms of Beezin’, Brown recommends starting with sterile saline rinses on the lid and seeing an optometrist to ensure a proper course of treatment.
“As a parent, I am asking everyone to be on the lookout for symptoms of abuse,” Brown said. “Going to these lengths to get high could be a sign that a child is willing to experiment with more dangerous substances.
“No matter what, the GOA strongly cautions consumers against using any lip balm on or near the eyes,” she said. “If anyone has any side effects related to this, they should seek an optometrist’s care immediately.”
