Contact Lenses
Why is Buying Contact Lenses Not Like Buying Shoes?
(What do I need to know about wearing contact lenses?)
The headline may sound facetious, but as eye doctors we increasingly see patients who consider contact lenses solely as cosmetic or fashion items and not also as the health care devices they are. It is thankfully true that increasingly modern contact lens technologies and developments have significantly reduced risks and complications with contact lens wear while simultaneously increasing the ease of fit, comfort, vision, and convenience. However, we still continue to see patients with significant complications and problems with contact lenses due improper fitting, inappropriate care, or inadequate follow-up.
Whether you intend to wear lenses on a daily basis or part-time basis, for sports or only for social occasions, three important components are required to provide and maintain successful contact lens wear.
1. Health & Safety: Because contact lenses are in contact with the cornea and ocular surface of the eyes, they can occasionally be the cause of adverse effects. These effects can be eliminated or minimized by proper fitting, care, and ongoing eye health evaluations.
2. Comfort: To enjoy your contacts they must be as comfortable as possible. Many different variables can influence your overall comfort. For example, discomfort can often be reduced by the choice of lens material, solutions, wetting drops and wearing schedule.
3. Vision: Of course your contact lenses should provide you with clear vision. The choice of lens type and power will depend on the type of vision correction you need (nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism or presbyopia). These lens types include soft, soft toric, rigid gas permeable, multifocal, and other specialty lenses.
Modern Contact Lens Technologies
New contact lenses and technologies are continuously being developed and brought to market by the various contact lens manufacurers to meet the varied needs of our patients. We have lenses available from all the leading contact lens manufacturers including Acuvue®, Bausch and Lomb®, CIBA Vision®, and Coopervision®. Here are a few key types of contact lenses and technologies which your optometrist may recommend if its appropriate for you.
- Disposable Contact Lenses:
Since a clean lens is healthier and more comfortable, the concept of replacing lenses regularly (such as with daily disposables, 2 week or monthly disposables) makes a contact lens wearer less likely to suffer from contact lens complications. Other advantages of disposable contact lenses include always having "back-up" lenses, and typically using simplified cleaning regimes (daily rubbing and rinsing is still recommended).
Modern technology and manufacturing has enabled the development of low cost and high quality disposable contact lenses for almost any prescription. Except for highly specialized custom contact lenses, virtually all contact lenses that we fit are disposable lenses.
- Silicone Hydrogel Materials: Compared to older conventional disposable contact lenses, these newer materials have significantly more oxygen permeability which helps to provide improved physiological compatibility. These lenses tend to be more resistant to protein deposits. Patients usually have less dryness and discomfort symptoms and are able to wear their contact lenses comfortably for longer periods. Except for highly specialized custom contact lenses, virtually all contact lenses that we fit are silicone hydrogel lenses.
- Toric Contact Lenses (Lenses That Correct Astigmatism): Many different toric contact lens designs are now available to correct the astigmatism of most of our patients when needed.
- Multifocal Contact Lenses: Are available for presbyopia (the need for reading glasses). Although not suitable for all individuals with all visual tasks, these lenses can provide significant functional improvement for many of our patients without the need for eyeglasses.
- UV Protection: Some contact lenses now have built-in UV protection. While this is a wonderful feature that helps protect your cornea and internal eye structures, sunglasses are still recommended to protect the conjunctiva, eyelids, and surrounding tissues from potentially harmful UV rays.
- Advanced/Aspheric Optical Designs: Modern contact lenses typically have advanced optical designs which can decrease optical aberrations and help provide the best clarity and quality of vision possible.
- Extended or Flexwear Lenses: Many available silicone hydrogel lenses (which have high oxygen permeability) now have FDA approval for flexwear (occasional overnight wear) or extended wear (continuous overnight wear) in some cases for up to 30 nights in some patients. Patient suitability for this lens should be determined by your eye doctor. Because these lenses are worn overnight, it is especially important to properly fit and closely monitor the related ocular health as increased complications can occur.
- Coloured or Tinted Cosmetic Contact Lenses: These lenses allow you to change the colour of your eyes! (Note that these lenses are not yet commercially available in newer silicone hydrogel materials.)
- Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP), Keratoconic, and Specialty Lenses: We are experienced in fitting custom and specialty contact lenses to meet any special requirements that our patients may have.
Ocular Health Related to Contact Lens Wear
There is much more to contact lenses than just a "proper fit". Ongoing eye health evaluations are an essential component of successful contact lens wear.
Contact lenses can affect the well being of your eyes and only an eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) is legally qualified to assess the health of your eyes. Your eye health is always your eye doctor's first priority. In some cases, even though your contact lenses may feel comfortable and your vision may be clear, it is possible that adverse changes could be occurring without your knowledge. Advertised contact lens "specials" usually do not cover the costs of ongoing eye health evaluations.
Contact lenses are great, but they are not for everyone. Your eye doctor will be able to help you to determine if contact lenses are right for you and to help you maintain good eye health and vision.
About Contact Lens Fitting/Refitting Fees, Material Costs (for Lenses and Solution), and Policies
Our contact lens fees are intended to cover the cost of all fit/delivery and follow-up visits required to obtain a successful fit/refit within the first three months. (The fitting/refitting fees do not include the cost of materials (for lenses and solution)). Where applicable fitting/refitting fees include:
- Professional fitting of your contacts
- Instruction and training in proper insertion, removal, and care
- Follow-up to monitor ocular health related to contact lens wear
- Emergency or problem-solving contact lens visits