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Contact Lenses

 

Contact lenses are small lenses worn on the cornea, the surface of the eye, to correct vision. If you are interested in determining if your vision may be corrected with contact lenses, the doctor will examine your eyes and fit you with contact lenses if appropriate. Follow-up contact lens check-ups are of key importance in proper assessment of the health of your eyes and the fit of the contact lenses. Some patients choose to wear contact lenses for the greater part of their day and have glasses for a back-up or wear their glasses part-time. Other patients prefer to wear glasses for the principal portion of their day, but have activities and/ or events where they'd rather not wear their glasses and choose contact lenses for these times. It is important to have a back-up pair of glasses, even if you primarily wear contact lenses because of the risk of eye infection, corneal abrasions, and to minimize wearing your contact lenses too much.

 

Contact Lens Types:

 

Many new types of contact lenses become available each year. We will work with you to select the best contact lens option for you.

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1) Disposable and Frequent Replacement Soft Contact Lenses

 

Disposable and frequent replacement soft lenses are worn for a period of time and then thrown away. This time period of replacement has been assigned with results from many studies and approval by the Food and Drug Administration. There are lenses that are replaced daily, weekly, every 2 weeks, every month, and quarterly. We will work with you to select the healthiest option that provides the best vision for you.

 

2) Tinted Soft Contact Lenses

 

Tinted soft contact lenses can change your eye color or enhance your eye color. Even if you don't need corrective lenses, you can use tinted lenses to change your eye color.

 

3) Toric Soft Contact Lenses

 

Astigmatism is corrected with soft toric lenses. Astigmatism is a vision condition where your eye is more oval than round and is present in 80% of the population. This often occurs with nearsightedness or farsightedness. Astigmatism may be corrected with glasses, soft toric contact lenses, or rigid gas permeable contact lenses.

 

4) Bifocal Soft Contact Lenses

 

Many patients who need bifocal glasses can now enjoy the vision of soft bifocal contact lenses.

 

5) Bifocal Toric Soft Contact Lenses

 

Toric lenses are used to correct astigmatism. Bifocal soft contact lenses help correct your vision at distance and near. There are now a few options available.

 

6) Extended Wear Soft Contact Lenses

 

A consultation with your eye doctor is necessary if you are considering extended wear contact lenses. Each person's wearing schedule is tailored for the health, vision, and comfort of their eyes. It is possible that some people may wear their contact lenses for up to 30 days. People who wear their contact lenses extended wear have a 10x greater risk of an eye infection or eye ulcer that may cause permanent vision loss. It is always important to follow your eye doctor's directions for safely wearing contact lenses.

 

7) Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Contact Lenses

 

These lenses are “hard” lenses and they are gas permeable. If soft contact lenses are not an option, RGP lenses are often another choice. RGP lenses are available in specialized designs to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, bifocals, keratoconus, corneal transplants, and other anterior segment diseases.

 

8) Scleral Contact Lenses

 

These contact lenses often assist patients with anterior segment diseases, but are also used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and bifocals.