Top Ten Things You Should Know About Contact Lenses

Home
>
Medicine
>
Top Ten Things You Should Know About Contact Lenses

Top Ten Things You Should Know About Contact Lenses

1. Soft lenses are perceived by most patients and practitioners alike to be more immediately comfortable while adequately correcting vision. They come in all formats - even toric and bifocal. Disposable soft lenses take minimal but important care to maintain their safety and usefulness.

Soft lenses do absorb elements from the tears and the environment. They can change in fit with their age and cleanliness, perhaps causing a lack of oxygen to the eyes. Their surfaces break down rapidly, causing a decreasing sharpness of vision.

On the other hand, many patients feel they see sharper and more clearly with rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses. RGPs become very comfortable after adapting to them. They are easier and less expensive to maintain, last longer and are available in all formats. RGPs can more easily be custom designed to offer a wider range of vision correction than soft lenses. They can breathe more oxygen, don't deteriorate as fast and don't absorb things as easily as soft lenses.

2. Soft lenses generally center by themselves if they fit well. Just put them straight on the cornea and they will go where they belong. Use the iris, the colored part of the eye, as a guide. Make sure you have a competent eye care practitioner evaluate the fit of your lenses before you wear them, though. Improperly fit soft lenses can cause damage to your eyes!

3. Almost all nearsighted people can wear contact lenses, no matter how high their prescription. In fact, there are contact lens laboratories that make custom lenses up to -30.00 diopters! It is essential to follow your contact lens practitioner's rules, however. Contact lenses are extremely safe when prescribed and cared for properly.

4. Improperly worn contact lenses can cause a loss of oxygen to the cornea, which in turn can lead to blood vessels growing over the front of your eyes, infections, lid changes, allergies, corneal warping, corneal swelling and possibly even blindness.

5. Do not share contact lenses with your friends. Everyone's tears are filled with normal bacteria, but transferring these bacteria to someone else's eyes is not a good idea. And not only is there a risk of infection, if the lenses don't fit, the eye can suffer from a lack of oxygen or develop other problems.

6. Contact lenses are medical devices. Changing parameters should be done under the supervision of an eye care practitioner. Do not take chances!

7. If you sunbathe while wearing contact lenses, there is no problem with heat. But your corneas can swell and make your lenses fit tighter, causing some temporary redness and irritation. Put some form of lubricating drops in your eyes before tanning. Wear protective glasses to block the really harmful UV radiation from getting to your eyes - it has been linked to cataracts, macular degeneration, etc.

8. Bloodshot eyes are a sign that something is not right. It could be as simple as a solution allergy or dirty lenses. But it could also be a sign that your corneas are not getting enough oxygen. Go see your eye care practitioner and find out why your eyes are so red!

9. Eyeglass prescriptions are higher than contact lens prescriptions because contact lenses sit on the eye, whereas eyeglasses sit in space in front of the eye. This is called the vertex distance. The closer a lens sits to the eye, the less strength is needed to focus light on the retina. And the stronger the prescription, the more the power adjustment. This is true for both soft and RGP lenses.

10. Some contact lens practitioners find that lenses with lower water content can sometimes be better for people who have dry eyes. But some patients actually do better with high-water contact lenses. It has long been felt by some practitioners that the thicker the lens, the better, as well.

Are you planning to wear contact lenses? Visit Contact Lenses Center for the latest news and information on contact lenses.

In The News:

Mass High Tech
Blueprint Medicines Welcomes Fidelity Biosciences to Investor Syndicate
MarketWatch (press release)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Blueprint Medicines today announced that new investor Fidelity Biosciences joined existing founding investor Third Rock Ventures in its previously announced $40 million Series A financing.
Fidelity Biosciences invests in Blueprint MedicinesBoston.com

all 6 news articles »

Proactive Investors USA & Canada
Vertex Receives European CHMP Positive Opinion for KALYDECO(TM) (ivacaftor ...
MarketWatch (press release)
KALYDECO is the first medicine to treat the underlying cause of CF, a rare, genetic disease caused by defective or missing CFTR proteins resulting from mutations in the CFTR gene. In people with the G551D mutation, KALYDECO helps the defective CFTR ...
Vertex's cystic fibrosis treatment wins EU regulator's backingBoston.com
Vertex Pharma receives European recommendation for approval of cystic fibrosis ...Proactive Investors USA & Canada

all 20 news articles »

ASC settles with Medicine Hat man regarding allegations of illegal insider ...
Sacramento Bee
By Alberta Securities Commission CALGARY, May 24, 2012 -- /CNW/ - The Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) has concluded a settlement with Jeffrey Scott Bratvold of Medicine Hat, Alberta. Under the Settlement Agreement, Bratvold agreed to cease trading ...

and more »

Rewarding Excellence: Dental School Dean Receives Oral Medicine's Highest ...
UB News Center
BUFFALO, NY -- Michael Glick, DMD, professor of oral medicine and dean of the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, has been presented with the highest academic award given by the American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM), conferred at their ...

and more »

EMA Recommends Patient, Prescriber Information For Pradaxa Be Updated
Wall Street Journal
LONDON (Dow Jones)--The European Medicines Agency, or EMA, Friday recommended updating the product information for the blood thinner Pradaxa, to give clearer guidance to doctors and patients on how to reduce and manage the risk of bleeding associated ...
European Medicines Agency Updates Patient and Prescriber Information for PradaxaPharmaLive.com (press release)

all 19 news articles »

EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)
The Center for Connected Medicine Welcomes GE Healthcare as Founding Partner
EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)
PITTSBURGH--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--The Center for Connected Medicine, a global thought leader defining the transformation of health care, today announced that GE Healthcare has joined the organization as a founding partner.
Health industry optimistic about curbing defensive medicineTire Business
GE becomes latest founding partner at Center for Connected MedicineCMIO
Medical association head talks presidential election, health-care reformIndUS Business Journal
Sioux City Journal
all 22 news articles »

Wilderness medicine courses offered in Eagle County
Vail Daily News
AVON, Colorado — Wilderness medicine classes are an essential tool for all that work, recreate and travel in the outdoors. Don't wait for something to go wrong on an expedition to learn about backcountry trauma and treatment.

There is Gluten in Medicine Too?
Patch.com (blog)
What if something in the medicine your doctor prescribes might make you sick, and neither your doctor nor pharmacist could tell what it is? This is a very real problem for the 3 million Americans with celiac disease and millions more with non-celiac ...

and more »

Homeopathy: It's Not Just Voodoo
Tucson Citizen
25, 2012, under Natural Medicine Tips I'ma skeptic (believe it or not). I've got a degree in biochemistry and molecular biophysics – that is to say, I'm not (as a general rule) satisfied to accept that something works if I can't explain why it works.

Best medicine: Yoga sessions let Amherst seniors laugh (with video)
The Morning Journal
By ASHLEY SZATALA AMHERST — At first glance, the Amherst Steele High School's gentle chair exercise laughter yoga session sounds like a group of Santa Clauses is in the room. It is the last session, and the senior citizen participants are bending, ...

Google News