FAQ: Contact Lenses

Do patients experience discomfort or pain when using contact lenses? Most first time wearers are surprised when they experience how properly fit contact lenses feel in their eyes. I recommend a trial period for first time contact lens wearers and these patients will often comment that after a few days of this initial adjustment period with a properly fit contact lens they no longer even feel the contact lens in their eyes. Can I wear contacts when I participate in sports? Absolutely, competitors in every area of athletics have discovered the advantages of wearing contact lenses. Unlike eyeglasses, contacts don't steam up from perspiration, don't smudge and don't become foggy when you transition from cold to warm temperatures. They provide distortion free depth perception and allow you to appreciate full peripheral vision. Properly fit contacts stay on your eyes, even during strenuous exercise. Can I swim with contact lenses? We really discourage patients from swimming in contact lenses. Water, even chlorinated pool water, contains a number of agents that can cause very serious corneal infection, and this risk is increased if you are wearing contact lenses. In the same way, we don't recommend that patients shower with their contact lenses or use hot tubs. Can I wear soft contact lenses if I have astigmatism? Yes. Patients with astigmatism can wear a special type of soft contact lens called a toric lens that will correct your astigmatism. Some newer lenses are also simply called lenses for astigmatism rather than toric lenses. Patients with a large amount of astigmatism may also benefit from wearing a specialty contact lens such as a rigid gas permeable contact lens or a synergeyes hybrid contact lens. I currently wear reading glasses over my contact lenses in order to read. Is there an alternative so I don't have to wear glasses at all? Yes. Multifocal contact lenses are available both in the rigid gas permeable material as well as the soft lens material. It offers the best of both worlds allowing patients good vision both close up and in the distance with no to very minimal dependence on reading glasses. Monovision is another option for contact lens wearers that want to avoid reading glasses - where one eye is corrected for viewing distant objects (usually the dominant eye) and the other eye (usually the non dominant eye) is corrected for reading and close work. If my disposable contact lenses are still comfortable beyond their replacement period, can I continue to wear the same pair? No. In order to maintain optimal eye health, it is important to adhere to the wearing schedule prescribed by your eye care professional. Lipid and protein deposits can accumulate on the contact lens over time, leading to chronic irritation. The main advantage of wearing disposable lenses is that you are able to put a fresh new pair of contact lenses in your eyes at a regularly scheduled interval - this leads to healthier lens wear and the most optimal vision possible.

Glaucoma Awareness Month and Annual Eye Exams

It's a new year and what better resolution than leading a healthier lifestyle in 2012. One item on everyone's list this year seems to be heading back to the gym - to improve their fitness level, or just eating healthier overall for a better quality of life. However, how many of you think about going to the doctor more often for preventative health care screenings? Though it may be down your resolution list a bit, making it a point to see your eye doctor for regularly scheduled eye exams is a must in order to keep seeing your best in 2012 and beyond. It does not matter whether you wear corrective lenses or not, or even if you think our eyes are in perfect condition. Getting a regular eye exam is a necessary part of your overall health care, and vital to make sure you continue with healthy vision. Prevent Blindness America is helping promote the importance of regular annual eye exams by recognizing January as Glaucoma Awareness Month. Close to three million people actually have glaucoma, but half of them do not realize it because there are often no warning symptoms. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States of America and the first major leading cause of preventable blindness. Approximately 120,000 Americans are mostly blind because they suffer from glaucoma, accounting for 9% to 12% of all cases of blindness in the United States of America. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness among the African-American population in the U.S. as well. The condition is 6 to 8 times more common to be found in African-Americans than in Caucasians. Annual eye exams are the number one deterrent from individuals suffering vision loss from Glaucoma and other preventable eye diseases. This is because even in a routine eye examination, your eye doctor can detect signs and/or risk factors of glaucoma. If the condition is detected early enough their are many steps that can be taken to maintain the amount of healthy vision you currently have through topical (eye drops), laser, or surgical treatments. So make sure you make an annual eye exam a part of your healthier lifestyle in 2012 and keep seeing your best this year and beyond.