Time To Get Rid Of Spectacles

“I look old in glasses. My friends call me stupid in these thick glass spectacles. I wish I could have never worn such a thing on my face!” We all have these complaints when wearing eyeglasses. But the world does not end here! You can have 5min LASIK surgery. But not to forget that it is a bit painful and there is a 1% chance of getting blind if surgery fails. Yet the good news is there is one more solution. What is it? Wear Contact Lenses.

What Are Contact Lenses?

This is one of the best choices to put your glasses aside and correct your vision. A contact lens is a thin, curved lens placed on the film of tears that covers the surface of your eye. They are used nearly by 150 million people across the globe.
Like for instance, Acuvue Oasys with Transitions was the first light-adjustable lenses made in the USA in 2019. Also, they are still working with contact lenses that are implanted with an antibiotic.

Which Lens Material Suits You?

There are 5 different kinds of contact lenses.

1. 1970s Old Soft Lenses: They are made up of hydrogels. As hydrogel comes from gel-like water-holding plastic so they are very soft and hence comfortable at wearing for a long period.
2. GP Lenses: They are gas permeable lenses that are porous, allowing oxygen to flow through it. They fit closer to the eye making vision better. They were introduced in 1978 and since then, they have been able to take place of PMMA lenses.
3. Hybrid-Difficult To Fit: These hybrid contact lenses are only comfortable to those who oppose the wearing of soft hydrogel lenses. It consists of hard gas permeable central area. Very few people in the U.S wear it because they are difficult to fit in the eyes and also very costly.
4. Popular Silicon Lenses (2002): They are new advanced lenses, being more porous than soft lenses. Thus, they permit enough amount of oxygen to flow through and reach the cornea. This makes them amazing and most precious.
5. Polymethyl Methacrylate: These are called PMMA lenses. They are made up of excellent optical glass. But unfortunately, they don’t allow oxygen to pass through so they are quite inadaptable when it comes to its adjustability when wearing.

Here are the results of a survey on the prescription of contact lenses conducted in 2017.

• 64%: Silicone hydrogel lens
• 22%: Soft gel lens
• 11%: Gas permeable lens
• 2%: Hybrid lens
• 1%: PMMA lens

Extended Wear

This word might seem pretty new to those coming from the 20th century. Extended wear are contact lenses that can be worn overnight while sleeping. Now, the maximum wearing time is 20 consecutive nights, known as continuous wear and this has accreditation from the FDA.

The Correct Time For Replacement

It is essential to change your contact lens as its deposits can do great damage to your eyes. The frequent replacement lens is to be discarded after a month while the reusable lens can be used for a minimum of 6 months. But the disposable lens is for one-time use only.
However, there is less chance for the deposits to accumulate if it is a gas permeable lens. You won’t have to change them for a year.

The Variety Of Designs

There are various designs of soft lens and these designs are made so that they best fit the purpose behind their manufacture. For instance, a toric lens corrects astigmatism while a spherical lens corrects far or nearsightedness as it has the same power throughout the optical part. The multifocal lens is for mostly elderly people who have both far and shortsightedness. And then the most famous of all are cosmetic lenses that will change the color of your eyes.
The best part is that these soft contact lenses can be customized for those who are not good candidates for lenses.

Some More Information

With the advancement in technology and scientific research, a lot has been done to these few centimeters small lenses. There have been a lot of modifications, relative to the timely requests by the users. For example, many people experience dryness while they are wearing contacts and this can cause a lot of discomfort. Well, there are some soft contacts specifically made for such cases.
Then, there are colored lenses that can give multicolors to your eyes at the same time. And, if you are doing theatre and want a real look of the character that you are playing, for instance, a vampire or a cat then special-effect lenses are made for you.
Also, there are lenses made that nullify the harmful effects of the U.V rays of the sun. But since these U.V inhibiting lens won’t cover your entire eye, you should carry your sunglasses with you too. A scleral lens is for patients having keratoconus or any cornea related errors.

Choosing The Right Lens

Here comes the most essential part: choosing what is best for you. Since you now know the related information, it is important to apply that too, to come up with the best decision.
First, you should seek the type that corrects your eye-problem. Then, you ought to check if it is fitting you appropriately and not causing any discomfort. Look out for any other medical need, like overcoming eye dryness. Lastly, you can opt for colored or plain and daily or extended wear based on your requirements.

The Better The Care, The Better The Results

Since your lenses are doing so much for you, you should clean disinfect and properly store them too. And unlike the old days, the task is simple because of multipurpose solutions. Now, those who are allergic to them would need preservative-free solutions. Since they have hydrogen peroxide, it is important to let the contacts dry before applying them.

Trial And Error

In a nutshell, the journey to the perfect contact lens involves a procedure of trial and error. You need to try it out, be a keen observer,check whether they are solving your issue and change if you think there is scope for improvement.