Contact Lens Inside Out.com

All About Contact Lenses

Contact lenses today seem to be almost as much about fashion as about vision. They are not only to help see better, but also to change eye color or even shape. Before you run out to buy a pair with cat-eyes or dollar signs on them, you need to think about whether this is such a good idea. Are Contacts Right for Me? Whether to opt for contacts or not is a big decision and you should think about it carefully. Unless you stick to the strict maintenance guidelines, you risk vision trouble and serious eye problems. Maintenance is not complicated but you do have to make sure the lenses are scrupulously clean before putting them in your eyes. You might think a couple minutes of work is not too much trouble if it means you don’t have to wear eyeglasses. This is frequently right for many people. Contacts that fit well and enhance your vision properly can really change your life. The only problem with contact lenses is the cleaning and storage. It is vital to remember to do this every time you remove your lenses which, for most wearers, is just before bed. If you forget, this is where you might encounter problems. 

Luckily there are different types of contact lenses available if you are worried about forgetting to look after your own. You might prefer extended wear or disposable lenses. When taken out at night, you just throw them away and use a new pair the next time. Easy! Contact Lens Requirements There aren’t many requirements to wearing contact lenses but you do have to be willing to care for them. You also need to have a vision problem which the contact lenses can correct. Even if you only want aesthetic contacts, you still need to be fitted and this requires a prescription.  Contact lenses have been extensively improved since their inception. New technology means the number and type of vision problems they can treat is far more extensive. Not every vision problem, however, can be corrected with contacts. That is why it is important to visit an ophthalmologist or optometrist to get an eye exam which includes a contact lens fitting. That visit will determine whether contact lenses are right for you. Your age and the dryness level of your eyes affects whether you are a good candidate. The eye examination will also help to determine which lens is best for you so you can get a proper prescription. The rest, from there, is easy. It is just a matter of getting used to wearing contact lenses.

Bifocal Contact Lens 

Bifocal Contact Lens is a great option for those who need bifocals but do not want to deal with keeping track of glasses.  As people get older, it is common for them not to be able to see so near or far. When the lens of the eye becomes less flexible with age, this is called presbyopia. Bifocal contact lenses can help with this problem. 

The only choice up until recently for presbyopia sufferers was wearing eyeglasses. There would be a line cutting across each lens and it was obvious what the glasses were for. Bifocal eyeglass wearers would keep the glasses on the end of their nose and lift the head up or down, depending what they were looking at. The line across the lens disappeared and clear lenses came along. This was a good improvement. Finally bifocal contact lenses were invented and this was the best improvement of all. 

Bifocal contact lenses are growing in popularity all the time, especially as the elderly look for easier ways to combat the inevitable aging process. Just like with the eyeglasses, each bifocal contact lens includes two different prescriptions. One will be so that distance vision (if it is a problem) will be corrected for the wearer. The other prescription is to enhance near distance. 

Bifocal Prescriptions 

There are three different ways that both of these prescriptions can be situated on a contact lens. Translating placement is one option. This means the contacts are similar to bifocal eyeglass lenses. The top portion of the lens is the prescription for near vision and the bottom half is the prescription for distance. Another option is simultaneous placement, which is when both prescriptions are centered within the cornea so they are within the pupil’s boundaries. The eyes learn to decide and adjust to the prescription needed at that moment. A third possibility is the placement of the different prescriptions in concentric circles. One prescription will be in the outer circle and one in the inner one. 

All the major contact lens manufacturers now produce at least one version of bifocal contact lenses. They are just as effective at correcting presbyopia as eyeglasses, so the decision is mostly up to the wearer. If they are willing to make an effort to look after and wear bifocal contact lenses, this might be the best option for their eye care. As well as the prescription placement options, wearers can choose bifocal contacts in daily wear, extended wear and disposable styles. 

Somebody new to wearing bifocal contact lenses should expect an adjustment period because the eye has to learn how to adjust to the prescriptions. At first, a feeling of being off-balance is common but this feeling does pass as your eyes adjust. It might be necessary to try a different type of prescription placement but, when the best one is found, there should be no problems.  Bifocal Contact Lenses can bring a lot of freedom to your life.

Colored Contact Lenses 

If you feel like changing the color of your eyes to match your outfit or mood, thanks to colored contact lenses it has never been easier. They are a popular fashion accessory and even if you have perfect vision you can wear them. You can choose from a selection of vibrant colors and even patterns and designs. 

Only a small percentage of contact lens wearers realize they can use colored contacts. Most don’t realize how widely available they are or that almost every contact lens prescription is available in a colored variety. Some people do realize but they are nervous about giving them a try. The color change, however, can be as subtle or as dramatic as you want. 

Whether or not you need contact lenses to correct your vision, you need to visit an eye doctor for a prescription. If your contacts are not for vision correction, your prescription is called a plano prescription. The eye doctor will need to measure the curvature and width of your eyes to make sure the contacts fit properly. If they are a bad fit, they will be irritating or painful. You will be able to tell immediately if the contact lens is the wrong shape or size. 

Just because this type of contact lens is not for correcting vision problems does not mean you should share them with others. You should never share lenses. They might be the wrong size and cause pain. They might also not be completely clean and harmful bacteria can be passed from one person to another via the eyes, causing infections and even some long term negative effects. 

There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing colored contact lenses. Opaque colored lenses, for example, are necessary if you want to completely change your eye color. Colored lenses are tinted so you can have a more subtle change if that is what you prefer. Or you could get several pairs in different colors. 

One good thing about a visibility tint is that you can see the contact lenses. Visibility tint is used on contact lenses that are not intended to change the color of the eye.  It is simply for making them easier to handle. If you drop a clear contact lens, it is almost impossible to find, that is why most manufacturers make their lenses with a visibility tint. The colored ones can be seen much more clearly. Enhancement tints have a deeper color that will intensify and enhance your natural eye color. 

You can also get UVA/UVB coated lenses which are great if you spend a lot of time outdoors or play outdoor sports. The tints help to reduce glare, improving vision outdoors. You can also get colored contact lenses which darken in the sunlight like sunglass lenses when exposed to the light. When you are indoors, the color goes back to clear. 

There is plenty of choice for everyone, whether or not you wear contact lenses for a vision problem.  A good color contact lens can enhance or change your look.