Contacts

Introduction  

Contact lenses are an excellent way to correct your vision.  There are many reasons for wearing contacts including sports, hunting, convenience and cosmetic appearance.  Contact lenses are not for everyone, but newer brands and materials have increased the potential for many patients, including those that have been told he or she could never wear contacts.  At Advanced Eyecare Professionals we fit many types of contact lenses.  There are many factors involved in the determination of which lens is best for each patient.  Glasses prescription, occupation, visual expectations and eye diseases are all accounted for when choosing a lens.  We fit soft spherical, soft toric (for astigmatism), monovision, multifocal and rigid gas permeable lenses (RGP’s).  Monovision and multifocals are contact lens methods of correcting presbyopia.  Presbyopia is the term for the progressive loss of focusing ability that starts around the age of forty.  Monovision is when one eye is given correction for distance and the other eye is given correction for near.  Multifocals involve distance and near correction in each lens.  There is compromise and adaptation with both monovision and multifocals.  Please ask your eye care practitioner and/or contact lens technician which method of correction is best for you.   

Contact Lens Fitting Process

Once the doctor and the patient decide on a lens type that will be best, trials are ordered or taken from our fitting sets.  For your appointment you will see the doctor or one of our experienced contact lens technicians.  During the fitting process we will insert the lenses, make sure they fit properly and make sure vision is adequate.  If the fit or vision is inadequate we will choose a new lens power or a new lens altogether.  Once we are happy with the fit and vision we will show you how to insert and remove the lenses.  We will also show you how to care for the lenses and go over some do’s and don’ts.  Once we feel you can safely insert and remove the lenses we will let you try them for 2 weeks.  The purpose of this two week trial is to allow you to adjust to the fit and vision of the lenses.  When first wearing new lenses we recommend wearing them for 5-6 hours on the first day and add 2 hours each day until you can wear them for your desired amount of time.  We don’t recommend exceeding 18 hours. 

After two weeks we will have you return for a follow up contact lens check.  Lenses can change shape and thus change the fit over the life of the lens.  This visit is to recheck vision and reevaluate the fit.   A poor fit can cause discomfort and increase the chances of injury and infection.  If the fit, vision or comfort is not right there are many things that can be done.  Changing brands, power, base curve, diameter and solution are just some of the changes we might make to improve your lenses.  Once the fit, vision and comfort meet our guidelines, your contact lenses will be finalized.  Frequently, more follow-up exams are needed especially with specialty fits (multifocals, monovision and RGP’s).  This entire contact lens fitting process is separate from and billed differently than a routine eye exam.  Our fitting prices start at $49. 

Solutions 

There are many different contact lens solutions out there and it can be confusing and expensive.  For soft lenses we recommend Clear Care by Ciba Vision.  Clear Care can disinfect lenses better than multipurpose lenses (1)  There can also be interactions between solutions and lenses that can cause slight damage to the cornea.  This damage can reduce comfort and increase the risk infection.  Clear Care has shown to be one of the most compatible with the most common soft lenses on the market. (2) Clear care is also superior because it does not contain a preservative.  Preservatives found in multipurpose solutions have been shown to cause an allergic reaction in some contact lens wearers.(3) At Advanced Eyecare Professionals we sell 12oz bottles of Clear Care for $8, which is competitive with most retailers. 

Daily Disposables

One lens modality that has been on the rise is the use of daily disposable lenses.  With daily disposable lenses you would put in a fresh pair every morning and throw them away at the end of the day.   There are fewer lens deposits (proteins, lipids, debris) which improves the comfort, incidence of allergy to the deposits and reduces the probability of severe bacterial infections.(4) Studies have also shown that compliance is best with daily disposable lenses.(5) Daily disposable lenses are an excellent option for teenagers and others that show poor contact lens compliance.  They are also recommended for patients with a propensity for eye infections or allergy related contact lens issues. 

Extended Wear Lenses

Many lenses are approved for extended wear use, but we do not recommend sleeping in contact lenses.  One study showed that extended wear contact lens wearers are at 10 to 15 times the risk of developing ulcerative keratitis compared with daily wearers. (6)

Contact Lens Complications

If you experience any pain, redness, foreign body sensation, or increased light sensitivity while wearing contact lenses it is recommended that you take out your contacts and see an eye care practitioner as soon as possible.  At Advanced Eyecare Professionals we take work-in appointments for contact lens related issues even if we did not prescribe your lenses.  There are many factors that could cause the symptoms listed above and quick action can prevent any serious outcomes. 

Conclusion

Contact lens care should be taken seriously.  At Advanced Eyecare Professionals we are dedicated to providing excellent contact lens care.  When taken care of properly, contact lenses can be a safe method of achieving excellent vision.  If you’d like to give contacts a try please schedule an appointment today. 

(1)    http://www.clearcaresolution.com/
(2)    http://www.staininggrid.com/blog.aspx
(3)    http://www.opt.indiana.edu/aocle/livlib/solnsens.htm
(4)    http://www.clspectrum.com/article.aspx?article=104550
(5)    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19516142
(6)    http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM198909213211201