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!

Over the past decade there’s been an explosion of contact lens styles and types on the market. Extended wear contact lenses and disposable contact lenses are the most popular, but daily contact lenses are still a popular option for those who can’t wear extended wear lenses for one reason or another.

What’s the difference between extended wear and daily contact lenses? Both types of lens are soft lenses, made of gas permeable silicon. Thin and light, they’re designed to float on top of the cornea and move with the pupil as you move your eyes. Unlike yesteryear’s rigid plastic counterparts, soft contact lenses have virtually no risk of scratching the cornea. In addition, they are designed in a material that lets oxygen pass through the lens to reach the surface of your eye. This gas permeability is vital to your eye health. Oxygen helps clear away bacteria that can collect behind the lens and grow there, causing eye infections.

Extended wear lenses are specifically designed with higher water content in the silicon, making them comfortable and suitable for wearing for as long as a month. Daily wear lenses are designed to be removed every day, and aren’t suitable for wearing while sleeping. Daily lenses may be disposable, or they may be RGP (rigid gas permeable) lenses that are designed to be removed and cleaned each night. They may also be more conventional soft contact lenses that can be worn repeatedly as long as they’re properly cleaned and disinfected.

Daily contact lenses may be a good choice for a person with an active lifestyle that requires removing and replacing contact lenses after swimming for instance. They’re also an option for you if you’ve been told that you’re a poor candidate for extended wear contacts because of a history of eye infections, or because of dry eyes.

Daily lenses are available in a wide range of prescription strengths and sizes. You’ll also find daily lenses in colored styles if you want to make a fashion statement or in bifocal prescriptions if your eyes just aren’t what they used to be. Your doctor can help you decide whether daily contact lenses are a good choice for you.

With today’s advances in contact lens technology, corrected vision is more comfortable than ever before.  Space-age materials create a water-permeable, gas-permeable soft contact lens that rests smoothly and gently against your eye.

Unfortunately, far too many people experience discomfort with their contact lenses and simply accept that that is the price of having a piece of plastic in your eye.  The truth is that most causes for irritation can be easily resolved.  Moreover, ignoring contact irritation is a terrible idea, since small irritations can grow into dangerous infections if left untreated.

The most important step to healthy, comfortable contact lens use is to follow your eye doctor’s wear and cleaning directions to the letter.  Do not leave your contacts in longer than recommended, make sure you care for your contacts well when you are not wearing them, and clean them as directed and with the recommended cleaning solutions.

If your lenses seem scratchy or blurry, it could be that they have gotten dirty.  Take them out and clean them thoroughly to see if that solves the problem.

Roughness or scratchiness can also indicate that your lens is inside-out.  Remove the lenses and check that you have inserted them properly.

Another reason for scratchiness or red eyes can be that your eyes are too dry.  Dryness can be caused by a number of factors, including a high caffeine intake, smoking, dehydration and certain medications.

To counteract this, you can change your diet or take a nutritional supplement that stimulates your natural tear production.  If that doesn’t work, you can also resort to eye drops.

Ensure that you are wearing contact lenses that have been specifically prescribed for you. If you have purchased theatrical contact lenses or colored contact lenses for a special occasion without a prescription then this can result damage or irritation to your eyes.

If these simple tips don’t clear up your contact lens discomfort, or if you are experience very strong discomfort, consult your eye doctor as soon as possible.  A wide range of solutions exist to help you combat eye irritation from contact lenses – there is no reason to suffer!

Read more about the safe use of contact lenses.

Contact lenses are strictly regulated by the government for a good reason.  Although there are many advantages to wearing contacts there are also risks, especially if they are used improperly.  This guide will help you learn to use contact lenses safely.

1. Never wear your contacts longer than recommended.

Your eye doctor will give you careful directions regarding how long your contact lenses should be worn.  Be sure to follow these instructions properly.  Overextending the use of your contact lenses can starve your eyes of the oxygen they need, which can eventually lead to blindness.  In extreme cases, your lenses can even calcify, tearing the surface of your eye when you remove them.

If your lenses seem scratchy or blurry, it could be that they have gotten dirty.  Take them out and clean them thoroughly to see if that solves the problem.

Roughness or scratchiness can also indicate that your lens is inside-out.  Remove the lenses and check that you have inserted them properly.

2. Follow cleaning instructions properly.

If contact lenses are not cleaned properly, they can become a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria and cause nasty infections.  Always use recommended cleaning products, change your lens holder frequently, and follow a strict cleaning schedule to avoid serious problems.

3. Get regular eye exams.

Regular eye examinations are an important part of healthy eye care.  Throughout your life, your eyes will change, meaning that the contact lens prescription that worked last year might be damaging your eyes this year.  Furthermore, your doctor can catch early warning signs of trouble, staving off serious problems down the road.

4. Never buy contacts from an unregistered dealer.

In the search for cheap contact lenses, some people might be tempted to buy boxes of lenses from disreputable dealers.  Surely picking up a box of lenses from a flea market couldn’t really hurt, right?  Wrong.  Not only do you run the risk of damaging your eyes by using lenses with the wrong prescription, but many of these unregistered dealers are actually selling contaminated lenses.  This can be extremely dangerous to your health.
5. Contact your eye doctor with any problems.

If you notice any change in your vision or in the appearance of your eyes, be sure to contact your eye doctor immediately.  Ignoring warning signs only leads to more serious problems down the road.

6. Never share contact lenses.

This is a big no-no. Sharing contact lenses and in particular theatrical contact lenses happens far too often but this is a dangerous practice. Sharing contacts can cause eye infections which in some cases can cause permanent loss of vision. Always ensure that any contact lenses you wear are prescribed specifically for you.

By following these six simple steps, you can keep your eyes healthy and your vision sharp while wearing contact lenses.

Do you hate wearing glasses – but also hate the thought of being tied to a bottle of cleaning solution just so you can see? Welcome to the world of extended wear contact lenses (also known as continuous wear contact lenses). These lenses are able to be worn for as much as a month at a time – without the need to remove them.

New advances in the materials used to make extended wear contact lenses have reduced the risks of infection that used to be attached to wearing contact lenses for too long.  In fact, the risk of infection is less than if you were popping them in and out of your eyes and handling them frequently.

What are extended wear contact lenses made of?

The lenses are made of a gas permeable silicone with a high water content. The flexible silicone easily molds to the shape of your cornea and floats on its surface – but it doesn’t block oxygen from reaching the tissues beneath it.

This was a major reason that conventional contact lenses needed to be removed. Most bacteria are anaerobic – they thrive in the absence of oxygen. With conventional lenses, oxygen doesn’t reach the corneas because the plastic ‘protects’ them, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. Extended wear lenses are made of a breathable film that lets the oxygen through so that there’s far less chance of infection in your eyes.

What are the advantages of extended wear contact lenses?

Extended wear contact lenses make your entire life so much easier. You put them in once – and don’t have to think about them for days or even weeks at a time. Imagine waking up without having to grope around for your glasses or contact lens case BEFORE you can see properly. With extended wear lenses, your vision is corrected all the time.

Extended wear contact lenses also reduce the chance of infections because you handle them less, so there is less chance of you inadvertently transferring bacteria to your eyes.

Can anyone wear extended wear contact lenses?

Approximately 90% of all contact lens wearers can wear extended wear contacts. Only your doctor can tell you if you’re one of them. Even if your doctor told you a few years back that soft contact lenses weren’t an option for you, check back with him. Advances in the manufacturing of contact lenses have made more and more options available for everyone.