Answers to your questions about contact lenses

Can I wear contact lenses?

Most people with healthy eyes are able to wear contact lenses. How successful you are with your lenses depends a great deal on your motivation, caring for the lenses properly and following the instructions you receive from your eye-care professional.

Are contact lenses for me?

There are many types of contact lenses available today. Most people can successfully wear lenses. Your eye-care professional can help you decide if you are a good candidate for contacts and which lens type is best suited for you.

Can I use my prescription for glasses to order a pair of contact lenses?

Your glass prescription is only a fraction of your contact lens prescription. A contact lens requires a number of separately designed measurements and specifications, such as your individual lens power, lens curvature, diameter, polymer, thickness and edge design.

What types of contact lenses are available?

Contact lenses are classified into three basic types: soft, rigid gas permeable and hard.

• Soft contact lenses are made of a highly flexible material that contains water. Oxygen can reach the eye when soft contacts are used.
  
• Rigid gas permeable contact lenses, frequently referred to as RGP contact lenses, are composed of a firm plastic material and do not contain water. RGP lenses permit oxygen to pass directly through the lens to the eye so that it may “breathe.” Because they transmit oxygen, these lenses are referred to as gas permeable.
  
• Hard contact lenses are made of a hard plastic material. Hard lenses, also called PMMA lenses, were the first mass-market contact lenses. Unlike RGP lenses, PMMA lenses do not allow oxygen to pass through the lens to the eye. Few people still wear these lenses.

Can lenses change the color of my eyes?

Two types of tinted lenses that change your eye color are available. The first type is slightly tinted to enhance your natural eye color. The second type is opaque, or more dense, and allows you to cover your natural color with a totally different eye color.

What are disposable lenses?

These are the newest development in soft lenses. Disposable contact lenses are only worn once and thrown away. Some may be worn for one day with a fresh lens being inserted each morning and discarded each night, and some can be used for continuous day and night wear for up to six days and then discarded immediately after the lens is removed. Disposable lenses require no lens care.
Frequent replacement lenses are lenses that are cleaned and disinfected each time the lens is reinserted into the eye. Replacement intervals of two weeks to six months are available. One month planned replacement lenses are the most common.
Disposable and frequent replacement lenses are available in a wide range of powers and designs, including bifocal, tinted and toric (astigmatic) lenses.

Can I wear contact lenses if I have astigmatism?

In the past, patients with astigmatism were limited to rigid lens wear. With recent developments in technology, soft lenses are an option for many patients with astigmatism.

I wear bifocals. Can I wear contacts?

There are now several options available for bifocal wearers:

• You may wear bifocal contact lenses, available in soft, rigid gas permeable and hard.
  
• One eye wears a lens corrected for near vision. This is frequently referred to as monovision.
  
• Wear contact lenses corrected for your distance vision and slip on reading glasses when needed.

How often must I wear my lenses and how long can I leave the lenses in my eyes?

You must wear hard and rigid gas permeable lenses with regularity to keep your eyes adapted to the lenses. Soft lenses, however, provide you with greater flexibility – they can be worn on a full-time or part-time basis. Extended-wear soft lenses are also available. Wearing time varies from person to person.

I’m apprehensive about putting a lens on my eye. Can I still wear contacts?

Many people with this apprehension become successful contact lens wearers. Your eye-care professional can usually determine at the time of fitting which individuals have difficulty in this area. After individualized instruction sessions and homework, most people become competent in handling their lenses.

Am I too old for contact lenses?

Age is not normally a factor in wearing contact lenses. Successful lens wearers are those who are committed to caring for the lenses as recommended by your eye-care professional. If you have a physical condition, which makes it difficult or impossible to insert, remove or care for your lenses, they can train a family member or friend to assist you.

Can I wear contact lenses while playing sports?

Contact lenses are ideal for athletes. You will probably find that your peripheral vision is greatly enhanced and that your depth perception is also improved. Contact lenses are more comfortable than glasses during physical activity, and they don’t steam up!