Spectacle corrections used to be the correction of choice In the past.  With modern technology, people are now choosing contact lenses as an alternative or backup to eye surgery or spectacles.

The reason is that contact lenses are becoming safer and safer every day. They also cost much less than they used to.  Roughly 30% of the world’s vision corrections are contact lenses.  In America alone over 34 million people wear contact lenses.

So what are the best contact lenses?

There are two types of contact lenses, rigid (hard) contact lenses and soft (flexible) contact lenses.  A rigid or hard lens is a small thin plastic that fits over the cornea of eye.  Flexible or soft lenses are slightly larger and are made of thin plastic that absorb fluid.  Rigid lenses come as non gas permeable and gas permeable. Gas permeable lenses allow more oxygen to the eye and actually float on a tear film on the cornea.  People with high astigmatism and irregular shaped corneas see much better with this type of lens.

The soft lenses are usually more comfortable to wear and are the favoured lenses of choice by most eye doctors.  In recent years disposable lenses have made contact lenses even more popular.  These are lenses that can be worn for a specified period of time and then discarded.  They are usually more expensive, are more comfortable and help reduce the risk of infection.  Some of these lenses can be worn overnight, but it is highly recommended that they be taken out before going to bed to prevent the risk of infection.

Contact lenses can also be worn for cosmetic reasons.  They are available in various colors and help give the appearance of a different eye color.  Some of the best contact lenses are made for dramatic effects such as cat’s eyes.  These are great for events such as Halloween or Carnival.  Most of these contact lenses are also available in prescription form.

Contact lenses are an alternative to eyeglasses.  There are some people who do not like the look and feel of eye glasses.  Some tend to lose their glasses a lot and as such contact lenses are a great alternative.  People who wear contact lenses are required to check their eyes more often than those who wear normal glasses.  People with severe allergies, frequent infections and dry eyes are not advised to use contact lenses.  There are also other conditions that do not allow the use of contact lenses. Your eye doctor can advise you on this.

Next  we will expand our discussion on the different types of contact lenses and how to take care of them.

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We are excited that this is soon to come into being. Also the use of contact lenses to treat diseases such as glaucoma is also a soon to be.

We look forward to this innovation to best contact lenses.

The contact lens is designed with a  polymer that is laced with an intricate network of micro tunnels that can be filled with dyes. Early studies show that these lenses get darker faster than transitions sunglasses presently on the market.

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 Astigmatism contact lenses are called toric contact lenses. They corrrect astigmatism and either hyperopia( far 

sightedness) or myopia (nearsightedness). 

Toric contactlenses are a combination of a spherical lens with a cylindrical lens to correct astigmatism. 

Astigmatism is when the cornea has an irregular curvature.

In the past it was always difficult to find contact lenses for people with astigmatism. Nowadays nearly all 

companies sell contact lenses for astigmatism. People who were sent away in the past are now enjoying the comfort 

of toric contact lenses.

In cases where Astigmatism is found in only one eye, the eye doctor may prescribe a toric lens for that eye and a 

regular spherical lens for the other eye.

Toric lenses come as soft or rigid gas permeable contact lenses. They are slightly weighted so that they do not 

rotate so much on the eye. This helps keep the contact lenses in the same oriention of the astigmatism and also 

avoids blurriness. 

Some lenses are constructed with a ballast at both top and bottom allowing the lens to always rotate into its 

correct position.

Because fitting astigmatism contact lenses takes more expertise and time than normal contact lenses, they are 

usually more expensive. 

In the past only hard lenses (rigid gas permeable) lenses could correct astigmatism.

Nowadays, most people go for soft toric contact lenses that do the job pretty well. Although there are cases where 

only rigid gas permeable lenses help.

Even for people who normally wear bifocals and multifocals. There are multifocal toric lenses available to 

accomodate astigmatism, seeing well in the distance and reading at near.

Bi-toric lenses are also available for extremely high astigmatic prescriptions. Theses are lenses that have 

corrections on the front and back of the lens enabling the correction of much higher prescription powers. The 

disposable types are available for low to moderate astigmatism. For high astigmatism custom made toric lenses are 

the option to go for.

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In the past dry eyes prevented many people from wearing contact lenses. People with dry eyes who live in windy areas or those who spend a lot of time outdoors have always had problems with normal contact lenses. 

Heres the good news. This is now a thing of the past. The best contact lenses for dry eyes are here. As a matter of fact they have been around for quite some time now.. Here are 5 tips to get the best contact lenses for dry eyes.

1. Look for contact lenses with high water content. 

Contact lenses with high water content are suited for people with dry eyes. The higher the water content the better for the eyes

2. Look for contact lenses that have the right fit. 

Contact lenses that are fit properly help to avoid excessive drying of the eyes

3. Use the right care solutions. 

Using the right solutions to moisturize and condition your contact lenses help those who suffer from dry eyes

4. Use daily disposable lenses. 

Using disposable daily lenses also help people with dry eyes

5. Use rewetting drops and drink plenty water.

Using rewetting drops more frequently also help to lubricate the contact lenses and the eyes keeping them moist longer. Research has shown that drinking lots of water rehydrates the skin and also the eyes.

Dry eyes are no longer a hindrance to wearing the best contact lenses. At one time that may have been true, but not any more.

For the best contact lenses dry eyes, consider the Acuvue Oasys lenses . It is a popular choice that is a very high moisture lens.

If you have any problems check your eye care professional

   1. You should take good care of your contact lenses. If you skip the proper steps in your contact lens care routine, you could develop problems. Never clean your lenses with your saliva or keep them in your mouth!

   2. Ask your eye doctor before you switch your care system brand because not all systems are compatible with other lenses.

   3. Never stretch your doctor specified replacement interval for your contacts.

   4.  Focus on value, not only on price, when shopping for contact lenses. Convenience, availability and great customer service are just as important.

   5. Allow your teenager to wear contact lenses. Nearly 50% of new lens wearers are teens and most of them started wearing their contactlenses before the age of 15.

   6. Never try to change your eye colour by using food coloring to tint your contact lenses. This is dangerous as food coloring is not sterile.

   7. Even if you wear eye glasses most of the time, disposable contact lenses (daily disposables) are perfect for occassions when even your glasses are a bother. Like playing sports.

   8. If you are not completely satisfied with your contact lenses, you should see your eye doctor. Nowadays contact lens technology has advanced. Bifocal contact lenses and monovision contact lenses are examples of such. 

   9. Never share your contact lenses with others! Sharing contact lenses spread bacteria and fungi and can cause severe eye infections.

  10. Contact lenses are a medical device. Never take them for granted! If you experience eye pain, redness or develop other  unusual symptoms, see your eye doctor immediately.

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   1. You should take good care of your contact lenses. If you skip the proper steps in your contact lens care routine, you could develop problems. Never clean your lenses with your saliva or keep them in your mouth!

   2. Ask your eye doctor before you switch your care system brand because not all systems are compatible with other lenses.

   3. Never stretch your doctor specified replacement interval for your contacts.

   4.  Focus on value, not only on price, when shopping for contact lenses. Convenience, availability and great customer service are just as important.

   5. Allow your teenager to wear contact lenses. Nearly 50% of new lens wearers are teens and most of them started wearing their contactlenses before the age of 15.

   6. Never try to change your eye colour by using food coloring to tint your contact lenses. This is dangerous as food coloring is not sterile.

   7. Even if you wear eye glasses most of the time, disposable contact lenses (daily disposables) are perfect for occassions when even your glasses are a bother. Like playing sports.

   8. If you are not completely satisfied with your contact lenses, you should see your eye doctor. Nowadays contact lens technology has advanced. Bifocal contact lenses and monovision contact lenses are examples of such. 

   9. Never share your contact lenses with others! Sharing contact lenses spread bacteria and fungi and can cause severe eye infections.

  10. Contact lenses are a medical device. Never take them for granted! If you experience eye pain, redness or develop other  unusual symptoms, see your eye doctor immediately.

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 Coloured contact lenses can enhance the natural color of one’s eyes.  They can change your eye’s appearance for example from brown to hazel or from brown to green.  They come in three different types of tints.1) opaque colors 2) enhancements 3) visibility tints

Opaque colors can change your eye colour completely, because they are made of solid color patterns.  In countries where most people have dark eyes this is the lens color of choice.  The popular lens colors are usually brown, hazel, green, violet, gray, amethyst and blue.  Most colored contact lenses mimic the natural look of the iris of the eye, leaving the center (where the pupil is) clear.

On occasion the contact lens may slide off the center of the eye causing a blur.  This is rare however.  Also it must be noted that the pupil changes in size according to the amount of light that enters it.  This means that usually at night the pupil is larger and this can affect vision in some patients because they then see the coloured portion of the contact lens.  If this is a persistent problem is recommended that you see your eye doctor.

Enhancement tints are solid tints aalthough one can still see through them.  They are meant to enhance the existing color of one’s eyes and I usually best for people who have liked Coloured eyes and are looking to make them more intense.

Visibility parents are usually just mild tints to the added to the lens to help people especially those with high prescriptions see better during the removal of insertion of the lens.  This allows people to find their lenses more easily.  They have no effect on the eye color.

Nearly all of these lenses described are available in nonprescription form as well as for people who need prescriptions.

Dr Onu

10 questions about contact lenses

1.      Question:  I have astigmatism. Can I wear contact lenses?

Answer:  Of course you can!  Over the last two years, improvements have been made on most contact lenses.  Nearly everyone can now wear contact lenses.  Soft toric lenses can correct astigmatism, a bifocal contact lens can correct presbyopia and more and more lenses are available for dry eye sufferers. 

2.      Question:  Are contact lenses uncomfortable?

     Answer:  Not really!  Initially there might be some slight   discomfort, but after a short adaptation time, most people hardly notice that they have contact lenses on their eyes..

3.    Question:  Can contact lenses get stuck to my eye?

 Answer:  Again not really!  Contact lenses are made to float on the surface of the eye.  They  do  not stick to the eye.  There is a story that about a welder who accidentally fused contact lenses to his eyes.  This is an unlikely story.  Of course without proper care accidents can happen.

4.      Question:  How difficult is it to take care of contact lenses?

        Answer:  Contact lenses are very easy to take care of.  You can use the one step system to clean and disinfect your lenses or you can eliminate cleaning altogether, by using daily disposables or 30 day extended wear contact lenses.

5.      Question:  Are contact lenses difficult to insert?

Answer:  Just like riding a bike, initially it might appear difficult, but your eye care practitioner and staff will teach you very simple ways to insert and remove your contact lenses.  Over 80 million people wear contact lenses.

6.       Question: Can contact lenses pop out of my eye?

Answer: Again not really!  In the olden days hard contact lenses used to do this, but today this is a rare occurrence.

7.       Question: Am I too old for contact lenses?

Answer: Never!  With the advent of bifocal contact lenses, toric contact lenses  and contact lenses for dry eye sufferers this is a thing of the past.  There is practically a contact lens for nearly every situation.

8.       Question: I’ve heard that contact lenses can be very expensive?

Answer: That’s not true!  Contact lenses can be even cheaper than a good pair of eyeglasses.  Even disposable contact lenses do not cost much.

9.      Question: I have nonprescription coloured contact lenses.  Can I share them with others?

Answer: Never!  Sharing contact lenses is an absolute no-no!  This can lead to serious eye

infections .  Remember !  Contact lenses are medical devices.  They are fitted by your eye care practitioner and are to be cleaned regularly with the appropriate solutions.

10.  Question:  Can I stretch the replacement interval of my disposable contact lenses?

Answer:  It is very important to adhere to the directions of your eye care practitioner.  Stretching the replacement interval of your disposable contact lenses can lead to problems.  If you have any questions, contact your eye care practitioner.

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