Contact Lens Info

• Types of Lenses
• Prescribing Contact Lenses
• Contact Lens Aftercare
• Replacement of Contact lenses
• Handling of Contact Lenses

Types of lenses

Soft Disposable

Can be either daily, fortnightly, or monthly disposable lenses. Recent advances in contact lens materials means there are options available for most prescriptions, including shortsightedness, longsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. Continuous wear contact lenses can be worn by suitable patients for up to one month before being removed. Very convenient, and easy lenses to use, and as they are replaced at regular intervals, very healthy for the eyes.

RGP

Also known as hard contact lenses, for some people, gas permeable lenses give better vision that glasses or soft contact lenses. High prescriptions, people prone to allergies, keratoconus, astigmatism are some examples of prescriptions that gas permeable lenses are ideally suited for.

Soft Conventional

Made from a soft, flexible water containing material, soft conventional lenses are custom made and last 12 to 18 months. Suitable for hyperopia, myopia, astigmatism and presbyopia, but in most cases soft disposable lenses are a preferable option.

Multifocal

Soft disposable, soft conventional and gas permeable lenses can all be used to give both correction to people who need their glasses for distance and for near.

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Prescribing Contact Lenses

There are a number of steps involved in arriving at a prescription for contact lenses. After assessing the health of the eyes and measuring any refractive error that is present, our optometrists will discuss the various types of contact lenses, as well as your visual needs, lifestyle and other factors that may influence the decision as to what type of lenses to prescribe.

A trial lens will then be placed on the eye so that our optometrist can assess the fit of the lens. Several trial lenses may need to be used to arrive at the best possible fit. When this has been determined, a prescription can be made and contact lenses ordered. You will also be instructed on how to put the lenses in and out of your eyes, as well as how to clean and maintain the lenses.

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Contact Lens Aftercare

Contact lens wearers need to have regular eye examinations. Since a contact lens sits directly on the eye, it increases the risk of complications such as eye infections. Regular eye examinations allow any problems to be detected and corrected early, before they have had time to cause permanent damage.

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Replacement of Contact lenses

The most commonly prescribed contact lenses, disposable soft contact lenses, will come with a recommended replacement schedule. For example, EyeQ Monthly Disposable contact lenses. Adhering to these recommendations and inserting new lenses every month (or other recommended time) is important to maintaining good eye health.

Soft lenses (other than disposable contact lenses) generally need to be replaced after about one year. For rigid lenses, the replacement schedule is generally one to two years.

Wearing Schedules

The amount of time different people wear their contact lenses varies, but no lenses should be worn longer than the maximum wearing time recommended by professionals who prescribed them. Overwearing lenses is a common cause of problems with contact lenses.

Some newer lens types allow wearers to sleep in their contact lenses, either occasionally, or for up to 30 days. These are known as "extended wear" lenses. These special lenses allow a large amount of oxygen to pass through the lens, ensuring that the eye receives enough oxygen. You should never sleep in your contact lenses unless your optometrist has specifically advised you that you can do so. Sleeping in the wrong type of lenses can cut off your corneas' oxygen supply while you are asleep, causing sever inflammation and possible permanent damage.

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Handling of Contact Lenses

Inserting...

1. Wash your hands thoroughly.
2. Start with the right lens. Remove it from the vial and sit it on your right index finger. Look side on to it to see if the lens is not inside out.
3. Stand 15cm in front of the mirror and with the lens still on the right index finger, place your third finger of your right hand on the lower lid to pull it down.
4. Arc your left arm over your head and bring your left hand down over your brow and pull the upper lid upwards and hold it tight against the bone by the eyelashes.
5. Looking at yourself with your other eye, move the lens gently in towards your eye, past your held eyelids until it is up against the cornea.
6. Hold the lens there for a few seconds while the lens leaves your finger. Once the lens has left your finger, move your finger away.
7. Before blinking look from side to side to remove any trapped air. Using the same method repeat for your left eye.

Helpful Hints...

1. Keep looking with your other eye
2. Hold on to the upper lid as tight as possible
3. If you can't get the lids far enough apart try slotting the lens in behind your lower lid first then push it up under the upper lid.
4. If the eye feels gritty with the lens, place your finger on it and move it down and up on the eye to improve comfort.

Removing...

1. Wash your hands thoroughly.
2. Start with the right lens. Place both your right and left hands in exactly the same positions as inserting. (the third finger of your right hand on your lower lid and your left hand over your brow pulling the upper lid up by the eyelashes).
3. Instead of just using the index finger of the right hand you now need to use the thumb as well. Place the index finger and the thumb on each side of the lens in the eye.
4. Once you feel them touching, slowly bring them together. The lens will buckle and come away in your fingers.
5. Use the solution provided to clean, rinse and store the lens in the correct vial as shown by your Optometrist. Then remove the left lens using exactly the same method.

Helpful Hints...

1. If both fingers don't touch the lens together the lens will just move sideways and not come out.
2. Be careful not to "crease" the lens as this can cause it to split.

Remember...

1. If your eyes feel sore, gritty or sting with or without the lenses in , leave the lenses out for a morning or even a day. If the irritation continues then contact us. It is important you have adequate spectacles to call on if needed.
2. Throw the lenses out after the recommended number of days worn. The lenses become distorted and like a kitchen sponge they become clogged. This causes unnecessary stress.
3. After your initial aftercare appointments, have your eyes examined every six months for the "continuous wear" lenses or once a year if you are regularly wearing contact lenses that are not slept in. We need to assess the health of your corneas as they have had to spend many hours tolerating and being oxygenated through the contact lenses. The optometrist will advise on the best aftercare schedule for your eyes and type of contact lenses.

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