Contact Lenses
Contact lenses are generally classified by the materials they are made of: Soft (water-containing plastics) or Rigid plastics.
Contact lenses may also be classified by wearing schedule. Daily wear contacts must be removed, cleaned and stored each night, while extended wear contact lenses are made from materials which are safe for overnight wear. Sometimes "continuous wear" is used for a type of extended wear lens that can be worn for up to 30 days.
Contacts can also be described by replacement interval - that is, how often you discard the lenses and replace them with a fresh pair.
Daily disposable contact lenses are discarded nightly and therefore require no care, cleaning or lens case. Other common replacement intervals are weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly; any of those lenses can be called "disposable." Traditional, non-disposable lenses are usually replaced once a year, but these lenses are generally limited to unusual or difficult-to-manufacture prescriptions.
Contact Lens Designs
Various contact lens designs are available for different vision problems. Spherical contact lenses correct nearsightedness or farsightedness and are indicated by a minus or plus in your prescription, respectively. Bifocal contact lenses are similar to multifocal eyeglasses in that they use different optical zones to correct presbyopia (the age-related, decreased ability see at both near and far distances). Toric contact lenses correct astigmatism, which can accompany either nearsightedness or farsightedness.
Many lens designs come in colors that can enhance or change your natural eye color. Special-effect contact lenses are also available for novelty use and are used extensively in theatrical and filmed productions. Prosthetic lenses are colored contact lenses that can cosmetically mask eye disfigurement. Many contact lenses come with an embedded UV inhibitor as well.
Which is the Right Contact Lens for You?
Your contact lenses should do three things:
- properly fit your cornea
- give you clear vision
- provide any "extra" benefits your desire (or require) such as color, the convenience of daily disposal, or multiple powers.
Contact lenses come in tens of thousands of combinations of size, shape and power. That's why contact lenses are a prescription item and must be fit by an experienced professional. This ensures comfortable fit and great vision.
Your eye care practitioner will evaluate your eyes to determine which lens is right for you, and will take into account your special needs such as dry eyes, a desire for color change or the need for overnight wear.
Our professionals can help fit you with contact lenses that are just right for you. We are experts in fitting contact lenses and can handle the most specialized needs. Whether rigid or soft lenses, we are experienced in handling the most difficult of prescriptions.
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