It has long been known that contact lenses can greatly improve the lives of people with low vision. Their main advantage is convenience and comfort compared to glasses. The downside is that contact lenses need to be carefully selected. And this is connected not only with a large number of options. We suggest you to figure out how to choose lenses independently and with the help of an ophthalmologist.
Contact Lens Overview
How to choose lenses? Their choice should be based on your particular vision, preferences and lifestyle.
Their advantages:
- aesthetic appearance (a good alternative to glasses);
- better vision correction;
- provide a high level of peripheral vision;
- do not fog up;
- allow you to engage in outdoor activities and sports.
Their disadvantages:
- getting used to the fact that the eye is a foreign object;
- continuous cleaning of biological deposits is required;
- not all people are suitable.
If you still decide to wear contact lenses, then, regardless of their type, you will need to acquire special items, such as:
- tweezers;
- container;
- solution.
In some cases, moisturizing eye drops are still needed.
Rules for the care and wearing of contact lenses
How to care for lenses:
- They must be properly cleaned and disinfected. This is necessary to kill germs and prevent infections.
- The container must be rinsed after each cleaning procedure, and after their planned replacement, you need to buy a new one.
- Before placing contact lenses in a container, a new solution must be added.
- Do not moisturize the lens with saliva.
- Homemade detergent solutions should never be used as they can cause serious eye infections.
- Not all eye drops and solutions are suitable for any type of lens. Before buying, carefully read the product description.
Proper wearing of contact lenses includes the following points:
- Washing hands with soap before each work with contact lenses.
- You can not give someone their lenses, as well as wear someone else's.
- You can not wear them for more than a certain period (each type has its own).
- It is not recommended to buy lenses in places other than certified optics.
The main parameters when choosing
There are 6 main categories that you should pay attention to before choosing contact lenses for the eyes:
- the material from which they are made;
- type of lens;
- lens texture (hard or soft);
- Duration of wearing (one day or long wearing);
- appointment (simple, for treatment);
- color (transparent or color).
But the most important parameters that you need to know when buying lenses are the characteristics of vision and the cornea:
- corneal curvature;
- diopter value;
- intraocular pressure;
- peripheral vision;
- the work of the eye muscles.
Therefore, before choosing contact lenses for the eyes, it is recommended to visit an ophthalmologist and check your vision. You should also listen to his recommendations regarding the types of lenses. After that, you can already independently study the market.
It is necessary to seek the advice of an ophthalmologist who has special training in contact correction of vision in order to discuss with him the possibility of using contact lenses, taking into account the type and degree of visual impairment, age, state of health and personal wishes.
For some diseases, this method of vision correction cannot be used at all. These include:
- inflammatory processes in the eyes,
- glaucoma,
- diseases of the lacrimal apparatus,
- strabismus,
- lens subluxation,
- allergy.
How to choose lenses based on the material of their manufacture?
Modern contact lenses are made of silicone hydrogel or hydrogel.
Hydrogel lenses pass air to the eye through the water, so the larger the proportion of it in the composition, the higher the oxygen permeability. Recommended wearing dates for these lenses are eight to twelve hours. Sleeping in them is strictly prohibited.
Silicone-hydrogel lenses pass air through silicone, so the higher its proportion in the overall composition, the higher the oxygen permeability. You can wear them continuously throughout the entire period (two weeks, a month, a quarter, and so on). Although from time to time, experts recommend removing them and lowering them into a disinfection solution.
The hydrogel is responsible for the moisture content and mobility of the contact lens on the retina.
Hard or soft?
All first contact lenses were hard. But modern technology has created a new type - soft.
Features of hard contact lenses:
- More durable.
- Not suitable for people with sensitive retinas.
- Keep a good eye and do not move during blinking.
- They are used to treat diseases such as astigmatism (irregular retinal shape) or keratoconus (deformity and degenerative changes of the cornea).
- They are highly resistant to protein deposits.
- The diameter of hard contact lenses is slightly less than soft, and this allows the outer part of the cornea to receive oxygen.
- Hard lenses do not include water, so they do not dry out and there is no need to additionally use eye drops.
- Feel in front of eyes.
- A long period of getting used to them.
- A long selection period, since it is impossible to pick up lenses on your own and you need to visit your attending ophthalmologist.
- Modern hard contact lenses are made from a material that allows oxygen to pass through very well. By this criterion they are not inferior to soft ones.
Features of soft contact lenses:
- They sit more comfortably on the eye than hard contact lenses.
- Less durable and easy to damage while putting on or taking off.
- Almost not felt before our eyes.
- Fingerprints remain on them if put on sloppy.
- The diameter of the lens is such that it covers the entire cornea. Therefore, they provide a complete field of vision.
- A wide selection according to different criteria (duration of wearing, color palette and so on).
- It can be difficult for beginners to wear them.
- Some types sometimes have to be washed several times.
- If a soft contact lens has fallen or dropped, it often becomes impossible to find. She is practically invisible.
Special contact lenses
They are intended for the treatment of various eye diseases, and not just for vision correction. The following types of special contact lenses are available:
- bifocal;
- medical contact lenses;
- for artificial pupil and iris.
The principle of bifocal contact lenses is the same as for glasses - they consist of two zones and a special surface designed for different viewing angles:
- reading zone at the bottom of the lens;
- the zone was given in the center of the lens;
- surface, allowing to form the image of near and far objects.
Often the zones are divided into two eyes. For example, on the right eye - a lens with a reading zone, and on the left - with a zone of distance.
The purpose of contact lenses for artificial iris and pupil is to cover the defect. And if the eye can still see even a little, then they will help and prevent a large amount of light from falling on it.
Medical lenses are not worn constantly, but only at certain points:
- with dry eyes;
- correction of a curved cornea;
- with burns and other injuries of the retina and cornea.
These include the following types:
- toric;
- multifocal contact lenses.
How to choose toric lenses? To do this, you need to contact a specialist, since even the material and the wearing period must be selected based on the medical history. But this is not the main thing. The whole problem boils down to the fact that toric lenses serve to treat astigmatism. Therefore, using computer analysis, it is necessary to calculate the radius of deviation of the cornea.
How to choose multifocal lenses? Their goal is the correction of farsightedness, which manifested itself with age (presbyopia). By the principle of their work, they are similar to bifocal.
What to choose - conventional or multifocal contact lenses? How to choose the right option and get good vision? Sometimes it’s quite difficult to get used to multifocal, some people may even experience headaches. If you are unprincipled to see with the same sharpness near and far, then experts recommend using simple lenses throughout the day, and use glasses for reading.
Colored contact lenses
How to choose color lenses for eyes? Most often, they are chosen as an accessory and to change the shade of the eyes for a suit or mood.
In rare cases, colored lenses help with these problems:
- an eyesore, that is, the absence of a pupil (the lens masks this defect);
- incorrect color of the iris (lens aligns color);
- intolerance to sunlight (the lens helps better than sunglasses);
- sore eye, for which it is necessary to block the access of light.
Colored lenses differ in the way they are applied:
- paint is applied on top with a thin layer;
- paint is part of the basic composition.
How to choose color lenses for eyes depending on color? There are two types:
- color (Color), which can dramatically change the color of the cornea (for example, brown will turn blue);
- tinted (Enhancers), which give shine to the eyes and rich color to the natural shade of the cornea;
- creative or carnival (Crazy), with which you can imitate completely different effects (for example, the eyes of an animal or a monster).
Famous brands of colored contact lenses:
- "Maxim";
- Bich plus Lomb;
- "Alcon Siba Vision";
- Aymed Technologies;
- Jelflex
- Beskon.
Carnival lenses are produced by "Okay Vision", "Delflex", various Chinese and Korean companies. Walking in them for more than a few hours is not recommended.
Lens wear time
There are such varieties of contact lenses, depending on how long they are worn:
- one day;
- weekly or fortnightly;
- monthly
- quarterly;
- semi-annual;
- annual;
- nightly.
Night lenses are worn only at bedtime. During this time, they correct the shape of the cornea, after which vision improves slightly and a person does not need to wear glasses or lenses. This effect is only enough for a day.
One-day lenses change every twenty-four hours, and you can sleep in them. They are most often sold in sets of thirty pieces. That is, they are enough for two weeks. How to choose one-day lenses? All lenses of this type of wearing are soft and differ only in oxygen permeability.
The most common brands:
1. "Johnson and Johnson":
- "Van Day Akuvyu Moist" (1-Day ACUVUE Moist) ;
- "Van Dai ACUVUE TruEye" (1 DAY ACUVUE TruEye).
2. "Okay Vision":
- Daysoft (Daysoft);
- "One Touch Van Day" (One Touch 1 Day).
3. "Kli Lab": "Kli Van Day" (Clear 1-Day).
4. "Cooper Vision":
- "Proclia Van Day" (Proclear 1 Day);
- "Biomedics Van Day Extra" (Biomedics 1 Day Extra).
5. "Maxim": "Van Day Premium" (1-DAY Premium).
6. "Bouch plus Lomb": "Bio True Van Day" (Bio True One Day).
Weekly contact lenses can be worn without removing for seven days or two weeks. In the second case, they must be lowered at least several times into the container overnight. The most popular ACUVUE OASYS lenses from Johnson and Johnson.
Monthly, depending on their type, can be worn without taking off for thirty days or removed at night.
Most popular brands:
- Cuba Vision: Air Optics Aqua.
- Ok Vision: Prima Bio
- Cooper Vision:
- Avaira
- "Proklia" (Proclear).
How to choose one-day lenses, two-week or monthly? Think carefully about what purpose you will wear them with. If for work in the office, then opt for those who have a high level of oxygen permeability of any type of wear. If you need lenses for constant wear, then the best option for you would be those that are designed for two weeks, a month or a quarter.
Symbols on the packaging
The packaging of each contact lens has the following conventions:
- DIA - lens diameter (the most common value is -14.0);
- BC is the base curvature;
- D - diopters, that is, the optical power of the lens;
- Dk / t is the level of oxygen permeability;
- image of the sun - the lens provides protection against ultraviolet radiation;
- the image of the hourglass and the numbers next to it - the expiration date of products that have not yet been printed and donned.
How to choose the right lens for the eyes of a beginner?
Here is a list of the main problems faced by those who only recently decided to wear lenses:
- discomfort in the eyes;
- a problem during putting on (sometimes the process can take twenty to thirty minutes);
- similar problem with withdrawal.
It's all about habit and dexterity. Over time, these problems will disappear, but as long as a person has no experience in wearing, you can not only damage the subject itself, but also the retina.
So how do you choose lenses in this case? Beginners are advised to opt for those that are made of silicone hydrogel. These contact lenses are more difficult to tear than just hydrogel ones. They are more flexible, so they are fairly easy to put on and take off. Also, if you forget to take them off for the night, then nothing will happen to your eyes and in the morning there will be no discomfort and irritation.
Comparison as one of the methods for choosing contact lenses
How to choose eye lenses without a doctor? Only a detailed study of the product market and the comparison method. That is, to get started, buy a product of one type, and then another. Compare different brands and types. So you can find exactly those lenses in which you can feel the highest degree of comfort. For example, first buy a two-week silicone hydrogel, and then try to be like a monthly one. You can also use two types of contact lenses at the same time, depending on the specific situation and purpose.
Before you pick up lenses for eyes without a doctor, talk with people who have sufficient experience wearing them. So you can familiarize yourself with this product more thoroughly.
Remember: if you often have allergic reactions, you feel constant dryness in your eyes, you are not capable, or you do not have time to properly follow contact lenses, then none of the types is suitable for you. Better opt for glasses.
If you have at least one of the symptoms listed below, then the selection of contact lenses has been carried out incorrectly:
- pain in the eyes;
- sensitivity to light;
- redness of the eyes;
- blurry vision;
- prickly sensation in the eyes;
- headaches that occurred after you began to wear the product.
Whatever type of contact lens you choose, you will still have to experiment with new types over time. After all, progress does not stand still. Specialists are constantly developing new materials and improving the technology of manufacturing contact lenses. Thus, some models are even being discontinued. And they are being replaced by better contact lenses. Therefore, always follow the assortment, especially if you opted for the type of long-term wear.