Facts about contact lenses

Frequently, the lenses would fall off the eyes and get lost and some wearers got around this problem by squinting.

In the last twenty years, much research in the contact lens field had been published; new lens designs have been developed; improved prescribing.

Today contact lenses are made with new created material with new ways of fitting.

What is contact lens?
Simply stated, a contact lens is a small lens worn on the tear layer of the eye to improve eyesight.

There are two major types of lenses:
Rigid / hard, and flexible/ soft contact lenses. Rigid lenses are about the size of man's shirt button and thinner than the cover of a paper book.

Flexible lenses are made of a fluid absorbing plastic. They are slightly larger than the hard lenses, and they cover a bit more than the eye's iris, that is to say the colored part of the eye.

Which contact lens is better?
This decision is best to leave to your doctor. The final choice depends on the condition of your eye; environmental factors that you come across regularly, such as dust on the athletic field or chemicals in the lab; your ability to wear hard lenses; and some other factors.

What are the advantages of contact lenses?
Speaking from an Optometrist (Eye Doctor's) point of view, contact lenses allow a wider field of sight because they do away with eyeglasses frames.

With the lens so near to the eye, they provide less discomfort and more realistic size of objects are seen than eyeglasses do. They are much better than eyeglasses for extreme near-sightedness where they can slow it down or prevent it completely. Also they do not "fog" or "steam-up" from rain, perspiration or rapid changes in temperature.

What are the disadvantages of contact lenses?
Most of the disadvantages of contact lenses are related to a person's sensitivity and how he can get used to wearing them.

Eye doctors feel that many people become more sensitive to light when using hard contact lenses; however this is not the case when wearing soft lenses. There are also some eye problems which cannot be corrected with contact lenses.

Who can wear contact lenses?
Most people with healthy eyes can get used to wearing contact lenses. Successful wear is usually tied in with desire. If you really want to wear contact lenses, you must be able to overcome the minor irritation you have in getting used to the hard lenses. With soft lenses you usually have comfort right from the beginning.

Are contact lenses dangerous?
Doctors say that contact lenses are safe if they are professionally prescribed and fitted and if they are properly used by patients. You must practice proper hygiene in caring for your lenses and you must follow the wearing schedule set up by your doctor. Anyone wearing lenses should have his eye doctor check them at regular intervals. Every six months is usually suggested.

Over five million people wear contact lenses today. Most users are young and wear them for reasons of appearance. However, people of all ages wear contact lenses because they help them to improve their vision.