In spite of these innovations bifocal contact lenses and their variations are obviously far from perfected. For those who can’t be fitted, or who fail to adjust to bifocal lenses, there are a few alternatives and compromises. A very popular one and one that is extensively employed is the “monovision technique.” One eye is fitted for distance (usually the dominant eye); the other is fitted for reading. Either hard or soft contact lenses may be used, and this is by far the best technique found to date: The success rate is estimated at between 70 and 80 percent. As in the past, when monocles were worn, the eyes and brain somehow manage to make sense out of what seems to be visual schizophrenia. Read the rest of this entry »
Eventually everyone experiences presbyopia. This is the normal aging process of the eye, which begins around the age of forty for most people, and is caused by the gradual loss of elasticity in the natural crystalline lens of the eye. The lens loses its ability to change shape the way it used to, and fails to bring the light rays of near objects into sharp focus. Of course a nearsighted person over the age of forty can see near objects clearly with the naked eye, but will have difficulty doing so if he is wearing glasses or contact lenses that correct his myopia. Read the rest of this entry »
Conventional soft contact lenses cannot be used to correct moderate to large amounts of astigmatism. Their pliable nature causes them to conform to irregularities in the shape of the cornea and thus duplicate the astigmatic refractive error. Hard contact lenses are firm and hold their shape; they are able to correct high amounts of astigmatism because the spherical undersurface of the lenses and the tears beneath them create a new, smooth optical surface. Read the rest of this entry »
“I had a lot of friends who wore hard contact lenses; in fact, I’d had a brief fling with them myself about ten years ago. But I live in a big city and couldn’t stand the pain every time a little piece of dust or soot got between my cornea and my lens. So I gave up. I don’t know how my friends continued to put up with it. Actually, some of them didn’t—gradually more and more of them began switching to the (then) new soft lenses: They seemed so happy with them. . . . They finally talked me into trying again. And, boy, am I glad they did! From the very first time I wore them they were unbelievably comfortable. I barely knew that they were there. They were so easy to wear, it was all I could to to keep myself from exceeding the hours specified in my wearing schedule. That was quite a switch from my hard-lens days, when I could hardly wait to get home to take them out. Now I wouldn’t dream of going back to wearing glasses or hard contact lenses. I feel so free and I can see much better too. I’m only sorry that I waited so long.” Read the rest of this entry »
SHARP VISION
As many see it, the main advantage of hard lenses is that when fitted properly they provide the sharpest visual acuity for all the refractive errors—even better than spectacles can. It’s not uncommon for those who have nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia, and most degrees of astigmatism to report 20/10 vision—that’s better than “normal”! Your prescription can be accurately ground into the front surface of a hard lens, and its smooth, firm, domelike undersurface, combined with the tears trapped beneath, forms a perfect refracting surface for the eye. A conventional soft lens, on the other hand, conforms to the shape of the cornea much like a tablecloth drapes over a table and so cannot completely correct astigmatism originating in the cornea. There are special new soft and gas- permeable lenses capable of correcting a relatively high degree of astigmatism, but hard conventional lenses are still the best for consistently correcting the higher amounts of astigmatism; besides, not everyone can deal with the soft lenses‘ disadvantages. Read the rest of this entry »
As you know by now, quality contact lenses and quality eye care don’t come cheaply. I always advise my patients not to compromise when it comes to their eyes. Cheap lenses and poor fit can prove to be expensive, especially when the lenses stay in the dresser drawer rather than on your eyes. Most important, the wrong lens or improper fit can result in damage to the eye. An educated consumer is one who knows enough about contact lenses to choose a qualified expert to fit him or her, thus avoiding discomfort, eye damage, and ripoffs. Unless the contact lenses are used to treat a disease or are used following eye surgery, they will most likely not be covered by standard medical insurance. Read the rest of this entry »
Contact Lenses Care .
