CONTACT LENSES & EYE CARE

Advantages of using contact lenses

Nowadays, through advancement in technologies and improvement in materials, contact lenses are very easy to use and very comfortable to wear. Some models can provide better correction for people with visual conditions such as a high astigmatism, and those requiring a high degree of distance correction. Contacts also allow for better peripheral vision compared to regular glasses.

Different kinds of contact lenses

There are two main kinds of contact lenses available in the market today:

Gas-Permeable Lens: It is an improved version of the old hard contact lens. It lasts for a long time, gives a crisp vision and is more resistant to protein deposit build-up. Its improved design and better materials, allow more oxygen to flow into the cornea.

Soft Lens: Widely used for their comfort, diversity of wear schedules and models. There are different kinds of soft lenses: 1-day use, Toric, Bifocals, Colour…

Lens wear schedule

There are two dimensions to lens wear schedule:

Daily wear and Extended Wear : Daily and extended wear refer to the ability of the lens to be worn overnight. Lenses that are marked “Daily Wear” should be taken out at the end of the day, cleaned and stored if needed. Lenses marked “Extended Wear” can be worn overnight for a specific period of time (several days to a month), depending on the lens.

Disposable and Conventional : Disposable lenses have to be thrown out after a certain period of time. Disposability schedules vary from model to model and they range from one day to weeks or months. Conventional lenses last from 3 months to a year.  

What is the best kind for you?

Your eye care professional will provide you with the name, brand and measurements of the best suitable contact lens for you. Then, all you need to do is visit us online or call us on the phone to order your lenses to order your lenses at a competitive price.   Do not forget to ask a copy of your prescription for your records. This is the information that your eye care professional should provide you with for each of your eyes:

Brand and Model of contact lenses that best suit your needs.

Power (PWR; dioptres): It is the number that measures your vision problem. It should be a number between -20 and +20. Numbers ranging from -0.25 to -20 indicate myopia; numbers ranging from +0.25 to +20 indicate hyperopia . 0.00 indicates no vision correction.

Basal Curve (BC; millimeters ): It indicates the internal curve of the lens. It should be a number between 8.0 and 10.00.

Diameter (DIA): It indicates the size or diameter of the lens. It should be a number between 13.0 and 15.00.

Cylinder (CYL; dioptres; for TORIC lenses only): It indicates the degree of astigmatism. It should be a number between -0.25 and -10.00.

Axis (degrees; for toric lenses only): It indicates the orientation of the cylinder in the lens. It should be a number between 0º and 180º.

Add Power (ADD; dioptres; for BIFOCAL lenses only): Additional correction for presbyopia. It should be a number between +1.00 and +3.00).

Contact lens care

Your contact lens care will depend on the model you use. Check your contact lens wear schedule and disposability. For instance, some lenses are for both daily and extended wear and have, therefore, different disposability schedules. Always follow the instructions given by your eye care specialist.

Most lenses require daily maintenance such as cleaning, rinsing and storage, which requires liquid solutions. Others, such as 1-day disposable lenses, do not require any maintenance. Ask your doctor if your contact lenses require maintenance, the steps to maintain them and which liquid solution is best for the kind of lenses you use.      

Eye care

There are four main types of vision disorders:

Myopia : Nearsightedness or blurry vision for objects at a distance.
Contact Lenses for Myopia: Regular lenses (spherical). Many brands and models available.

Hyperopia : Farsightedness or blurry vision for close objects.
Contact Lenses for Hyperopia: Regular lenses (spherical). Many brands and models available.

Astigmatism : Uneven cornea; produces ghosting or double images.
Contact Lenses for Astigmatism: Toric Lenses.

Presbyopia : Aging eye, deterioration of near vision.
Contact Lenses for Presbyopia: Bifocal Lenses.

Precautions when using contact lenses

Your ophthalmologist or optician will fit you for the best contact lens size for you, giving you recommendations on brands and models as well. Since this fitting is exclusively made for you, the contact lenses prescribed should be used ONLY by you and not by any another person. Also, contact lenses are not meant to be shared. Wearing the same contact lens by different persons can lead to serious eye infections.