Best Contact Lenses

If you’re not sure what some of the most popular Contact Lens words are, look over our short dictionary of eye terms.

Astigmatism

This is where the cornea is irregularly shaped, which prevents the focusing of light rays. This means near and distant objects appear blurred or distorted. A Toric (gas permeable and soft lenses) can correct astigmatism and the best contact lens for the condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD):

An eye condition in later life when the center of the retina is slowly damaged, affecting central vision..

Cornea

Part of the eye’s focusing system that transmits and focuses light into the eye.

Cataracts

Cataracts cause clouding of the eye lens which means light cannot get through to the retina.

Contact Colour Lenses

            Contacts that change or enhance your natural eye colour. Even with the best contact lens, you will still need a prescription.

Disposable Contact Lenses

Contact lenses that are worn and then thrown away after a specific time.

Daily Contact Lens

Contact lenses that you wear during waking hours but remove at the end of each day for cleaning.

Extended Wear Contact Lenses

Contact lenses that are worn all the time for a 1 to 30 days/nights period.

Frequent/Planned Replacement Contact Lenses

These lenses can be worn on a daily basis with cleaning , rinsing and disinfection each time the lens is removed. The lenses are then thrown away after the recommended wearing period. The best contact lens are made of silicon hydrogel, making them easy and comfortable to wear

Gas Permeable (GP) Contact Lenses

A type of contact lens that is made of a breathable, firm, durable, plastic that is custom fitted to the shape of the cornea.

Hard Contact Lenses

The first type of contact lens, which was made of an inflexible plastic material. They provided excellent vision correction, but the hard lenses did not allow the essential oxygen through the lens to reach the cornea.

Hyperopia (or Farsightedness)

Because the eye is too short and flat, the light rays can’t focus and near objects appear blurred 

Macula

The part of the eye responsible for detailed central vision.

Myopia (or Nearsightedness)

With Myopia the eye is too long and steep, which means you can’t see distant objects clearly.

Optic Nerve

The nerve at the back of the eye

Ophthalmologist

A medical doctor (MD) who specializes in diagnosing and treating eye disorders.

Optician

A Specially trained professional (not a medical doctor or optometrist) who can write prescriptions for corrective vision by ophthalmologists and optometrists.

Optometrist

A doctor of optometry (OD) examine eyes for vision and health problems, and prescribe and fit contact lenses.

Presbyopia

An eye condition in later life when the eye become less flexible, causing blurred vision at reading distance. The best contact lens corrects this with bifocal or multifocal contact lenses.

Retina

The light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the inside of the back of the eye.

Most young people in their twenties and thirties, enjoy excellent 20/20 vision, which of course may come with the help of a daily contact lens.  

The good news is, if you’re doing the right things to help take care of your eye health, then there is a good chance your vision will stay at the same for many years to come.

The most important way to protect your vision is through a regular examination with your professional eye doctor, especially if your family has a history of; diabetes, blood pressure, eye disease, poor vision or diabetes.

Eye health basics

Eating a balanced diet and getting enough rest are important for white eye health and remember to take extra care when putting on cosmetics and sprays, especially with a daily contact lens

Exercise is great for the circulation, which improves oxygen levels to the eyes and the removal of nasty toxins.

Use good sunglasses to block out UV and UVB light and it is always best to try and quit smoking as research seems to increase the risk of developing eye conditions 

Pregnancy and vision.

Pregnancy can cause changes in your eyesight.  The thickness of your cornea can change with your Hormone levels and cause temporary blurring. If you wear a daily contact lens, you may find that your eyes are uncomfortably dry during your pregnancy and you may need additional vision correction for a short period.  The good news is that your eyes will return to normal shortly after your baby arrives

Wearing contacts needn’t be a chore if you stick to a few rules:

• Get regular eye exams to assure white eye health.
• Always have a back-up pair of glasses with a current prescription, just in case you have problems with your contact lenses.
• Always check with your Doctor before using any medicine. Some medicines may affect your vision or irritate your eyes.
• Put on any make up after inserting your lenses.
• Apply hairspray and deodorants before inserting lenses.
• Let your employer know if you wear contact lenses.
• All the best contact lenses come with instructions; so please read them
• Replace contacts as recommended by your eye care professional.
• Throw away disposable lenses after recommended wearing period.

Do Not:

• Sleep in daily wear lenses because even with the best contact lenses, there is a chance of infection or irritation.
• Buy contact lenses from gas stations, video stores, record shops, or any unauthorized retailer. Contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription
• Swap your contact lens with another person. Swapping provides a way to transfer germs between people. The best contact lenses are individually fitted, so there’s no chance of permanent eye injury or infection.
• Swim without tight fitting goggles. There is a risk of eye infection from bacteria in swimming pool water, hot tubs, lakes and the ocean

If your budget doesn’t stretch to daily disposable contacts, then you will need to opt for extended use lenses, such as 14/30 day, that come with solutions.  All the best contact lenses and solutions are reliable but you need to stick to a few basic rules to avoid eye problems.

Here are the basics:

• Always wash your hands before handling lenses to reduce the chance of infection.
• If your eyes become red or irritated quickly remove your lenses and consult your eye care professional.
• Try and use the best contact lenses and solutions recommended by your eye care professional and internet supplier.
• Do not use contact lens solutions that have gone beyond their expiry date.
• Remember sterile saline solutions are only to be used for rinsing. They are not for cleaning and disinfecting your lenses.
• All the best contact lenses require you to clean and disinfect them properly, following all packaging instructions
• Never reuse any lens solution.
• Keep your contact lenses away from water: tap, bottled, distilled, lake or ocean water. Never use non-sterile water (distilled water, tap water or any homemade saline solution
• Do not put your lenses in your mouth to wet them. Saliva is not a sterile solution.
• Clean, rinse and air-dry your lens case each time lenses are removed.
• For the best contact lenses eye health, replace your lens storage case every 3-6 months.
• Do not transfer contact lens solutions into smaller travel size containers. This can effect the sterility of the solution which can lead to an eye infection.

To ensure you enjoy the best white eye health and guaranteed safety for your eyes, it’s important to follow these tips; then you really can’t go wrong buying the best contact lenses on the internet.

 What should I check when buying contact lenses?

• Is your contact lens prescription current? Look out for the expiry date on your from. You should always have a current, valid prescription when you order contact lenses.
• If you have not had a check-up in the last one to two years, you may have problems with your eyes that you are not aware of, or your contact lenses may not correct your vision properly.
• To ensure that your eyes remain healthy you should not order contacts with a prescription that has expired or stock up on lenses right before the prescription is about to expire. It’s safer to be re-checked by your eye care professional to ensure you get the best contact lenses for you current vision.

What does a valid contact lens prescription include?

A proper prescription should contain sufficient information for us to completely and accurately fill the prescription. This includes the following items:

• Your name
• Examination date
• Date you received prescription after a contact lens fitting (issue date) and expiration date of prescription
• Name, address, phone number and fax number of your eye doctor
• Power
• Material and/or manufacturer of the prescribed contact lens
• Base curve or appropriate designation of the prescribed contact lens
• Diameter, when appropriate, of the prescribed contact lens
• Always ask for the brand name of a national manufacturer, so you can compare prices and deals on the internet

What can I do to avoid serious problems when buying my contact lenses?

• Order your contact lenses from a reliable internet supplier you are familiar with. The best contact lenses are often more complex than they appear.
• Request the manufacturer’s written patient information for your contact lenses. It will give you important risk/benefit information as well as instructions for use.
• Beware of attempts to substitute a different brand than you presently have. While this may be acceptable in some situations, there are differences in the water content and shape between different brands. The correct choice of which lens is right for you should be based only on an examination by your eye care professional, not over the phone.
• Carefully check to make sure the company gives you the
  • exact brand
  • lens name
  • power
    • sphere
    • cylinder, if any
    • axis, if any
  • diameter
  • base curve
  • peripheral curves, if any

Don’t accept a brand substitution unless your eye care professional approves it.

Research shows that around 15% of children under 15 and about 25% of 16-19 year olds require some sort of vision correction. But only about 10% of these kids ever wear and experience the best contact lenses.

There is often no proper reason why young children can’t consider contacts, as their eyes can easily put up with contact lenses at an early age. Some times your eye doctor may advise against them, but children are generally very adaptable to new experiences and rarely have a problem with applying or removing contacts on their own.

New lens technology has increased the options for kids and parents, so the decision on whether your child is suitable for contacts may be more to do with their personality as most children, quickly accept the responsibility for Contacts, providing they are mature enough.

And with the best contact lenses available as a daily disposable lens, you can forget about all the cleaning solutions, removing the prime fear of eye health, when children use contacts.

Are coloured contact suitable for Children?

What’s important here is getting a proper prescription from your eye doctor so you can look over some of the best contact lenses available on line. This is so important and it’s critical for you and your kids to avoid the lenses sold at gas stations, salons and convenience stores as they can damage your eyes.

And of course the best contact lenses can do wonders for your child’s self-esteem, as many kids feel better about their appearance, which will also improve their self confidence.

Sport can be a good starting point giving your kids the obvious benefit and freedom of contact lenses

And it doesn’t have to be a permanent decisions as you can easily go back to glasses and try contacts a few years later.

So why not start by organizing a visit to your local eye doctor?