A. If they are, something is wrong. Contact the fitter at once.

Q. Can you tell that someone is wearing contact lenses?

A. Usually not.

Q. Can they be coloured?

A. Yes. Lenses can be tinted almost any colour.

Q. Is that expensive? A. No.

Q. I’m worried about lenses slipping round behind my eyes. Does this often happen?

A. No, never, It’s impossible!

Q. I need glasses for reading only. Would I be suitable for contact lenses?

A. No. Stick to your glasses.

Q. I have astigmatism. Does this mean I can’t wear contact lenses?

A. Not at all. Hard lenses cover astigmatism. It is even possible to have special soft lenses for astigmatism.

Q. What is spectacle blur?

A. Temporarily blurred vision in glasses after wearing contact lenses.

Q. Is that serious?

A. No. Not unless very severe and persistent.

Q. What causes it?

A. Either a moulding of your corneas into a new shape, or a slight swelling from accumulation of fluid in the corneal outer layer.

Q. My friend wears very thin, hard lenses. Is that a good idea? A. The smaller the better, so long as they give good vision.

Q. She says she never gets spectacle blur. Why is that?

A. Very small lenses are less liable to cause this, because the corneas have a better oxygen supply.

Q. Why is oxygen important?

A. Corneas, like all living tissues, need oxygen to survive. As they can’t get it via the blood because they do not contain blood vessels, they have to get it direct from the atmosphere.

Q. What happens if I get a bit of grit behind a contact lens? A. You will know all about it. This doesn’t happen often.

Q. What should I do?

A. Take out the lens and wash it.

Q. But suppose the grit stays in my eye?

A. Get someone to remove it with the corner of a clean handkerchief, or see your doctor. Don’t use your lenses meantime.

Q. Is it very difficult to insert and remove contact lenses?

A. The difficulties in insertion are largely psychological. Removing lenses is easy, but it takes a bit of practice to learn todo it quickly.

Q. Is it a good idea to use a rubber sucker to remove lenses?

A. No. Not unless you can be certain that the lens is on the cornea.

Q. I am long-sighted, 45, and beginning to have pr^oblems reading. Also, my distance vision is sometimes a little blurred. Do you recommend contact lenses?

A. Yes. They should solve all your problems for a number of years. Eventually, of course, you will need reading glasses as well as contact lenses, but you will be spared bifocals.

Q. Is it true that contact lenses can prevent short sight from progressing?

A. No.

Q. Is it true that short sight can be cured by an operation on the cornea?

A. The procedures are dangerous and the effect often temporary. Permanent damage may occur. Not recommended.

Q. Shall I require to change my contact lenses as often as I change my glasses?

A. No. Much less often. You may save money in the long run.

Q. I sometimes see double with one eye when wearing my lenses. Is this serious?

A. This suggests that one lens is not centring properly. Not serious, but you should tell your fitter.

Q. My vision often fogs up but clears when I blink. What should I do?

A. Blink more. Contact lens wearers sometimes get into a bad habit of inadequate blinking. Make sure you don’t!

Q. Why is it important to put the plug in the sink when washing my lenses?

A. If you drop the lens you’ll never retrieve it!

Q. Do you recommend tinted lenses?

A. Yes, but not too deeply tinted. Tinted lenses relieve the light sensitivity that most wearers have, initially. They are also easier to find if dropped in water.

Q. Can I use a clean tissue to clean my lenses? A. No. Tissues always cause scratching.

Q. What should I use then?

A. Your finger tips — thoroughly washed first, of course.

Q. Is it easy to insert contact lenses in someone else’s eyes?

A. Very. Easier than putting them in your own — providing they will keep their eyes open properly.

Q. My mother has had cataracts removed. Could I learn to put in and remove her contact lenses for her?

A. Very easily. The specialist will be delighted to instruct you and your mother will bless you!

Q. What is the difference between an ophthalmic optician and an optometrist?

A. No difference.

Q. Who may fit and prescribe contact lenses?

A. An ophthalmic optician, an ophthalmic medical practitioner or an ophthalmologist.

Q. What is an ophthalmologist?

A. A doctor who is a specialist in the disorders of the eye.

Q. Whom should I see if I have major complications from contact lens wear?

A. An ophthalmologist. Your family doctor will refer you.

OPHTHALMOLOGIST (M.D.)

This is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of the eye. He or she prescribes whatever eye treatment you may need, including prescriptions for glasses and the fitting of contact lenses. All ophthalmologists can provide a prescription for glasses and contact lenses; half of them also specialize in fitting contact lenses. Ophthalmologists spend a minimum of eight years training after college: After four years of general medical study at an approved medical school, they then spend an additional one to two years in general internship, and at least three more years in special ophthalmologic residency training at an approved hospital.

OPTOMETRIST (D.O.)

A doctor of optometry spends four years in specialized optometric study after college. He or she is trained to examine the eyes, to prescribe, and to fit glasses and contact lenses. There are about twice as many optometrists as there are ophthalmologists, and a large proportion of them fit and dispense contact lenses.

OPTICIAN

An eye practitioner who is trained (usually for two years in an optician’s school) and is authorized to fill the prescriptions of ophthalmologists and optometrists (but not prescribe himself). In some states he or she may fit contact lenses.

If you have decided that you would like to wear contact lenses, I strongly recommend that you first go to an ophthalmologist for a medical eye examination. The next step is to choose the contact lens specialist (it may be the same ophthalmologist) who will fit and order your contact lenses, as well as provide you with follow-up care. For this it’s best to go to an ophthalmologist or optometrist in private practice who specializes in contact lenses. He or she is probably the most trustworthy, reliable, and knowledgeable source, and though you may spend ‘more initially than if you went to a different type of eye specialist, this is one case where you get what you pay for. An ophthalmologist can best detect any present, past, or latent eye diseases and potential problems of the eye that might not only interfere with contact lens wear, but may affect your vision in general. By examining your eyes he can also detect signs and symptoms of diseases elsewhere in the body. Diseases that exhibit early ocular symptoms include diabetes, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, kidney disease, blood disease, and certain neurologic disorders. Thus you not only save money by not buying lenses that you won’t be able to wear successfully, but you might also be saving your sight—and perhaps even your life. Even if your ophthalmologist doesn’t fit contact lenses himself, you should go to him for your initial medical ocular examination. He will then refer you to an eye practitioner who is specially trained to fit contact lenses. In all cases you should remain under the ophthalmologist’s care, supervision, and responsibility. An optometrist, although lacking the training of a four-year medical school, does have the background training to diagnose many eye disorders. However, he cannot treat any ocular diseases.

Then there’s the matter of prescription and fit. You simply stand a better chance for a successful fit under the care of a private contact lens specialist, be he an ophthalmologist or optometrist, because of his virtually unlimited choice of lenses. The contact lens specialist isn’t committed to any one manufacturer, and can therefore choose exactly the lens which will best suit your individual needs. Having access to hundreds of lenses manufactured by many different companies is important because no one brand can fit everyone; all brands were not created equal.

There are some “optical stores,” on the other hand, which may buy large quantities of contact lenses from one or two manufacturers in order to obtain volume discounts that they can pass on to their customers at low markup. While you may benefit from lower prices because of the large inventory, it may be the store’s policy to try to fit you with one of their stock lenses because of their financial commitment. You forfeit having the choice of all the types of lenses in order to choose the one that specifically meets your own visual correction needs. It is unlikely that these stores hire ophthalmologists. Therefore the all-important initial medical exam is missing. Usually cursory eye exams are often the rule as well as a quick and sometimes inadequate instruction session. These shortcuts are two of the most often-cited reasons for contact lens dropouts. 92 percent of past contact lens failures were refitted successfully when they went to optometrists and ophthalmologists who specialized in contact lenses. In another survey of contact lens dropouts 78 percent of the patients had gone to low-cost dispensers and almost that many admitted they hadn’t been thoroughly briefed on the importance of the meticulous care and handling the lenses required. Should you balk at the higher cost, remember that quality seems expensive at first. But when you can wear a comfortable pair of lenses that provides excellent vision, it is cheaper in the long run. What is the difference between a bargain contact lens and an expensive pair? You can liken the plastic of a contact lens to a bolt of fine silk. In the hands of a mass-production firm, the silk can be fashioned into an inexpensive shirt. By contrast, in the hands of a fine couturier, the raw silk material becomes an exquisitely made, well-fitting, good-looking article of clothing that, although expensive, you will wear with pride for many years. The silk, though it may be of high quality to begin with, accounts for only a fraction of the cost of the final product. The inexpensive shirt that may fit poorly and not look so great may turn out to be no bargain if not worn. On the other hand that expensive silk shirt that you wear frequently will, in reality, be the bargain!