CONTACT LENS OVERVIEW
For more than a century, contact lenses have been a safe and effective alternative to glasses for those who require correction for their reading or distance vision. Contact lenses are worn by over 40 million people with vision problems such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia or with irregular corneal shapes or surfaces.
Contact lenses are medical devices, and, as such, are regulated by the Food & Drug Administration. Patients wishing to obtain contacts require a prescription from their eye care professional. They are designed to be worn over the cornea, or front part of the eye, and rest on a layer of tears produced by the eye. Contacts come in many sizes, shapes, materials, and powers to meet the visual needs of the contact lens wearer. The type of contact you need, the design, and the fit will be determined by your eye care professional at your contact lens examination.
Contacts vs. Glasses—What You Should Know
There are many reasons to consider using contacts instead of glasses. Many people will say they just don’t like how they look in glasses. However, there are many practical benefits of contact lens wear.
- Contact lenses move with your eye, allow a natural field of view, have no frames to obstruct your vision and greatly reduce distortions.
- They do not fog up, like glasses, nor do they get splattered by mud or rain.
- Contact lenses do not get in the way of your activities.
- Contact lenses, compared to eyeglasses, generally offer better sight.
Some Things to Remember About Contact Lenses
Although there are many benefits of wearing contact lenses, there are a few important things to consider.
- Wearing contact lenses involves additional time. The initial contact lens examination is more extensive than an examination for glasses, and therefore takes longer. More follow-up visits to maintain eye health may also be necessary. It is also important to spend time on routine lens care.
- If you are going to wear your lenses successfully, you will have to clean and store them properly, adhere to lens wearing schedules, and make appointments for follow-up care.
- If you are wearing disposable or planned replacement lenses, you will have to carefully follow the schedule for throwing away used lenses.