CONTACT LENSES
WHY CONTACTS
Contact lenses are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eye. They are considered medical devices and can be worn to correct vision, or for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons. People choose to wear contacts for many reasons. Aesthetics and cosmetics are the main motivating factors for people who want to avoid wearing glasses or to change the appearance of their eyes. Others wear lenses for functional or optical reasons. When compared with spectacles, contact lenses typically provide better peripheral vision, and do not collect moisture (from rain, snow, condensation etc.) or perspiration; this makes them ideal for sports and other outdoor activities. Contact lens wearers can also wear sunglasses, goggles, or other eyewear of their choice without having to fit them with prescription lenses or worry about compatibility with glasses. Additionally, there are conditions such as keratoconus and aniseikonia that are typically corrected better with contacts than with glasses.
CONTACT LENS EXAMINATIONS
If you’re new to contact lenses, your first step is to call and schedule your contact lens eye examination. During this assessment we will determine whether contact lenses are safe and right for you, advising of potential benefits, risk and setting expectations. From here we will arrange a contact lens all-day trial to be confident the fitting, prescription and compatibility is optimal. Following this we will instruct you on how to care for your contact lenses including insertion and removal, and tips for 'what to avoid' and 'how to maximize successful healthy contact lens wear. Over the following 12 months we will ask you to attend appointments to monitor your eyes and vision, to be confident there are no adverse affects or changes that should occur to optimize your contact lens experience.
If you have worn contact lenses before but just need an updated contact lens prescription, the following information is needed when you come to the examination to help the optometrist determine what to prescribe for you:
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The brand, name, power, and base curve
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How long you wear them without removal
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How often you dispose of them
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The design of the lens (multifocal, toric, or spherical lenses)
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What solutions you are using in conjunction with your contact lenses
CONTACT LENS MATERIALS
Classified by material, there are three types of contact lenses:
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Soft lenses are made from gel-like, water-containing plastics called hydrogels, and cover the entire cornea. Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are an advanced type of soft lens that transmit more oxygen to the eye than regular hydrogel soft lenses.
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GP lenses, also known as RGP or “oxygen permeable” lenses, are made from rigid, waterless plastics and are especially good for presbyopia and high astigmatism. GP lenses are smaller in diameter and often provide sharper vision than soft lenses.
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Hard lenses are made from a rigid plastic material called PMMA that does not transmit oxygen to the eye. These lenses have virtually been replaced by GP lenses and are rarely prescribed today.
We offer a range of diverse contact lenses to accommodate your vision requirements and lifestyle from daily disposable contact lenses to extended wear.