New advances make contacts an easy choice

With the advances in contact lenses over the past decade, patients are faced with many options in their efforts to correct their vision. This is where your TSO Doctor of Optometry can help you in the decision making process so the contact lens choice you make is the right one.

Types of Contacts

Soft contact lenses are made from flexible, water-absorbent plastics. Some soft lenses are designed to be replaced daily, weekly or every other week depending on the recommendation of your TSO Doctor of Optometry. They are usually easy to insert and fit comfortably and securely. Rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses are made of special, firm plastic that allows the passage of oxygen and other gases. These lenses are very durable and typically last longer than soft lenses. RGP lenses give you crisp vision and are often recommended for people with high degrees of astigmatism (blurry vision at all distances). While they may take a little longer to get used to, regular wearers find them to be comfortable and the visual acuity outstanding.

Contact Lens Choices

Daily wear contacts are removed each day for cleaning and should be taken out before sleeping. They require a daily maintenance schedule to keep the lenses clean and free from deposit build up and bacteria. Extended wear contacts can be worn continuously for up to 30 days and nights and are designed with breathable materials so your eyes stay healthy and your vision stays clear. Disposable soft contacts are rapidly growing in popularity because they can be worn for a single day or up to one year, depending on the wearing schedule prescribed by your TSO Doctor of Optometry. The more your contacts are replaced, the smaller the risk of long-term deposits that can build up on the lenses. Disposables can be purchased in multi-packs for a continuous supply of fresh lenses. Many patients enjoy the comfort of disposable lenses in addition to convenience, clear vision and healthy eyes. They're easy to insert and fit comfortably and securely. With disposable contacts, the hassle of caring for daily wear contacts is eliminated.

Colored contacts

If you've ever thought of enhancing or changing your eye color, consider another popular trend with colored contacts. The color is seen on your eye, but does not affect the color of what you see. The advancement in the color quality of the lenses today make them look as natural as Mother Nature intended.

Toric contacts

Toric contact lenses are designed for patients who have astigmatism, an eye condition which results in blurry vision at all distances. Toric contact lenses are designed to have two powers in them, created with curvatures at different angles (one for astigmatism, the other for either nearsightedness or farsightedness). There's also a mechanism to keep the contact lens relatively stable on the eye when you blink or look around. To provide crisp vision, toric contact lenses cannot rotate on your eye.

Multi-focal contacts

If you are 40 or older, you're likely to have presbyopia. Presbyopia is a condition that is the result of the aging process. When the eye's natural lens grows older, it begins to lose some of the elasticity necessary to switch focus between seeing near and far. One type of contact lens is designed similar to bifocal eyeglasses. The top half of the lens usually contains a prescription for distance correction and the bottom half provides near or reading correction. Another type allows you to correct both near and distance images at the same time. This allows the eyes to select the vision area to focus on.

Monovision contacts are an alternative to bifocal contact lenses. Monovision means you wear a contact lens for near vision on one eye and if needed a different lens for distance vision on the other eye. This allows for clear vision at both near and far distances.

Tips for proper care of contacts

• Visit your eye doctor every year for a complete eye examination.
• If eyes become red or irritated, remove the lenses immediately and consult your doctor.
• Remember to "CRD" (Cleanse, Rinse, Disinfect) your lenses after removal and before wearing them again.
• Always wash and rinse your hands carefully before handling your lenses.
• Don't use saliva to clean your lenses.
• Solutions can become contaminated through contact with lenses. Do not let the bottle tip touch any surface, including your contact lenses.
• Clean, rinse and air-dry your lens case each time lenses are removed to avoid bacterial growth.
• Replace contacts regularly because they wear out over time. Throw away disposable lenses after the recommended wearing period.
• Keep your eyes looking pretty and healthy by putting your contacts on before applying makeup and taking your lenses off before removing makeup.