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Contact Lenses

In recent years, contact lenses have become safer, more comfortable and more convenient. There are a wide variety of contact lenses including rigid gas permeable, soft spherical, soft toric, multifocal and colored types.

Soft contact lenses are now marketed in boxes of multiple lenses with each lens packaged in its own pool of solution in a plastic and foil container. The lenses are used in a planned replacement program, disposed of on a regular basis and replaced with a fresh new lens. By replacing lenses regularly patients decrease their risk of contact lens related complications such as allergies, cornea hypoxia and infections, all of which are seen more commonly with old lenses. The cost of planned replacement contact lenses is relatively low, making thm an excellent value. Most new contact lens wearers are now fit with disposable contact lenses.

For many years astigmatism could not be adequately corrected with soft contact lenses and hard or rigid lenses had to be used to achieve good vision. Rigid contact lenses provide excellent vision, are relatively safe and much more durable than soft lenses. The major drawback to rigid contact lenses is the ocular discomfort associated with them. While it takes a longer time to get used to rigid lenses, many people are able to wear them comfortably for years. There is now wider availability of soft toric lenses to correct astigmatism. These afford greater comfort and are easier to adjust to than rigid lenses.

In those somewhere over 40 years of age, glasses over the contacts may be necessary for reading. However bifocal contact lenses are available, thus avoiding the need for reading glasses to be worn over the contact lenses. In our experience, the vision may not be as crisp with a bifocal contact and this is disturbing to a significant percentage of patients. Another option is with “mono vision”, where one eye is corrected with a contact lens for distance vision and the other eye is corrected for near vision. While this arrangement is satisfactory for many patients, some cannot tolerate the visual imbalance.

Colored contact lenses are either tinted or opaque. The tinted lenses can alter the eye color of individuals with lightly pigmented eyes. To change the eye color appearance of those with dark brown eyes, an opaque lens works better.

Whatever contact lens is worn, it is important that the patient has a fitting and teaching with regular follow up visits under the supervision of an eye care professional. Contact lenses are devices that are relatively safe but they do carry some serious risks to the health of the eye and to eyesight and these risks increase with abuse or improper care.