Contact Lenses

Are Contacts For You?

The vast majority of people requiring vision correction can wear contact lenses without any problems. New materials and lens care technologies have made today's contacts more comfortable, safer and easier to wear. Consider the questions and answers below to help assess whether they're a choice you should consider.

Types of Contacts

Confused about contacts? Advances in contact lens technologies have created many options in addition to hard and soft lenses.

Soft and RGP Lenses Compared

Soft Contact Lenses. Advantages
* Greater initial comfort than hard or rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses.
* Shorter adaptation period for new wearers.
* Ideal for intermittent wear.
* Less susceptible to the intrusion of foreign objects under the lens, such as dust.
* Less sensitivity to light than with hard or RGP lenses.
* Rarely fall out of the eye, making them ideal for sports, particularly contact sports such as football or basketball.
* Available in tinted versions.

Soft Contact Lenses. Disadvantages
* Less durable than hard or RGP lenses.
* May dry out, causing discomfort for some, especially under a hair dryer, in hot rooms, or in windy, dry weather.
* More involved lens care, especially for conventional soft lenses.
* Susceptible to more protein or lipid deposits, that reduce lens performance in the long term.
* May absorb chemicals from the environment, which can cause irritation.

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Lenses. Advantages.
* Good vision.
* Correct most corneal astigmatism.
* Good durability.
* Good handling characteristics.
* Easier care.

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Lenses. Disadvantages
* Less initial comfort than soft lenses.
* Longer adaptation period required than soft lenses.
* More easily dislodged.
* Can scratch and break.
* Intermittent wear less feasible

Contacts for Presbyopia

As baby boomers reach their Mid forties, the question looms large: How to avoid either of two telltale signs of aging -- bifocals or reading glasses? Boomers have three contact lens options for correcting the close-up blurred vision that typically begins in middle age; a condition referred to as presbyopia. (One of the three options still calls for reading glasses, but they can be used discreetly.)

The three options are: Bifocal contact lenses, Monovision, Contact lenses for distance vision with supplementary reading glasses slipped over the contacts for close work.

Wear and Care Tips

Wash your hands with a mild soap, rinse completely and dry with a lint-free towel. A wet finger may cause a soft lens to flatten. Avoid using fingernails to handle your lenses, Remove, clean and disinfect your lenses at the intervals prescribed and have regular check-ups.

Teens and Contacts

Even pre-teens can handle contacts. A three-year study* conducted by the Indiana University School of Optometry found children ages 11-13 able to handle contacts well and understand the use of their care systems to maintain clean, comfortable lenses. When to begin contact lens wear can only be determined in conjunction with your eye care practitioner.

Lens Care Solutions

When you are fitted for contact lenses a particular lens care system is recommended -- a group of products to clean, disinfect and make your lenses safe and comfortable for wear. Since different systems use different types of chemicals, it is not advisable to mix or substitute solutions from other systems. Doing so could lead to discolored lenses, eye discomfort or eye injury. In particular, rigid lens solutions should not be used to clean or disinfect soft lenses as the chemicals can damage the soft lens material.