CAN I WEAR CONTACT LENSES?

After a comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will be able to know whether or not contacts are right for you.  The health of your eyes must be determined before contacts are prescribed because the lenses are worn directly on the cornea, the surface of the eye.  The exam will also give the doctor an accurate understanding of what level of visual correction is needed.

HOW DO I GET CONTACT LENSES?

A contact lens fitting is needed in order for them to be perscribed.  To determine which lens fits best and provides the best vision, the doctor will place several diagnostic or trial lenses on the eye.  The doctor then will explain how the lenses are to be cleaned and worn.  You should follow the schedule for wearing your contacts as instructed by your doctor.  The doctor will see you for several follow-up visits over the course of the first few months after the contact lens fitting to make sure the lenses are not harming the eyes.  During these visits, the power and fit of the lens will be reevaluated and if the lenses are a successful fit, the final contact lens prescription is determined.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTACT LENSES?

Advancements in contact lenses have come a long way and the options for the consumer are exciting.  Some contacts can give you an appearance of having a different eye color, and some contacts are disposable and can be discarded at the end of the day.  Contact lenses can help people with nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia, or astigmatism and there are different types of contact lenses to help with different vision problems.

• Daily Wear Soft Contact Lenses

  These contact lenses are made with a combination of water combined with a soft polymer-plastic material that allows oxygen to pass through the lens to the cornea allowing the eye to breath while providing excellent comfort.  Some of the daily wear soft contact lenses include:

                   - Planned replacement lenses (weekly, monthly, quarterly)
                   - Daily disposable lenses (very popular, no solution or care system needed)
                   - High-Definition lenses (can reduce optical aberrations for improved vision)

• Extended or Continuous Wear Contact Lenses
  The main advantage of this lens is that it can be worn continuously for up to 30 days.  However, there is an increased risk of infection and other potential complications and more frequent office visits are required to watch for potential harmful effects to the eye.

• Toric Contact Lenses

  This lens is designed for individuals who have astigmatism and come in the same materials as other contact lenses.  Most modern toric lenses provide excellent comfort and vision when fit properly.  Patients who have myopia, hyperopia, and presbyopia in addition to their astigmatism also can wear them.  They are available in a wide variety of replacement schedules including daily and continuous wear.  
   
• Colored Soft Contact Lenses

  Now, you can choose colored contact lenses that will appear to change the color of your eyes, but are still practical for your visual needs.  The colored soft contact lens categories includes:

                    -Enhancement tint (enhances the natural color of the eye)
                    -Opaque tint (for those who want a completely different color)

• Rigid Gas Permeable Hard Contact Lenses

  This contact lenses is also made with a special plastic that allows oxygen to travel through the lens, but compared to soft lenses they are much more rigid.  These lenses in some circumstances can allow for improved vision over soft lenses, but take more time after the initial fitting to feel comfortable.  They are also utilized for patients who may have an irregular shape to the cornea making clear vision with spectacles impossible.  Finally, they are used in corneal refractive therapy to reshape the cornea to correct for myopia for individuals who do not wish to wear lenses during the day.

I NEED BIFOCALS, CAN I WEAR CONTACTS?

Yes.  There are several options available for people over 40 who need both a distance and a reading correction.

• Distance Lenses 
  Contact lenses can be fit to correct the distance vision and reading glasses can be used over the contacts.
• Monovision Lenses 
  In this situation, a distance contact lens is fit to the dominant eye and a reading contact lens is fit to the other eye. This has a high success rate, but can affect depth perception
• Bifocal Lenses 
  This is the one of the fastest growing segments of the contact lens market.  Bifocal (called multifocal) lenses now are available in both soft and RPG lenses and come in a wide variety of material and lens designs.  Unlike eyeglasses, most multifocal contacts provide simultaneous correction for both the distance and near prescriptions without the need to look through a specific zone on the lens.

CAN CONTACT LENSES HARM THE EYE?

A contact lens is a medical device and changes the physiology of the front surface of the eye.  As such, if abused, it has the ability to lead to serious complications that can cause vision loss and in rare cases, blindness.  It is important to always follow your eye doctor's instructions and have regular exams if you wear contact lenses.  If redness or pain occurs, remove the contact lens and contact your eye doctor immediately.

WHAT IS THE PROPER AGE FOR KIDS TO BEGIN WEARING CONTACT LENSES?

The answer is that even infants can and do wear contact lenses.  Practically speaking, most kids are mature enough by age 10-12 to care for contacts because they realize that it is a privilege to have their parents trust them with such an adult responsibility.  For many kids, their self-esteem may change when they begin wearing contact lenses.  They feel more confident and may become less shy which can aid in the development of improved social skills.