Even though contact lenses have been around for many years now, a lot of people still stick with normal eyeglasses often because they have heard stories in the past about how uncomfortable wearing contacts can be.

Contact lenses have come a long way though and the industry spends millions each year on contact lens development to make them more comfortable on the one hand , and easier and cheaper to manufacture on the other, which in turn has reflected in better on the street pricing.

If you haven’ looked at contacts for quite a while There are different types of disposable contact lenses from which you can choose. There are some that you must throw away every two weeks, or once a month.

Other types are daily lenses, and you put in a brand new pair each day when you wake up taking away the need to have bottles of solutions to keep your lenses protein free.

If you aren’t sure which you would prefer, talk with your eye doctor to decide which option is best for you.

There are a number of reasons why so many people around the world suffer from vision deterioration old age, disease of the retina, cornea to name but a few. To help with vision around 1284 in Italy, Salvino D’Armate inventing the first wearable eyeglasses but vision aids where around much longer D’Armate design was very similar to what is still available today.

Who invented Contact Lenses?

Leonardo da Vinci sketched and described several forms of contact lenses in 1508, and in 1632 Rene Descartes suggested the possibility of a corneal contact lens. Adolph Fick first thought of making glass contact lenses in 1888, but it took until 1948 when Kevin Tuohy invented the soft plastic lens for contacts to become a reality.

What If I Want To Use Contacts

If you’ve been wearing spectacles and have never used contact lenses there are a number of things you need to do.

1. Make an appointment with your eye care specialised, a regular eye test can help detect eye diseases before you notice the effect on your sight. Early treatment can often prevent your sight form getting worse

2. When you go for your eye test you should take with you any glasses that you wear, the names of any medicine you are taking and the name of your doctor if needed.

3. Your eye care specialised should discuss your eye test results and your eye health with you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about any aspect of your eye test.

So What Types Are Available?

Soft Contact lenses: Are made from oxygen permeable, which is a water-loving plastic. They contain between 30 and 80 per-cent water, depending on the type of lens. Many people enjoy the comfort of soft lenses they are easy to adapt to and fit both comfortably and securely.

Toric lenses: Patients who are diagnosed with astigmatism are normally prescribed toric contact lenses.

Disposable Contact lenses: These are good as they decrease the possibilities of a contact lens wearer getting infected, after a prescribed period of time, the lenses are thrown away and replaced with a new pair.

Gas Permeable lenses: Made of special firmer plastics, which are permeable to oxygen, these lenses are very durable and usually have a longer life span than soft lenses. Many people prefer them and find them easier to handle than soft lenses.

Safety Practices

There are safety measures for choosing, applying, and wearing contacts which you can follow to protect your eyes and provide for long-term, problem-free contact lens wear, including:

There are a number of safety measures to remember when using contact lenses

1. Make sure you wash your hands before inserting or removing your contact lenses.

2. Never borrow or lend your contact lenses to anybody else.

3. Always clean the contact lenses with the solution provided to ward off infection and to cleanse it of protein enzyme deposits.

4. If your contact lens gets torn or damaged, replace it immediately.

Not everybody can wear contact lenses if your prone to eye infection you may not be able to wear them, if your eyes sting, burn or itch you may be experiencing the common signs of “dry eye.” A feeling of something foreign within the eye or general discomfort may also signal dry eye. This may require a visit to your eye care specialised.

If I have problem like dry-eye can I wear contact lenses?

You’re may not have success with contact lenses than someone who does not have this condition. This of course does not mean that you cannot wear contact lenses at all. It basically means you may have a shorter contact lens wearing period than normal or you may have to wear your lenses only occasionally.

There is help available if needed you can make wearing contacts more comfortable by inserting eye lubrication drops. But, make sure you consult you eye care specialised beforehand to get advise.

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New technology with computers, such as the introduction of the internet has really allowed people convenient and comfortable ways to shop. You can order just about anything over the internet, including ordering contact lenses online. Shopping on the internet is not only popular, but it is becoming more and more useful. Before you were able to purchase contacts online, one of the only ways to obtain your contacts was through your eye doctor. However, as wonderful and handy as it is to order your contact lens online, there are a few things you will want to take into account and remember.

Before you order contact lenses online, or anywhere for that matter, you must first ensure that you have an up to date prescription with you at all times. The only legal way to purchase contacts in the United States is with a valid prescription issued by your optometrist. It is not that you will be involved in any legal trouble if you don’t have a valid prescription and order contacts online, but you will be liable for anything that happens to your eyes. What could happen to your eyes you wonder? Well, if you wear contacts that are not fitted to the proper shape and size of your eye, you can cause damage to your vision; not to mention that they would feel most uncomfortable to wear. Remember, before you order contact lenses online and you haven’t had an eye examination in the last two years, see your optometrist first! You may find you need a new prescription.

The contact lenses online that you can purchase, are from a variety of popular brand names like Acuvue, Johnson & Johnson, FreshLook and Focus. Each of these brands have their own different contact lens product that they sell for the different conditions of peoples eyes. For example, you can purchase the contact lens online that is called toric. Toric contact lenses are for those who suffer from astigmatism. You can also obtain contacts online that are for bifocal correction, or that color your eyes. Colored contact lenses online come in many varieties of brands and colors. These are one of the most popular of the contact lens online to be ordered. The reason for this is because they are designed for everyone to wear; those who have perfect 20/20 vision can purchase them. It is for this very reason why you should have your eyes checked, even if your vision is perfect. Remember, wearing colored contacts that do not properly fit the shape of your eye can be damaging.

Be a smart shopper when you purchase your contact lenses online. Learn about all of the great discounts that you can receive. Use your critical thinking skills when ordering contact lenses online, and you won’t ever need to worry about what you wear in your eyes!

As we get older our eye can suffer from Presbyopia, this can occur when our eyes are unable to focus incoming light due to the loss and flexibility in our eye muscles. The unfortunate result is that trying to read close-up such as reading a book or newspaper or even trying to use computer screens can become blurred.

Bifocal contact lenses add an extra layer of near vision correction to the actually lens give you the power to focus and see object’s close-up. There is usually a far-vision layer also.

There are three different types of bifocal contact lens designs.

1. Alternating

2. Concentric

3. Simultaneous

In Alternating or translating bifocal lenses, the near and far connective layers of the lens are distinct from each other. The near correction layer is usually placed at the bottom of the lens but if needed can be reversed. The intermediate layer can also be added and changed.

In concentric bifocal lenses the near and far layers are arranged in rings, the near vision is in the centre and the far vision layer on the outer ring. If you have small pupils this arrangement can be reversed this would put the far vision layer in the centre and near vision on the outer ring.

In Simultaneous bifocal lenses both layers are in the centre of the lens, this may seem strange but your eyes learn to adapt to each correction layer. This of course may take a little time but you’re eye care specialist can advice more on this.

Some people may find it difficult to get used to bifocal contact lenses, if you have adapted to bifocal, trifocal, or progressive eyeglass lenses, you’ll already understand the basics of using translating bifocal contact lenses, in which the distance zone is straight ahead and above center, while the reading zone is lower. With simultaneous designs, your eyes will learn to focus near or far as needed. Whatever your particular lenses design, your eye-care specialised will make sure you understand how to use it.

Bifocal contact lenses come in soft and rigid gas permeable (RGP). In general soft contact lenses can become cloudy with protein deposits over time, they have also been known to be easy to tear.

Gas permeable contact lenses are more durable and made from a stronger plastic that stays clearer over time. When you have RGP bifocals they last longer but you may need new ones only when your presbyopia progresses so that you need a stronger near vision prescription.

Contact lenses rest on your cornea atop a constant supply of tears. The contacts are also held in place by pressure exerted from the eyelids. When you blink the pressure from the eyelids cause the contacts to move slightly and glide over your cornea. This allows the tears underneath to gently flush out trash or debris that may have accumulated in your eye.

This is just how the contact stays on the eye and is able to provide a way to correct vision. The way the vision is corrected is a different story altogether.

Contact lenses are prescribed to a wide variety of individuals who have vision problems associated with astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightedness, and presbyopia. The retinas of individuals who suffer from these conditions cannot properly focus light. When the retina does not function properly and/or does not properly focus light then the result is imperfect and blurry vision.

Contact lenses are made differently depending on the eye condition they are trying to correct. For instance, if you suffer from astigmatism your optometrist will measure your cornea so a contact can be made precisely to fit your eye. By doing this a contact is made that will fit your eye perfectly and direct light rays to one place on the cornea, which in turn corrects your vision.

Those suffering from myopia, also known as nearsightedness, will wear lenses that are thinner in the middle and thicker on the edges. This design allows the light rays to be processed correctly by the retina.

Farsightedness sufferers are prescribed just the opposite contact lens, but with the same end result. They allow the retina to process light correctly as well, resulting in corrected vision for the wearer.

All contact lenses use the basic technology to correct vision for the wearer. They redirect light to the retina so it is processed correctly. The only difference is contacts are made differently to treat different eye problems.