Contact lenses have been a very reliable and fashionable alternative to traditional eyeglasses for several decades. As people are becoming more conscious about their aesthetics and vision, they are preferring contact lenses over eyeglasses. With more than 45 million individuals wearing contact lenses instead of eyeglasses, contact lenses are becoming more common. Contact lenses make their selves more reliable, comfortable, and reasonable than eyeglasses in many ways.
Reasons to consider contact lenses
1. Contact lenses move with your eye, provide a natural field of view, do not have frames to impair your vision, and significantly eliminate distortions.
2. They do not fog up or become splattered by dirt or rain, unlike glasses.
3. Sports and other physical activities benefit greatly from contact lenses.
4. Many people believe that using contact lenses makes them appear better.
5. They may provide better, more natural vision than spectacles.
There are several varieties of contact lenses available to correct vision problems (refractive errors). Hard lenses, Soft lenses, bifocal lenses, toric lenses, and multifocal lenses are all alternatives. The type of lens you require is determined by the type of refractive defect you have. It is critical to talk with your doctor to identify the best course of action.
The following are some common refractive errors:
1. Nearsightedness (myopia)
2. Age-related Farsightedness
3. Astigmatism
4. Farsightedness
5. A combination
Types of Contact Lenses:
Soft Contact Lenses:
Soft contact lenses are comprised of soft, flexible polymers that enable oxygen to reach the cornea. Soft contact lenses may be more comfortable and easier to adjust to than stiff gas permeable lenses. Silicone-hydrogels are newer soft lens materials that deliver more oxygen to your eyes when you wear your lenses. It is available in monthly contact lenses as well.
Gas Permeable Contact Lenses:
Rigid gas permeable contact lenses (RGPs) are more robust, resistant to deposit development and provide better, sharper vision in general. Since they last longer than soft contact lenses, they are less costly throughout the lens's life. They are less likely to rip and are easy to handle. However, they are not as comfortable as soft contacts at first, and it may take a few weeks to become used to wearing RGPs, as opposed to a few days for soft contacts.
Extended Wear Contact Lenses:
Extended wear contact lenses are available for one to six nights or up to 30 days of continuous wear. Soft contact lenses are often used for extended wear or even used as bi weekly contact lenses. They are constructed of flexible polymers that allow oxygen to reach the cornea. There are also just a handful of rigid gas permeable lenses that have been created and authorized for nighttime use. The length of continuous wear is determined by the kind of lens and your eye care professional's assessment of your tolerance for overnight wear.
Daily Disposables:
Daily disposable contact lenses are single-use lenses that are removed and disposed of at the end of each day, and a new set of lenses is placed to the eyes the next morning. Because of their health and convenience benefits, daily contact lenses are becoming more popular among practitioners and consumers.
There are many things that you need to look for while buying contact lenses.
1. You might want to get extended wear contact lenses so you can wear them all day and not have to take them out before going to sleep. However, because your eyes may be unable to withstand prolonged usage, daily disposable lenses may be a better alternative.
2. Gas permeable contact lenses (also known as RGP or GP lenses) are typically the best choice if you want the clearest eyesight possible. They offer greater optical properties than soft contact lenses since they have a hard, polished surface.
3. Contact lenses, as opposed to spectacles, need a lengthier initial examination and additional follow-up visits to preserve eye health. Lens care also needs additional time.
4. If you want to use your lenses effectively, you must clean and store them properly, stick to lens-wearing regimens, and arrange follow-up care sessions.
5. If you use disposable or scheduled replacement lenses, you must strictly adhere to the timetable for disposing of worn lenses.
6. If comfort is your major concern, standard soft contact lenses are typically the best option. Most individuals find soft lenses to be instantly comfortable, however, gas permeable lenses typically require a period of adaptation (which might last several weeks) before the lenses are completely comfortable.
7. Gas permeable lenses or particularly soft lenses known as toric contact lenses are typically the best solutions if you have astigmatism. These glasses have elements that help to rectify hazy vision caused by uneven corneal curvature (the most common type of astigmatism).
8. If you don't want to be bothered with lens care and contact lens solutions, daily disposable contact lenses are probably the best option for you. You just wear these soft lenses once and then discard them. It doesn't get any simpler than that!
9. If you are over the age of 40 and have presbyopia, you may benefit from bifocal or multifocal contact lenses. These lenses can frequently restore complete vision and minimize or eliminate the need for reading glasses.
10. Soft lenses are typically the ideal choice if you are comfortable wearing glasses and simply want to wear contacts for sports or social occasions. Most individuals can wear soft contacts on an as-needed basis, whereas gas permeable lenses must be worn every day to be comfortable.
11. You may require bifocal or multifocal contact lenses due to presbyopia, but your vision with these lenses is not as excellent as you hoped. Monovision, in which your eye doctor employs standard (monofocal) soft lenses to fit one of your eyes for distant vision and the other for near vision, maybe a preferable alternative in this scenario.
12. Perhaps the ideal answer is a version of monovision contacts, in which one eye is supplied with a monofocal lens while the other eye is fitted with a multifocal lenses
13. If you want the finest eyesight possible but can't wear gas-permeable lenses comfortably, hybrid contact lenses may be the solution. Hybrid lenses are available.
Common Contact Lens brands
Some of the most common contact lenses brands are as follows:
1. Freshkon contact lenses
2. Acuvue® contact lenses
3. Bausch and Lomb contact lenses]
4. Coopervision contact lenses
5. Alcon contact lenses
Best contact lenses by these brands:
Bausch + Lomb ULTRA:
MoistureSeal technology is used in Bausch + Lomb ULTRA contact lenses. This reduces dryness and aids in the retention of 95% of moisture for 16 hours. These monthly lenses combat signs of digital eye strain, making them an excellent monthly contact lens for heavy screen users. They're also available in toric and multifocal configurations.
Biofinity ENERGY:
Eye tiredness and dryness are frequent side effects of screen usage. The Biofinity Energys lens was designed with people who use digital gadgets daily in mind.
1-Day Acuvue Moist Astigmatism lenses:
Normal corneas (your eye's outer lens) are spheres. Astigmatism is a disorder in which the cornea is distorted. Astigmatism necessitates the use of "toric" lenses to correct vision. Astigmatism is associated with dry eyes.
1-Day Acuvue contact lenses are an excellent choice for individuals who suffer from astigmatism and dry eyes. They are made with LACREON® technology and an embedded wetting agent. This provides a moisture cushion for your eyes all day. Plus, you'll never need contact lens solutions or cases again.
ACUVUE Oasys:
Weekly contact lenses can be worn for one to two weeks, depending on how your eyes respond to them. The lenses of Acuvue Oasys are made with HYDRACLEAR® PLUS technology. This aids in the stabilization of your tear film, resulting in reduced dryness.
Hydrogel Vision Extreme H20 Soft:
Disposable weekly contacts are another great option for people who have dry eyes and want fresh contacts more than once a month but don't want to pay the extra money for daily contacts. The Hydrogel Vision Extreme lenses have exceptional water content and improved breathability for a comfortable fit all week.
Hydrogel lenses can be worn for one or two weeks before being discarded. Their water content of 54% is great for people who suffer from dry eyes. The lens is also designed to regulate moisture retention, and it's incredibly durable, making it less likely to rip while cleaning.
Coopervision: Proclear 1 Day:
Many people who suffer from dry eyes believe that daily disposable contacts are the best option. Improper cleaning of reusable lenses causes protein, calcium, lipids, and other substances to develop. This is avoided since daily disposable lenses are discarded after a single day of use.
Proclear contacts are the only FDA-approved lens to alleviate lens-related dryness and discomfort. They are created with PC TechnologyTM, which employs Phosphorylcholine (PC). This substance collects water and keeps the lenses moist throughout the day.
Alcon Dailies:
Daily contact lenses may be beneficial to people who suffer from dry eyes. For starters, you don't have to worry about cleaning and storing them every night (improperly cleaning your contacts can lead to protein buildup on the lenses, which can cause dry eye syndrome). Alcon's Dailies Total1 disposable lenses are the contacts of choice for people who want the convenience and comfort of daily contacts.
