After completing a comprehensive eye examination, you may be given the choice of wearing glasses and/or contact lenses. Contact lenses are thin, clear discs fitted over the eye’s surface to improve vision. If you decide that contact lenses best suit your needs, you will need to have a fitting because, much like glasses, they are not a one-size-fits-all solution.
During your consultation, your optometrist will discuss your lifestyle habits and take several measurements. These measurements include determining the curvature of your cornea and the size of your pupil and iris. In addition, if your eyes tend to be dry, your optometrist will also perform a tear film evaluation. They will use this information to prescribe contact lenses that best suit your eyes.
After your assessment, you will be given suggestions for the type of contact lenses you may be interested in. There are a variety of contact lenses on the market, including the following:
Soft Lenses
Made from soft materials, these are considered a more comfortable alternative to hard lenses. They may provide UV protection and are usually disposable after a short period of use. This decreases the likelihood of developing an infection, provided you care for them correctly. However, soft lenses are absorbent, which may make your eyes more sensitive to irritants. They are also more delicate and may tear if handled incorrectly.
Different soft lenses are available for various lengths of time, including daily disposables and extended-wear lenses.
Daily disposables are discarded after one use, so you don’t need to worry about cleaning your contact lenses or purchasing contact lens solutions. They are also great for possibly reducing contact lens-related dry eye and irritation. Extended-wear disposables are similar, except you will need to clean and store them properly on a nightly basis.
Rigid Gas Permeable Hard Lenses
Rigid Gas Permeable lenses, or hard contact lenses, are made from silicone polymers, making them more durable and more likely to maintain their shape. They also allow more oxygen to reach the cornea, allowing your eyes to “breathe” better.
Gas-permeable lenses are typically used to correct more complex vision problems and can be custom-made to fit the shape of the eye. However, this makes them more difficult and expensive to replace. Compared to soft lenses, it may take more time to adjust to wearing hard lenses.
Experience the convenience of contact lenses with a free trial pair. Schedule your contact lens fitting today.