Contact lenses are an excellent choice for nearly anyone who needs vision correction but doesn’t want to wear eyeglasses full time or undergo LASIK surgery. Millions and millions around the world wear contact lenses, though you might not know it just by looking at these people. If you’re not familiar with contact lenses, let’s introduce you to these incognito but common little helpers.
A contact lens is a thin, curved lens placed on the film of tears that covers the surface of your eye. The lens itself is naturally clear, but is often given the slightest tinge of colour to make them easier for wearers to handle. Today’s contact lenses are either hard or soft. Most people wear the latter form now, but it wasn’t too long ago that contact lenses were even glass blown!
A brief history of the contact lens
While contact lenses may seem to be a modern addition to eye care, they actually have a long and illustrious history, kick-started by none other than Leonardo da Vinci and Rene Descartes. It wasn’t until the late 19th century, however, that a German glassblower produced a lens that could be seen through and reasonably tolerated, and a German ophthalmologist came up with and fitted the first contact lens, which could be worn for a few hours at a time.
While contact lenses are still most commonly worn for vision correction, there are also contact lenses for purely cosmetic and novelty purposes. Coloured contact lenses can enhance or completely change the hue of your eyes, and costume contact lenses can help create some of the special effects you see on the big screen.
Soft Contact Lenses
Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Contact Lenses
Extended Wear Contact Lenses
Disposable (Replacement Schedule) Contact Lenses
Coloured Contact Lenses
Wear And Replacement Schedules
In order to keep your eyes and vision in peak performance and health; each pair of contact lenses is manufactured and prescribed for a certain wear schedule; and to be replaced after a defined period.
Daily disposable contact lenses are worn throughout the day then tossed before bed and replaced by a fresh pair in the morning. Other lenses have different replacement schedules.
Whatever your lifestyle and preferences, your eye doctor can help you find the right contact lenses or eye care solutions for you. Remember to always consult a professional with questions about the health of your eyes and vision.
Improved all-round vision
No glare/light sensitivity
Easy to use
Convenient
Practical for sportspeople
Better suited to people with a high prescription
Improved appearance
Suitable for all weather conditions
Treats certain eye conditions
Easy to keep clean
No artificial barrier
Disadvantages Of Contact Lenses
Take time to become accustomed to
Easily lost
Fragile and prone to tearing
Fiddly to handle
Can be more expensive than glasses
Require ongoing maintenance
Build up of dust and debris
Degrade in quality over time
Risk of eye infections
Risk of scratches