Contact lenses are optical medical devices, just as spectacles are, and often provide cosmetic and optical advantages over them. The more than 35 million people in the United States who have opted for contact lenses over the use of glasses have done so because of their convenience, and cosmetic value. Many people initially feel discomfort when starting to use contact lenses, but the benefits of using them far outweigh these minor discomforts.
The Short History Of Spectacles
The invention of spectacles has greatly influenced progress in the arts and sciences, yet it is not very clear who invented this instrument. In 1270, Marco Polo saw elderly Chinese using this device, which they claim to have originated in Arabia in the 11th century.
The spectacles evolved in the western world from the late 1200s onwards, with riveted spectacles used by monks and scholars, who held the lenses in front of there eyes, or balanced them on their noses. The invention of the printing press in 1452 encouraged the mass production of spectacles, along with the growing popularity of books. For the lower and middle classes, there were spectacles mounted in wood, horn, bone, etc, whereas the upper classes used hand held spectacles in gold or silver frames.
The significant advancement in frame design occurred in the 1600s, with rigid bridges that allowed the spectacles to remain in place. In the present times, there has been a tremendous progress in frames and lens acuity, with the spectacles, whether plain or prescription, becoming a fashion statement.
The Short History Of Contact Lenses
If you are of the view that contact lenses are a new invention, you are way off the mark. Leonardo Da Vinci first described and sketched his ideas of contact lenses way back in 1508! However, it took more than 300 years to fabricate and wear them.
Swiss physician A.E. Fick and Paris optician Edouard Kalt are credited with fitting the first contact lenses, in the late 1800s, for myopia and hyperopia. These heavy glass lenses could be used for a few hours of wear only.
Plastic came into use in 1936, when William Feinbloom, an optometrist in New York, made contact lenses with the central portion of glass surrounded by plastic in the periphery that covered the sclera. 1948 saw a Californian optometrist, Kevin Tuohy produce contact lenses completely made of plastic.
The same year, George Butterfield, an optometrist from Oregon, improved upon Kevin Tuohy’s design with lenses that matched the shape of the cornea, and would not easily pop off. These lenses have evolved to the present soft contact lenses, which are worn by more than 90% of the contact lens wearers in the United States.
Contact Lenses vs. Glasses
Contact lenses offer functional advantages over glasses in areas, such as sports, work – in humid environment, and in occupations where spectacles are inconvenient and not compatible with the equipment used, such as special headgears. Let us look at some of the advantages that contact lenses offer over glasses:
Natural Vision
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Advantages Of Contact Lenses Over Glasses
How To Buy Cheap And Discount Contact Lenses Online
Contact lenses are gaining much popularity. These contact lenses are used either for medical or cosmetic reasons. Some wear contact lenses to correct any visual impairment. Contact lenses are available for the myopic eyes. Myopic eyes have that visual impairment called Myopia. It is defined as nearsightedness and is a condition of the retina that when light enters the eye the light focus in front of the retina instead of hitting the retina directly into it. The cause of this nearsightedness or myopia is a steeper type or shape of the cornea. In myopia the shape of the eyes are longer than the normal length and shape of the eye. Nearsighted individuals can see things when they are brought closer to their eyes. For the cosmetic reasons, oh well everybody wants to look ravishing and stand in a crowd. When people get tired of their original eye color, they would use the contact lenses to change the color of their iris.
Contact lenses come in various colors. A wide array of choices is available. Colors come in blue, brown, hazel and whatever color you can possibly think of. The choices are without limit. Contact lenses are used in Halloween parties to create that look of a ghost or an evil spirit. Contact lenses are used to change how you look. It can create an aura of sophistication.
The best way of acquiring contact lenses is to consult an eye doctor Ophthalmologists or eye doctors can best determine the type of lenses that would suit you. Optometrist or Optician can advise you on what is the best option that your eyes need. Despite the aesthetic benefit of contact lenses any of us misunderstood the use of contact lenses. It is a medical device that can only be fitted by a practicing eye doctor.
When you have bought your lenses you must learn on how to properly fit the lenses into your eyes. Wrong placement of the contact lenses can damage your eyes. You must maintain clean contact lenses all the time. This is to prevent occurrence of eye infections. If your eyes get infected there is a possibility that you will loose your sight.
There are various types of contact lenses available in the market. You can find disposable contact lenses which last for 6 months and you can throw them away afterwards. There are contact lenses for extended wear. Contact lenses which are gas permeable are available too. To correct astigmatism a contact lens is also recommended Contact lenses, which were once thought to be quite pricey, have now become affordable to almost anyone, thanks to the innovative manufacturers who have found cost-effective ways to manufacture lenses of high quality. There are various manufacturers of contact lenses in the market these days, so prices have also become very competitive, with numerous discounts available.
Contact lenses are originally expensive. You do not need to worry about the high price of the contact lenses though. There are discount contact lenses available in the market. There are cost efficient ways of buying your own set of contact lenses. Though discount contact lenses are available in an almost half the price of the usual contact lenses you buy. Discount contact lenses are not substandard ones. These are only cheaper but it can still have optimum performance.
The Advantages Of Using Disposable Contact Lenses
Wearing contact lenses is an alternative for those who are having eye sight problems. Those who don’t like the image of them wearing a pair of spectacles in front of the mirror, contact lenses are the way to go. Wearing them won’t change the way you look in public, if that bothers you so much.
There are many types of contact lenses in the market nowadays whether it’s soft, gas-permeable, disposable, daily-wear, normal or coloured, they are there for you to choose the ones that suit your needs. One of the best types of contact lenses that you can pick is the disposable ones.
The advantage of using a pair of disposable contact lenses is that you are minimising the risk of getting an infection on your eye. As most of us know, wearing contact lenses can expose the user to eye infection if not properly managed. You have to clean and properly store the contact lenses in order to reduce the risk. Prolong usage of the lenses can expose them to bacteria infection.
Protein and lipids, the substances produced naturally by our eyes can build up on our lenses and if not cleaned properly, can make our eyes prone to infection. In addition, if the lenses are not stored well, dust and other debris floating around in the environment can certainly get into contact with the lenses which in turn might harm your eyes.
By using disposable contact lenses, you are actually using completely sanitized contact lenses out of the box. After using the lenses for one whole day, you just throw them away and use a new sanitized set next time. No deposits or dust contamination to worry about.
Subsequently, if you are not using disposable contact lenses, one of the daily routines that you have to do is to clean and store the lenses properly to avoid contamination. This is absolutely a hassle to most people, especially if you are on the move and need to get ready quickly every morning. You might not have the time to sit down and clean your contact lenses everyday, after and before going to bed.
However, by using daily disposable contact lenses, you can practically forget about having to manage the lenses everyday. Just use them out of the box and at the end of the day, throw them into the bin. No extra time taken from your precious daily timetable.
Disposable contact lenses are also a great solution for those who do not wear contact lenses quite often. Some people prefer using normal glasses than contact lenses for some reason and they opt to wearing contact lenses on certain occasions only, for example when they are doing some sport activities which might not happen everyday.
On those occasions where wearing glasses is not appropriate, wearing contact lenses is the only solution, unless they prefer doing sports with blurred vision! It might not be a good idea to have daily-wear contact lenses due to the fact that they only wear those lenses occasionally. Hence an ideal solution would be to have disposable contact lenses, perfect for those types of situation.
If you’re looking to buy contact lenses, make sure you know what’s the purpose of having one. Disposable contact lenses certainly have several advantages over daily-wear or extended-wear contact lenses. In most scenarios, wearing disposable contact lenses is certainly a clear solution over other options.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Cheapest And Easiest Ways To Order Contact Lenses
Contact lenses make the lives of people all around the world much easier, but the expense can add up. That’s why finding cheap contact lenses is important if you want to improve your vision and save money at the same time. There are many places from which you can purchase any kind of contact lenses, including colored contact lenses, for an affordable price including stores, online, over the phone, and by mail.
Of course, the easiest way to buy cheap color contacts lenses is to go online. The great thing about online shopping is that you get access to a wider selection of contacts, in addition to better prices. Shop for regular contacts, colored contact lenses, Halloween lenses, costume lenses, and much more.
When you shop online for cheap contact lenses, make sure you take a few precautions before buying. It’s important, especially when buying contact lenses, to make sure everything is safe and works well. Luckily, the sheer number of people who need cheap contact lenses, such as colored contact lenses, has created a market for the product that is known for high standards and practices.
With cheap color contacts lenses in particular, if you decide to wear the lenses for more than 18 hours, make sure you purchase soft lenses. The silicone-hydrogels contained in modern-day contact lenses allow more oxygen to flow to the eye, while more rigid lenses that have been designed to resist buildup of deposits are stronger and give you clearer vision.
These days you can even buy a monovision reading lens if you have good vision at a distance but require a lens for the purposes of reading text up close. You should be able to find this type of cheap contact lens without trouble if you shop online. Disposable lenses are another option for customers who don’t want to spend too much time worrying about hygiene when it comes to colored contact lenses. Disposable lenses are just as effective – and affordable – as regular lenses, and provide a lot of comfort. Cheap color contacts lenses are sometimes available as disposables.
The length of time you can continue to wear non-disposable cheap color contacts lenses really depends on the type of lens you purchase and your doctor’s instructions regarding the usage and wear of your lenses.
Discount lenses comes from the same brand names you see advertised on television, so they are extremely safe. The reason you can find them at a discount is because certain vendors have set themselves up to offer contact lenses through alternative means to cut costs. One popular vendor is 1-800-contacts. This well-known store sells discounted contact lenses of all kinds. 1-800-contacts makes it very easy to order contact lenses over the phone and receive a great deal, without even leaving your home. It’s a convenient service you should give a try.
Luckily for the consumer, contact lenses have dropped in price over the last few years. It’s easy to find the lenses you need (or want) without a lot of hassle.
The Top Ten Reasons Why You Should be Wearing Contact Lenses Instead of Glasses
These days, contact lenses are readily available in a wide variety of types and brands. From lenses designed for people with astigmatism to colored contact lenses that enhance or change eye color, contacts fulfill so many different vision needs and requirements. Yet, even though this form of eyewear is now extremely common, many people are not aware of all of the benefits that can be gained by wearing contacts. To help you understand the many advantages of wearing this type of vision product, below are .
First of all, contact lenses provide corrected eyesight with superior peripheral vision. While eyeglasses will mostly limit your corrected field of vision to the area straight ahead of you, contact lenses will provide you with unhindered sharp vision in every direction. Secondly, people who wear contacts have less chance of damaging or losing their corrective lenses. While it’s relatively easy to misplace or accidentally scratch or break eyeglasses, contact lenses are less likely to become lost or damaged.
Contact lenses are also an excellent alternative to glasses for people who don’t like the look of eyeglasses. In such cases, contact lenses can allow the wearer to feel less self-conscious and more confident. Discount contact lenses in particular can help people achieve this comfort with their appearance without causing a strain on personal expenses. Moreover, with retailers of discount contact lenses offering wide selections of different lenses, people with all types of vision correction needs can now feel more comfortable with how they look by replacing their eyeglasses with contacts.
Contact lenses are also an excellent alternative to eyeglasses in various work environments. For example, contacts are much easier to wear with equipment such as safety goggles and helmets. Also, in some work environments excellent peripheral vision is absolutely necessary, while in others wearing eyeglasses just simply isn’t an option for a variety of different reasons. In such circumstances, contact lenses are an excellent solution.
Another advantage of contact lenses is the fact that they are great for athletes and those who live an active lifestyle. Not only do contacts provide better vision at every angle, they can also be designed to reduce the glare of sunlight or to enhance objects such as tennis balls so that athletes can see their targets more easily. In addition, in contrast to eyeglasses, contacts won’t steam up during physical activity and will eliminate worries about eyeglasses slipping, falling off or getting broken.
Contact lenses also tend to be preferable over eyeglasses for outdoor wear. While eyeglasses can become splattered or smeared by rain or snow, contacts will remain unaffected by the weather. Not only that, contacts also don’t steam up when you move from the outdoors to the indoors, providing constant and consistent clear vision.
Another reason to choose contact lenses is the variety that they provide with respect to your appearance. With colored contact lenses, you can add a spark of drama and intensity to your overall appearance. By enhancing your natural eye color or even by completely changing your eye color, colored contact lenses can give you a unique and striking look. Colored contact lenses also illuminate your eyes and can provide them with greater definition.
Contacts are also highly popular due to the fact that they allow people to wear non-prescription sunglasses. Whether you’re on holiday or drive frequently in bright sunlight, contact lenses allow you to see clearly without the need for prescription sunglasses. Furthermore, many wearers of contact lenses also enjoy the fact that they can wear designer sunglasses without the additional cost and hassle of having them made with prescription lenses.
If you suffer from dry eyes or an eye disease such as glaucoma, you may think that contacts are not a real option for you. However, this is not the case. In fact, some contact lenses are actually designed to treat conditions such as dry eyes and glaucoma. By providing moisture or drugs to the eyes at a controlled rate, such contacts can provide very beneficial treatment while also allowing the wearer to enjoy comfortable, clear vision.
Finally, one of the best reasons to choose contact lenses over eyeglasses is for convenience. Contacts are less cumbersome and less awkward than glasses and can provide you with a sense of freedom in addition to sharp vision. So if you’ve always thought that contact lenses won’t work for you, think again. Contacts may actually be your ticket to enjoying excellent vision, comfort and convenience.
Basics of Contact Lenses
A corrective, cosmetic or therapeutic lens placed in the cornea of the eye is called a contact lens. It is a thin, transparent, plastic disc. Contact lens serves the purpose of conventional glasses but it is lightweight and almost invisible. In fact, some commercial lenses are tinted, generally to light blue color, to make them more visible while immersed in solution.
Nearly two percent of the people through out the world use contact lenses. There are many reasons for people opting for contact lenses. Majority of the people choose contact lenses for enhancing their appearance and making it more attractive. Also, contact lenses are less prone to wet weather, provide a wider vision field, do not steam up and are more suited for many sporting activities. In addition to this, certain ophthalmologic conditions can be accurately corrected with contact lenses.
Contact lenses are in varied designs.
Spherical contact lenses are typically round in design and have the ability to correct myopia (near sightedness) or hyperopia (far sightedness)
Bifocal: These lenses correct presbyopia- an age related defect of the eye and have different near and far vision zones.
Orthokeratology lenses reshape the cornea during sleep thus avoiding daytime wear of the lens.
Toric contact lenses correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmation.
Many of these lenses come in colors that enhance the natural color of the eye. To choose the correct contact lenses, in the first place, it is necessary to find out the purpose for which they are worn. Secondly, the lenses must be of correct diameter and curvature to fit the eye exactly and finally if the eyes tend to be dry, appropriate lenses should be chosen. There are many types of contact lenses like hard contact lenses, soft contact lenses, and rigid gas permeable and disposables and it is essential to find out the kind that suits a person. “Plungers” are devices for removing contact lenses. They are used to touch and directly remove a lens from the eye.
To find the perfect lenses for a person, only a trial and error method can be adopted because different people react differently to lens material and solutions. Also, the power, curvature and diameter of the lenses can be finalized only after wearing the lenses, especially for bifocal or Toric contact lenses.
Before buying contact lenses, it should be verified whether the prescription is the current one with a one-year renewal. A contact lens prescription should contain the patient’s name, examination date, power, diameter of the prescribed contact lenses, issue date and expiry date of prescription.
Contact lenses are closer to natural sight than glasses, move with the eye and correct the refractive error to give a more natural field of vision. They can be worn all day and need not be worn on and taken off. Contact lenses stick to the layers of tear fluid and stay in place, the eye lid pressure holds them in place, any impurities sticking to the lens are flushed away by the lubrication in the cornea when the eye blinks.
Contact lenses require some basical care like washing the hands thoroughly with mild soap, rinsing and drying them before handling the lenses so that the hands are free of pollutants. Always use fingertips to handle the lenses. Clean the lenses immediately after removing and the lenses should always be kept in disinfecting solution when not in use and lenses with bacterial or fungal growth should never be worn. Contact lenses provide flexibility and convenience.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Hot Tips About Cool Contact Lenses To Save You Money
Most contact lens wearers are usually surprised and happy with the level of comfort they find that lenses provide. It’s easy to order the perfect low cost contact lenses online today. Once that you have your contact lens prescription it’s easy to buy discount contact lenses online or from stores, over the phone, or by mail if you wish.
Make sure that you always buy from a reputable company. You can buy discount contact lenses without a prescription, but the company is selling you the lenses as if it were an over-the-counter device, is violating FTC regulations. If you’ve always wanted to change the color of your eyes then color contact lenses can provide baby blues, gorgeous greens, and heavenly hazels. You can even get some unusual colors and patterns and designs.
There are a few differences in the water content and shape of the lenses between different brands. The ability to hold water increases the oxygen permeability of soft lenses and increases their fragility also. In some lenses, one lens can correct for near and the other correct for distance vision.
The rigid gas-permeable contact lenses are much more durable, are resistant to deposit buildup, and generally do give you a clearer, crisper vision field. There are two general recognized categories of contact lenses. They are – soft and rigid gas permeable. So you don’t get them mixed up you can mark the rigid lenses to show which lens is for which eye. They won’t rip or tear, so they’re very easy to handle and work with.
The length of your continuous lens wear depends on the type of lens and your doctor’s evaluation of how you will be able to tolerate them for overnight wear. There are a few rigid gas-permeable lenses that are approved for overnight wear too. Rigid gas-permeable lenses are usually much less expensive over the life of the lens since they last longer than soft lenses do.
The extended wear contact lenses are for overnight or continuous wear ranging from one to six nights or for up to 30 days or so. With planned-replacement lenses, the doctor usually works out a good replacement schedule that will meet the needs of the patient.
Before you buy any contact lenses online, do some research to see if there are any testimonials at the online supplier’s website or if they are mentioned in any contact lens forums. If you have a health insurance policy or health plan, the insurance plan or policy’s prices from the vendors they provide may or may not be better than what you can find online or elsewhere. Make sure to check to see if you have a health insurance plan that includes vision coverage and if it doesn’t you may want to consider another health insurance company in the future that does include vision insurance.
Make sure to compare prices; don’t just get the most convenient lenses. Get quotes from two or three different online suppliers and offline vendors. Ask about prices and any discount or senior discounts at your doctor’s office when you have your eye examination, or during a follow-up visit after you get your prescription. Often discounts and newspaper coupons can be found but one needs to ask if there are any. When you get your contact lenses order, if you think you’ve received an incorrect lens, check with your eye doctor or eye care professional as soon as possible and don’t accept any substitutions unless your doctor approves it.
If you like get a good feel for how the retailer handles their customer service calls in advance of ordering, in case you have a problem after your order arrives. There are many good contact lens retailers and vendors on the Internet now making the lenses available at low cost or a good discount for both prescription and non-prescription lenses.
Make sure not to wear your lenses any longer than they’ve been prescribed for, nor when sleeping unless you’ve been told it’s okay. If you use disposable lenses always throw them away after the recommended wearing period or risk medical problems. The soft extended-wear lenses will bind down on a closed eye, but they’re porous and allow some tears to get through during sleep. And because they have so little form to them, their binding has very little effect on the shape of the eye.
Heat disinfection is the only method that is truly effective against the microorganism Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is a common culprit for many contact lens wearers. It will also kill organisms on and in the lenses case. Acanthamoeba keratitis is caused by improper lens care and this difficult-to-treat parasitic infection’s symptoms are similar to those of corneal ulcers so be careful. Make sure to getting a proper fit because contact lenses that are poorly fitted can lead to painful eyesores, eye inflammation, and serious eye abrasions.
LASIK and laser correction surgery and its risks can be frightening and too expensive for some people but many people do choose this type of vision correction. But contact lenses can provide a safe, cheap or low cost comfortable and time-tested alternative. If you haven’t had a check-up in the last year or two, you may have issues or problems with your eyes that you’re not aware of, or your contact lenses may not correct your vision as much as you’d like them to do. And if your first lens fitting is performed by an eyecare doctor, he/she can help minimize or eliminate the cause of any eye irritation or discomfort associated with your new lenses.