Most of today’s contact lenses are made from flexible, soft plastics, designed as small, thin discs that rest directly on the cornea of the eye. Typically, eye doctors prescribe contact lenses to correct common vision issues including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Also, contact lenses may be recommended for certain medical conditions or following specific eye surgeries, such as patients with keratoconus, providing them with specialized contact lenses like scleral lenses.
Now, contact lenses are used by more people than ever. There are both soft and hard lenses that are made for both daily and extended use available based on your needs. How can someone find out if contact lenses are for them? And if they are, which ones should they choose? Let’s explore both of these questions further!
If you are able to wear glasses for vision correction, then you’re likely able to use contact lenses. They can be used to help with nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, as well as many other potential vision-impairing conditions. However, there are some important factors to consider. Contact lenses may not be a good choice for people who have…
There are also several risks to consider when using contact lenses. Eye pain or discomfort, redness of the eye, watering eyes, and vision changes are all reasons to follow up with your eye doctor. There is always a risk to developing an infection of the cornea with contact lens wear, however, proper wear and care of the lenses help reduce this risk considerably.
The most common types of lenses are soft contact lenses (daily and extended variants) and hard contact lenses.
Daily-wear soft contact lenses are the most comfortable option and are the easiest to use. These types of lenses can even be worn on an as needed basis for example during physical activities and sports. Unfortunately, those who suffer from severe astigmatism are less likely to be able to use these types of lenses without experiencing blurry vision. These lenses also need to be replaced often (daily to every few months). If using a monthly replacement soft contact lens the lenses must be removed for cleaning every night.
Extended-wear soft contact lenses offer the same advantages as daily-wear, but they can be worn continuously for up to a month. It’s still recommended to clean these types of lenses daily, though, to mitigate the risk of infection. The longer a contact lens is worn continuously increaes the risk for cornea infection.
Hard contact lenses offer clearer vision for those with certain eye conditions, and usually last longer than soft contact lenses. In addition to vision correction, some can even help slow the progression of myopia (link to myopia control page). These lenses tend to have a steeper learning curve for insertion and removal and daily wear versus soft contact lenses. However, their longevity and ability to treat specific conditions makes them still a solid option for many people.
Be sure to follow the cleaning instructions carefully when using any contact lenses to avoid infections or other problems. Always use commercial-grade sterile cleaning solutions to do this, because homemade cleaning solutions will always carry an unacceptable risk.
Any type of contact lens prescription requires a fitting appointment with Dr. Copeland to assess overall eye health and vision with and without the contact lens on the eye. It’s important that, even if you only want cosmetic lenses rather than corrective ones, you still see an eye care professional to discuss how to safely do so.
People have lost their sight due to improper use of cosmetic lenses, and teenagers are particularly susceptible to this. This is why it is crucial to always follow all safety precautions when dealing with eye care and hygiene, and this is especially true when foreign objects are to be placed on the eye.
If you’re interested in getting set up with prescription contact lenses, call or stop in to Innovative Eye Care of Kalamazoo today! Now’s the time to schedule an appointment with Dr. Copeland and see whether or not contact lenses are right for you.
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