Whether you're wearing contact lenses for the first time or you're a current wearer seeking a new option, the choices have never been so diverse and plentiful. The technology and designs available will make you're contact lenses wearing experience a comfortable and convenient one. Some of the wonderful contact lens types include; disposable contact lenses, colored contact lenses, rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses, toric and bifocal lenses and extended wear lenses. The first step for anyone wanting to wear contact lenses is a visit to an eyecare practitioner, even if you just want to change eye color. Ophthalmologists, optometrists and in some states opticians are considered to be eyecare practitioners and can write a valid contact lenses prescription. In the United States contact lenses can only be legally purchased with a written contact lens prescription. You're eyecare practitioner will first check to see if you can safely wear contact lens, most people can, there are however some who cannot. Next you're eyecare practitioner will do a thorough examination of both eyes and a contact lens fitting to determine you're contact lens prescription. It is important to remember that contact lenses are medical devices and if not properly prescribed and fitted a person could suffer discomfort, abrasion, swelling and in some rare instances permanent eye damage. Regular eye exams are necessary to ensure any problems are looked at and taken care of. Benefits of Wearing Contacts: There are many benefits to wearing contact lenses. Contact lenses are so delicately designed that the wearer doesn't even know they are there. Contact lenses eliminate the barriers that eyeglasses provide with the line of sight from above, below and the sides of the eyes, allowing for incredible peripheral vision while reducing and often eliminating image distortion often caused by eyeglasses. Disposable Contacts: Disposable contacts are the most common type of discount contact lenses. They offer both health and convenience benefits, and are a favorite among eyecare practitioners and consumers alike, because of the wonderful health benefits and convenience they offer. Disposable lenses designs should be worn for a certain amount of time, thrown out and replaced with a fresh pair of lenses. There are three main types of disposable contact lenses; disposable contact lenses which can be discarded and replaced every two weeks or sooner (some are daily); the traditional or reusable contact lenses that are replaced approximately every six months or longer and the frequent replacement contacts which are replaced monthly or quarterly. There can be confusion between what is known as the replacement schedule and the wearing schedule. The replacement schedule is the difference between disposable, traditional or reusable and frequent lenses, and exactly how often they are discarded and replaced. Whereas the wearing schedule refers to how often you're contact lenses are removed but not necessarily discarded. Usually the name of the contacts such as daily wear or extended wear will refer to how often the lenses should be removed. Color Contact Lenses: Color contact lenses are a great way to either give yourself a subtle or dramatic change to your look. The color contact lenses are available in both prescription and plano (non prescription) form. There are four types of colored contact lenses; visibility tints, enhancement tints, opaque color tints and light-filtering tints. The visibility tints usually come with a green or light blue tint added to the lens, and this is primarily so you can see well during insertion and removal or if the contact lenses are dropped. The visibility tints do not affect eye color. Enhancement tints are a solid (yet translucent) tint that also does not affect eye color. What they do as the name implies is enhance the existing eye color of the wearer. Color tints are the deeper, opaque tints that dramatically change the wearers eye color. These lenses are great for anyone wanting a dramatic change in their eye color and appearance. The color contacts are available in a wide variety of colors, including green, hazel, violet, blue, amethyst and gray. Lastly the light-filtering tints are a great option for sports enthusiasts. These special contact lenses are designed for specific sports use as they enhance certain colors. One color of the light-filtering tints is the optic yellow, because this is the color of tennis balls and some golf and softballs the lenses enhance the yellow while muting other colors, making the ball stand out against the background. Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses: Rigid gas permeable lenses (RGP) are probably the highest quality lenses available today. They offer excellent quality of vision (some will say crisper vision), durability, and retain their shape better when blinking. The lenses allow for oxygen to reach your eye therefore creating more comfort and better eye health. The lenses have a more lengthy adjustment period than the soft lenses and must be worn everyday to maintain the comfort level, otherwise if not worn everyday it will take time to adjust to again. Bifocal and Toric Lenses: A comfortable and convenient way to correct presbyopia (aging eyes) is with bifocal contact lenses. These contact lenses can replace the bifocal eyeglasses that we are used to seeing on people. The bifocal contacts are available in both soft and rigid gas permeable lenses, and in disposable or frequent replacement wear. Toric contact lenses treat the eye condition known as astigmatism (irregularly shaped cornea). The toric contact lenses have only become available recently in soft contact options. The lenses are available in disposable, frequent replacement, multifocal and color varieties of lenses. Extended Wear Lenses: Extended wear contact lenses are the most convenient of all the contact lenses. Extended wear allows for overnight wear up to thirty days. Most of the extended wear contact lenses available can be worn without removal for up to seven days, there are only a couple of brands that can be worn for up to thirty days of continuous wear. There is a higher health risk compared with the nightly removal lenses. The nice thing about the extended wear lenses is you don't have to worry about lens care, you must be sure however to discard and replace your lenses according to their wear schedule to avoid any risk of infection. A nice option in the extended wear lenses is the flexible wear lenses. This allows you to nap or occasionally sleep in your lenses, perhaps on a weekend trip, while only wearing the lenses on a daily wear basis. Conclusion Everyone's individual needs and preferences will come into play when selecting their contact lenses. With the wonderful assortment of contact lenses available there is a lens that will offer both comfort and convenience to the most particular of consumers. |
