Today, people who do not want to wear glasses have a great alternative. Replace this traditional optical device with contact lenses. They correct any degree of visual impairment such as hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism. However, it can be quite difficult for people to refuse to wear glasses. Meanwhile, according to doctors, contact lenses can much better correct vision. In addition, they can not fog up in the cold, like glasses of ordinary glasses, do not fall if a person makes sudden head movements, and are not lost at inappropriate moments for this. Thus, wearing lenses is the most convenient and healthy way to correct vision, and if these optical products are selected correctly, then a person will not experience discomfort when they are first used.
Benefits
Today, contact correction of visual function is becoming increasingly popular in Russia. The lenses used for this are quite simple to use. Their use allows avoiding refractive operations that have an irreversible effect and are sometimes accompanied by a number of complications.
If you compare the use of contact lenses and eyeglass correction, then when choosing the first option, a person gets some advantages. They consist in achieving high quality vision. After all, a contact lens that fits snugly to the eye forms an integral optical system with it. In addition, this type of correction is very convenient for people involved in sports, as well as representatives of those professions where glasses can bring not only inconvenience, but also cause certain difficulties.
Contact lenses are also recommended if there is a large difference in vision between the eyes. The fact is that in glasses, a significant difference in diopters is poorly tolerated by a person and affects overall comfort. Sometimes this makes them completely stop wearing them, having decided to conduct the operation.
Contact lenses are also convenient in that they:
- do not allow glare to appear;
- not felt in the eyes;
- Do not distort the review;
- protect the cornea from ultraviolet radiation (some models);
- can be used simultaneously with sunglasses.
disadvantages
Despite the extensive list of benefits, wearing lenses has some negative aspects. They are concluded:
- the need to acquire certain skills in order to use them;
- thorough care and regular disinfection;
- reduction in product quality due to wear and tear;
- limitation of wearing time;
- the need for getting used to a foreign object in the eye.
A bit of history
Contact correction of visual defects was invented as early as the 16th century. This became known when studying the literary heritage of Leonardo da Vinci and Descartes. Researchers found drawings and calculations of devices, which became the prototypes of contact lenses, produced at the present time. For the first time, such optics was put into practice in 1888. And from that moment, an active process began to improve materials, manufacturing techniques, and the design of contact lenses. Gradually, the indications for the use of these devices expanded more and more. For example, soft lenses have become excellent helpers not only for correcting visual anomalies. They have proven themselves as therapeutic agents that can eliminate some ophthalmic diseases. In addition, today colored cosmetic lenses are produced, as well as carnival ones.
General characteristics
What are contact lenses? These are transparent devices of small sizes, which are worn directly on the eyes to increase the level of vision of the objects of the surrounding world. They come in various forms. The difference between such products lies in the material of manufacture, service life, wearing mode, degree of transparency and design.
All contact lenses are classified as soft and hard. Doctors recommend using the very first of these two options. The fact is that the use of rigid models is shown only in the rarest cases and with complex pathologies.
During the initial selection of contact lenses (optical), you should be aware that they are of three types, each of which has its own type of correction. Based on this, such devices are:
- spherical;
- toric (used to correct astigmatism);
- bifocal (used in case of presbyopia).
All models offered by manufacturers differ among themselves and the material used in the manufacture.
The best models
All contact lenses that are available on the market today are safe for health. Regardless of their type, they are able during their operation to provide a person with a sufficient level of comfort. However, based on the oxygen permeability parameter, those models that are made of silicone hydrogel are most preferred. In addition, one of the likely complications that may occur when wearing optical contact lenses is the development of hypoxia. Products made of silicone hydrogel can eliminate the risk of developing this ailment.
In addition, according to scientists, the safest can be considered those devices for good vision, the wearing of which lasts for only one day. How to use contact lenses of this kind? A man puts them on in the morning, and removes and utilizes them in the evening. A single use minimizes the risk of contamination.
But it is worth keeping in mind that the safety of a product depends not only on the material of manufacture and the model itself. An important role here is played by operating caution and necessary skills.
Which product do you need?
To select contact lenses according to the parameters, you must go to an ophthalmologist for an appointment. Such recommendations are related to the fact that there are certain restrictions on the wearing of such products. It can be, for example, glaucoma, inflammation or allergies. A specialist will select a model and explain what features of product care exist, and talk about its life cycle.
The best option for selecting lenses is computer diagnostics. Wearing a lens, a person should feel comfortable enough. The first item in the selection of corrective products is a comprehensive survey. It will provide complete data on the condition of the eyes. In this case, the ophthalmologist will certainly conduct a visual acuity test. Activities carried out by a specialist will help to eliminate contraindications for wearing lenses, which will help to avoid dangerous complications.
How to use contact lenses for the first time? A few days after the acquisition, doctors recommend wearing corrective devices for only 2-3 hours, no more.
Independent choice
Can contact lenses be purchased without first consulting a doctor? Of course, in stores offering optics, contact lenses are not forbidden to buy on their own. However, it is worth remembering that in this case, a person will limit himself only to the choice of the manufacturer of the product or design. A variety of lenses designed to improve vision, nevertheless, should be recommended by a specialist. In addition, when acquiring a certain model, you will need to pay attention to diopters. After all, the lower the person’s vision, the more they will be needed. If you independently determine the required number of diopters, you can only impair vision.
The optometrist selects their value slightly lower than the existing one. This makes eyes less tired.
Lens selection by type
What type of vision correction device is preferable? The selection of soft contact lenses is necessary for people involved in sports and preferring an active lifestyle. They are the best option for those who simply prefer comfort. Such lenses have significant advantages over the rigid type. They are made of a soft structure material and are characterized by a high moisture content. The selection of such lenses can be carried out in the range from -20.0 to +20.0 diopters. Their advantages are in increased elasticity, as well as in the lesser likelihood of displacement and loss from the eyes. In addition, soft lenses have a short adaptation period and increased comfort in the initial stages of wearing them.
When choosing such products should take into account their disadvantages. Among them:
- difficulty in leaving;
- the likelihood of allergic reactions to the material from which they are made, or to the components of the solution;
- increased risk of infection in the eye;
- fixed costs for the acquisition of new optical products;
- the inability to correct astigmatism of medium as well as high degree.
With farsightedness
People suffering from hyperopia have a good vision of objects far away. The same objects that are located nearby, they simply blur. This causes difficulties when sewing, knitting, writing, reading. Often, in order to focus on a particular subject, a person strains so much that he begins to suffer from headaches and constant severe fatigue.
Multifocal soft lenses are great for correcting such visual dysfunction. With their purchase, you will no longer need to wear glasses. One eye will fix the objects located far away, and the second - near. In addition, soft optical lenses that can be worn for a long period of time will slow down the pathological process that has already begun.
With myopia
With this pathology, which is called myopia, a person sees distortedly what is located far away, but is able to clearly see everything that is nearby. Treatment of such an ailment is necessary.
When selecting lenses for a person with myopia, silicone-hydrogel or hydrogel models are recommended. Such products contain a large amount of moisture, and they are able to pass oxygen through their structure.
It is possible to restore peripheral vision with myopia when wearing peripheral lenses. In this case, vision will approach the natural perception of objects, and the light load that occurs will be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the retina.
With astigmatism
Sometimes people suffer from a pathology that does not allow the eye to focus the rays at one point. This is astigmatism. In this case, the patient all objects have a fuzzy outline.
Previously, the selection of astigmatic contact lenses was carried out only from hard-type models. Today, people with such a visual impairment have the opportunity to wear comfortable soft products.
The optical lenses used in astigmatism are different from the products used for hyperopia or myopia. They have two additional and at the same time very important parameters that the ophthalmologist will indicate in his prescription. This is the force and axis of the cylinder. There are no such parameters in conventional lenses.
Wearing rules
How to use contact lenses? A person who has decided not to wear glasses and has already visited an ophthalmologist should go to an optician with a prescription from a doctor. Here he will get the most optimal and comfortable contact lens model for him.
What should be his next steps? How to use contact lenses for the first time? First of all, you need to prepare your hands. They should be thoroughly washed with fragrance-free soap before the items are removed from the blister. Wiping your hands, it is recommended to pay attention to the fact that on the fingers there are no villi from the towel. After all, if they get into the eye, they will certainly cause severe irritation.
How to use contact lenses? After preparing the hands, the product must be removed from the blister, inspecting it for contamination or mechanical damage. If they are missing, you can wear a lens. However, it is worth bearing in mind one caveat. For the first time, it is very difficult for a person who has not worn lenses to touch the eyeball. An involuntary blinking occurs. The eye begins to water. The lens is not fixed as a result. In order to facilitate the task, you will need to look up, while pulling the lower eyelid. Further, without looking at the lens, it is placed on the eye. After this, the eyelids are briefly recommended to be covered. This will enable the product to snap into place. Lens removal is much easier. To do this, pinch its edges between the thumb and forefinger and blink. The product will immediately be in your hand.
How to use contact lenses? At first glance, it seems that everything is simple. He put on the product, vilified it, and then took it off. However, it is not. The rules for using contact lenses indicate that a person, first of all, needs to make sure that he put on the product correctly. How to do it? The fact that the procedure was carried out in accordance with existing requirements will indicate a snug fit of the lens to the cornea. If not, then the corrective device will cause pain in the eye, lacrimation, itching, or burning.
How to use contact lenses while wearing them? A person must not rub his eyes. You should also not open them when diving under water.
When wearing products, the recommendations given in the instructions should be followed. If there is an indication that the product is to be used within a month, then it is not recommended to use it for a longer time. Otherwise, serious harm will be done to health.
Care
How to use contact lenses? The proper use of these products involves some care for them. After removing the lenses, they must be placed in a special solution intended for storage. Periodically clean products. For this, a special tool is used, which you can buy in optical salons. The frequency of cleaning a particular model can be found on its packaging.
At night, the lenses on the eyes do not need to be left. From this, not only the product can deteriorate, but also vision.