Contact Lenses Buying Guide

The contact lenses are made of plastics that are used to correct the eye problems or sometime they are worn for style also. They are very handy and can be easily inserted and removed. However caution should be exercised in handling contact lenses. They are used for different purposes and come in variety of colors. You can choose the one that suits you the best .Take a look at the article for more information on contact lens.

This article covers

A Short History of The Contact Lens
What Are Contact Lenses Made of And How Do They Work?
The Differences In Lenses
The Buyer's Guide for Contact Lenses

136 million adults in America use prescription eyewear and out of that figure 21% choose to wear contact lenses. They are convenient and easy to use, and you can buy contact lenses online. But are there contact lenses for dry eyes? Can contact lenses repair your vision so you no longer require prescription eyewear? These are just a few of the questions you should ask yourself when you are considering buying contact lenses.

A Short History of The Contact Lens

Contact lenses were first conceptualized by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1508. His dream was not realized until nearly 380 years later when the first glass contact lens was created in 1887 in Germany. Since that initial breakthrough contact lenses have undergone many transformations over the years on it's way to becoming the contact lenses that we are familiar with and would recognize today. Modern contact lenses are made of plastic and can be shaped to correct most vision problems.

In October 2001 the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved extended wear contacts for the correction of farsightedness (hyperopia), nearsightedness (myopia) and astigmatism. Contact lenses correct vision by temporarily reshaping the cornea by placing a small removable plastic disc directly to the cornea. Contacts do not change the appearance of a person so they are often the prescription eyewear option of choice for many people. Since soft contact lenses were first introduced to consumers in 1971 many changes and advances have been made to make them more comfortable, and even fashionable.

What Are Contact Lenses Made of And How Do They Work?

All contacts are made of plastic. The plastic can be either hard or soft but they both work the same way. The lens is shaped to fit your eye and correct the visual impairment according to the prescription. The contact sits on a film of tears. This moisture is very important for the comfort and health of they eyes. Contact lenses can be easily inserted and removed by the patient.

Contact lenses today are permeable which means that water and or oxygen can pass through them so that the moisture barrier between the lens and the cornea can be maintained. The type of correction required will dictate the shape of the lens. The contacts enable the eye's internal lens to focus properly or temporarily reshape the cornea so that conditions such as astigmatism can be corrected. Although all contact lenses fundamentally work the same way, the variety available is due to difference in correction needed and comfort of the wearer.

The Differences In Lenses

Astigmatism, presbyopia, myopia, and hyperopia are the most common vision problems corrected with contact lenses. The lens to use can be determined by four factors:

The Vision Problem

Toric Contact Lenses are used to correct astigmatism by reshaping the cornea.

Bifocal Contact Lenses are used to correct presbyopia. Most people that suffer from presbyopia are over the age of 40. It occurs when the lens of the eye becomes stiff and can not focus properly on objects that are near or far.

Hard Contact Lenses are most effective in the correction of most eye problems.

RGP (Rigid Gas Permeable) Contact Lenses are more rigid than soft lenses and are used in Orthokeratology. This treatment can result in the permanent reshaping of the cornea to correct astigmatism.

Comfort

Soft Daily Disposable Contact Lenses assist those with eye allergies in that they are only used for a short period of time and then discarded. Allergies can cause deposits to form on lenses that are used over and over again. The deposits cause discomfort and irritate the cornea. Disposable lenses can be discarded daily, weekly, or even bi-weekly.

Frequent Replacement Contact Lenses can be worn for a month to three months as opposed to conventional daily wear contact, which will last for a year or more.

Convenience

Extended Wear Contact Lenses are the most convenient because they can be worn day and night, without having to be taken out. Some of these lenses can be worn up to 30 days.

Soft Daily Disposable Contact Lenses are not only comfortable, but convenient because there is very little maintenance involved.

Style

Enhancer Contact Lenses have a clear center for the pupil and a lightly tinted, see-through mask over the iris to help brighten or intensify your natural eye color.

Colored Contact Lenses change the color of your eyes by masking the color of your iris in the same way as enhancer lenses with a different color.

Special Effects Contact Lenses function in the same way as colored lenses. The main attraction to these lenses is that they can be made to look like animal eyes or produce distinctive shapes, giving the wearer a unique appearance.

Continue to: The Buyer's Guide for Contact Lenses

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Change your outlook with colored contact lenses

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