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How to Care for Gas Permeable Contact Lenses

Caring for gas permeable contact lenses isn’t as easy as just tossing out a pair of disposable soft lenses. It will take a little bit of effort. It’s still a much better solution than wearing glasses though.

With contact lenses you don’t have to worry about getting those unsightly nose indentations or looking bug eyed from a really strong prescription.

The first thing you need to do is clean and sanitize your hands. Be sure to scrub thoroughly to remove any dirt and grime you might have on your hands. If you don’t it’s going in your eye. If you don’t use antibacterial soap then it’s a good idea to use hand sanitizer after you finish washing up.
Next thing you’ll want to do is plug the sink drain. Trust me, I’ve lost enough lenses down the drain, don’t learn the hard way.
Remove a contact lens from your eye and place it on the tip of your index finger or in the palm of your hand.
Next rinse the lens again, this time with saline solution this will keep any gunk that might be in the tap water from getting in the lens.
Place the lens inside its storage case.
Fill the contact lens cap up with a conditioning solution and then close the lid.
Use a couple drops of cleaner solution to fill up the contact lens. Work the solution in with your fingers for about half a minute. Don’t rub too hard though or the lens might tear.
Once you’re finished scrubbing rinse the lens off with some tap water to get rid of all the cleaning solution.
Next rinse the lens again, this time with saline solution this will keep any gunk that might be in the tap water from getting in the lens.
Place the lens inside its storage case.
Fill the contact lens cap up with a conditioning solution and then close the lid

Can’t See the Wood for the Trees! How to Clean Hard Contact Lenses

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Being able to wear contact lenses is much more freeing than being stuck with glasses. For one thing you aren’t constantly looking for where you left your glasses! Unfortunately not all of us are a good fit for soft contact lenses. Hard contact lenses may take a little bit of getting used to and they do require a little bit more effort and care than the more common soft and disposable lenses.

Here are a few tips on how to clean hard contact lenses.

Since you don’t just toss out a pair of hard contacts when they get dirty you’ll need to take a little bit more care with removal and cleaning than you normally would with soft lenses.

The first thing you will want to do is scrub your hands. If they are dirty you can’t get the lens clean.

Before going any further a good tip is to install your sink stopper. You don’t want to drop an expensive lens and have it go down the drain.

After you’ve washed and rinsed your hands go ahead and pop out the first lens into the palm of your hand.

Pick up the bottle of hard contact lens cleaner solution and pour a couple drops into the lens.

Gently rub the lens in a circular motion to remove any built up dirt or protein deposits. Do this for about 20 seconds.

Once the contact lens is clean use a bottle of saline solution to rinse off all of the cleaner.

Place the hard contact lens into its case. Then fill the case with the saline solution or, if you have it, hard contact lens conditioning solution.

Now just pop out the other contact and repeat the process all over again.

When you’re ready to put your lenses in again rinse them off with a little bit of saline solution first so that they’ll be fresh.

Cleaning hard contact lenses can be a bit time consuming but still it’s a much better alternative to having to hunt for your glasses every time you stand up.

What are Implantable Contact Lenses? (ICL)

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If you have severe vision issues that can’t be corrected with normal contact lenses and you don’t want to wear Coke bottle glasses then an implantable contact lens might be the solution you are looking for.

Implantable contact lenses, also known as intra ocular lenses or ICL’s are a way to correct the more severe forms of bad vision that can’t be helped through laser surgery or normal contacts. Unfortunately this is a little bit more invasive than just popping a contact lens onto your eye. It involves micro surgery.

If you’re not an ideal candidate for laser surgery either due to corneal thickness or those who have already had cataract surgery then an ICL might work.

This surgery requires a little bit more recovery time than traditional radial keratotomy or Lasik. With this surgery an incision is made on the side of the eye and the lens is slipped behind the cornea. The patient then has to rest for about an hour before being released to go home. There isn’t instant vision improvement like with laser corneal shaping. Instead this heals up gradually over about two weeks. You’ll have to go back to the Dr. the day after surgery to insure that there are no complications.

One other concern is that for safety reasons you can’t get lenses implanted in both eyes at the same time. Instead you’ll have to wait a week or two after the first surgery to make sure there’s no risk of rejection or infection. The last thing you want is to have problems with both eyes.

So if contact lenses and laser correction aren’t available for your particular vision issue and you’re tired of wearing glasses then implantable contact lenses might be just the thing to restore your vision back to normal and free you from glasses.

Don’t Let The Sun Destroy Your Eyes – All About UV Contact Lenses

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Contact lenses have literally changed the way we see.

They were introduced over 100 years ago as hard shell lenses that fit in the eye.

Today soft contact lenses account for the majority of the market.

Soft contact lenses can be found to treat almost any vision problem from astigmatism to the more common myopia. You can even find lenses that are designed just for theatrical effect like pure silver or cats eyes.

One of the newest advancements in contact lenses is the introduction of ultraviolet radiation protection, more commonly called UV Contact Lenses .

UV contact lenses not only give you good eyesight they protect you from harmful UV rays. UV rays can damage the skin and eyes and is one of the leading factors of skin cancer. Additionally, prolonged exposure to UV rays has a direct relationship to the development of cataracts, a clouding on the eye lens leading to blurry vision or in severe cases blindness.

The first thing to realize is that you won’t even notice the UV coating. It doesn’t change the color of objects that you are looking at. You won’t even notice the protection until decades later when all your friends are getting cataract surgery and you don’t need it.

Even though UV contact lenses can protect the eye it’s important to remember that contacts only cover around the iris. You’ll still want to wear sunglasses when going outside to make sure your eyes are completely protected. The whites of the eye can be damaged just as easily as your skin.

UV protection is a great added benefit to contact lenses. It can help reduce damage to your eyes over time. Protecting your eyes is important for years of clear sight. Just because you may have blurred vision doesn’t mean you have to let it get cloudy with cataracts.

Everything You Need to Know About Contact Lenses

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What are they?

Also called contacts, they are small, round, rigid or floppy lenses that sit on the eye. The thought of this makes a lot of people squirm but they actually float on the layer of clear liquid that bathes the eye.

They can improve sight, just like spectacles, or they can be worn for cosmetic reasons – such as colored or special effects lenses.

Specialized therapeutic lenses can be used to deliver medication or to heal an eye wound.Some lenses may be implanted inside the eye during an operation to improve sight.

Most lenses now have a pale tint of color which doesn’t show when they are being worn, but it does help to wearer to find them in the soaking pot or if when they are dropped.

Why do people wear them?

They may just hate wearing spectacles! Contacts are also more practical – they don’t steam up, don’t go streaky when it rains and give the wearer a wider field of vision and are better for those who love sporting activities. Worldwide, about 135 million people with vision problems wear them.

Can Anyone Wear Them?

Contacts are not recommended for people who:

Are very near sighted
Have a history of corneal infections
Work in an industry where they are exposed to chemical fumes, dust, or dirt
Have allergies to lens-care products
Are diabetic because they are prone to infections and their bodies may not tolerate even a mild infection
Are under the age of nine

If you have very dry eyes, you may have problems but you could try using lubricating eye drops or Acuvue Oasys contact lenses.

Up until a few years ago, people with astigmatism couldn’t wear contacts. Now, many of them can, with the arrival of toric and Multifocal lenses. As a general rule, if your prescription is not too complicated, there is no reason why you shouldn’t wear contact lenses.

How Long Can I Wear Them For?

It depends which sort of lenses you have:

Daily wear lenses are worn during your waking hours.

Extended wear or EW lenses can be worn continuously. You can sleep in them for 6 or more consecutive nights and then dispose of them.

CW or continuous wear lenses are usually made from silicone hydrogel. You can wear these for up to a month and then discard them.

These last two are becoming very popular. The reason that they may be worn for such a long time is because they let a high amount of oxygen through to the eye – as much as 5-6 times more than ‘normal’ soft lenses.

You can take a short nap in ‘normal’ lenses but don’t ever try wearing them overnight – it’s extremely uncomfortable and could damage your eye.

How Often Should I Replace Them?

Again, it depends on which sort you have.

Daily disposables should be worn for one day and then thrown away. They come in multipacks. These are great for anyone with any kind of eye allergies as the short life of the lenses doesn’t allow for protein to build up on their surface. They’re also very useful for occasional wear.

The most common types of contacts are worn during the day and then disposed of after two weeks or a month.
Extended wear lenses are worn for 6 or 30 full days and nights and then disposed of.
Rigid gas permeable lenses are durable and if looked after well, can last for several years!

When contact lenses first became popular, they were mainly ‘Hard’ Lenses. These were replaced quarterly or annually but in order to last so long, they were thicker than what we’re used to now. They needed regular cleaning with protein removers which meant you couldn’t wear them while that was occurring. People used to join a ‘contact lens scheme’ – like an insurance policy so that if you lost one, you could get a replacement. With multipacks available that’s no longer necessary.

Are They Safe?

If good hygiene is used and you care for your lenses as instructed by your eye care professional, you shouldn’t have any difficulties. The most common causes of eye infections are poor cleaning and careless storing of the lenses.

If you wear contact lenses, you must see your eye care professional every six months to make sure that your eyes are tolerating the lenses successfully.

If you wish to buy colored or pattered lenses from the internet, you must have your eyes measured properly first in order to obtain correctly fitting lenses. Some sites sell ‘one size fits all’ lenses but the simple truth is that there is no such thing and wearing them would not only be uncomfortable but could damage your eye.

How come they’re less expensive to buy online?

Many people are tempted by the lower prices on offer but are worried about buying cheaper lenses online.

‘Cheaper’ doesn’t mean lower quality lenses. These online companies sell exactly the same lenses as your High Street provider. You just pay less for them online. This is because there are only a few main contact lens manufacturers and they just repackage the same lenses for their different ‘own brand’ outlets. It’s as simple as that!

If you already wear lenses and you get them from the High Street or a mall, do a search online and you can find out what brand your lenses actually are. Once you know, you can shop around to find the best deal! Buying ‘multipacks’ works out the cheapest and is also useful as it means you always have spare pairs of lenses.

Online providers don’t have to pay fees on expensive premises, eye doctor salaries or other overheads. They also buy in bulk directly from the manufacturer. All of these savings mean that they can afford to sell them more cheaply – and still make a profit! This method of selling has proved so successful that supermarkets and High Street eye doctors are now offering their own discounts. It’s a buyers market!

Do I need a prescription to buy lenses online?

Yes – you must have a prescription that is no older than a year. And, if you are buying colored or patterned lenses as a cosmetic feature and not a sight correction, you still need to have your eyes measured for the lenses to fit properly. How do I get a prescription?

If you are already a contact lens wearer:

If your prescription is over a year old, you will need a sight test and to have your eyes checked to make sure they are healthy. Measurements will be taken to see if the shape of your eye has changed at all.
If you can’t find your prescription and it is under a year old, your provider is legally bound to give you a copy, free of charge.

If you’ve never worn lenses:

You will need to see an eye care doctor for a sight test and to have your eyes measured. If your sight is normal – just ask for measurements for contacts.

Your contact lens prescription legally belongs to you and you should be given a copy of it at each appointment.

Contact lenses can revolutionize your vision and your appearance. Just follow the care instructions and make sure you get your check ups…and enjoy!

How to Clean Contact Lenses

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Learning how to clean contact lenses is pretty easy. The contact lenses available today are much easier to clean than those from a few years ago.
In the past you probably had 1 pair of contact lenses that you would try to make last an entire year. You had to deal with the hassle of removing protein buildup as well as keeping them clean, all without damaging them. Now days cleaning has become much easier.

The first thing you’ll want to do is buy a multipurpose solution. It’s more expensive than regular saline, but when you factor in the cost of cleaning solution and enzyme removers it ends up saving you money.

Once you’re ready to remove your contact lenses you’ll want to clean them before storing. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Remove a contact lens and keep it on the tip of your finger.

With the other hand grab the multipurpose solution and squeeze a few drops onto the lens.

Gently rub the lens between your finger and thumb for a few seconds.

Rinse the contact lens off with the multipurpose solution.

Fill your contact lens case with the multipurpose cleaner. By soaking in the cleaner overnight it will keep the lens sterile and remove any built up protein deposits.

Repeat for the other lens. Then close the lid to the contact lens case to make sure nothing gets in it overnight.

In the morning when you’re ready to put your lenses back in just use a few drops of fresh solution to freshen them up and then go ahead and insert them.

How to clean contact lenses is pretty straightforward. By keeping your contact lenses clean they will last much longer, your eyes will be less irritated, and you can reduce any bacteria build up.