Common Questions About Contact Lenses

Your Over 40 and Still Want to Wear Contact Lenses. What Can You Do?

So you have presbyopia, your arms are not as long as they use to be. You wear progressive lenses in your glasses and do not want to wear glasses over your contact lenses. As an alternative to bifocal contact lenses we often prescribe mono-vision, whereby one eye wears a distance contact lens and the other a reading lens. Amazingly, 80% of our patients adapt to this type of contact lens wear. The brain automatically switches from one eye to the other depending on which type of vision is needed. mono-vision has a higher success rate than bifocal lenses. But while mono-vision is used by many people, others find difficulty in adapting. Blurred vision, headaches and a feeling of slight imbalance may last for a few minutes or for several weeks. The longer these symptoms last the less chance a patient has of adapting to mono-vision. Some people are uncomfortable in certain situations, for example, driving while wearing mono-vision contacts. mono-vision causes a decrease in stereopsis (two-eye depth perception). We may prescribe an additional lens to correct both eyes for distance for those times when sharp distance vision is required, or alternatively, we may prescribe lenses for near viewing. mono-vision is often used for LASIK refractive correction, Corneal Refractive Therapy and cataract removal. However, it important to make sure it works before performing the procedure. Do Not Have LASIK Mono-vision Without A Trial Contact Lens Wear.

Do Bifocal Soft Contact Lenses Work?

Soft Bifocal Contact Lenses are really not true bifocals. They have two areas a central area and a peripheral area. One is designed for distance vision and the other for near vision. These lenses are not for everyone. Determination of the best bifocal or mono-vision correction is a time intensive, so if you are interested expect to spend some time in our office. As a general rule mono-vision works often, however, with the advent of some of the newer mines were much more likely to prescribe one of the new bifocal contact lenses. Sometimes we prescribe one bifocal contact lens and a single vision lens (near for lawyers, accountants, etc; distance for actors, real estate brokers, etc.). We have a large fitting diagnostic set and would be happy to fit you. Newer bifocal designs have recently been introduced which solves many of the problems of previous lenses. Materials and optics are better. Custom bifocal contact lenses even correct for astigmatism.

I Have Extended Wear Contact Lenses, Is It All Right to Sleep With Them?

Probably no. Our office is against wearing current contact lenses (hema materials) while sleeping. There is over 40 times greater risk of developing a serious corneal infection in patients who sleep with lenses in their eyes. Extended wear contact lenses, originally designed for overnight wear, provide more oxygen to the cornea than standard contact lenses and might be necessary for you. With every advantage comes a disadvantage. Extended wear lenses are thinner, harder to handle, often deposit more easily, and tear more easily. Also, remember that frequent-replacement contact lenses still need cleaning. Lack of cleaning with frequent-replacement contact lenses is the most common cause for later contact lens-related infection or complication.

With this said there are new lenses on the market by CIBA (Day/Night), Accuvue (Oasys), and B&L (Pure Vision) have changed our attitudes. These new lens provide from 120 to 170 units of oxygen to your cornea (you need 120 units while sleeping; traditional lens materials only allow 60 units). Is it a surprise that extended lenses never worked. The new silicone based oxygen permeable lenses are made with a coating which eliminates previous problems of comfort and dryness. Our five year experience with these new lenses has been good. Eyes are whiter, un-wanted blood vessels in the cornea regress, the lenses lubricate well, and they are fairly resistant to protein deposits. Comfort is also excellent. With this said there are still a significant number of patients who develop infections while sleeping with these lenses. Thus, it is clearly safer not to sleep with contact lenses. If do not heed our advise and continue to sleep with lenses then you must be fitted with a silicone lens.

What Solutions Should I Use?

The best solution for soft contact lenses is AO Sept. The lenses should be cleaned with either Pliagel or Miraflow. The container is filled with the disinfectant which is really hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). If you remember from your days of chemistry H2O2 is unstable and breaks down to H2O + O2 (water and oxygen). The little gray disc is a catalyst, thus, making the reaction occur more quickly. Once a week an enzyme tablet should be used.

This is an over kill for today's frequent replacement (disposable contact lenses), one step solutions are adequate for replacement contact lenses. They are easy to use. Despite the advertisements, we believe that you should still rub the lenses with the solution to eliminate debris, bacteria, and deposits. Optifree, and Clear Care are excellent. Clerz and Blink and Clean is an excellent lubricant with an in the eye cleaner. There is no need in most cases for an enzyme.

For gas perm contact lenses we recommend Boston Original Solution. We believe that the original solutions are better than the new and improved advance solutions. The best cleaner is Lobob, difficult to find. An enzyme should be used weekly.

What Should I Do If My Eyes Get Red With the Lenses?

Take the contact lenses out of your eyes. If the redness is associated with either pain or blurred vision, you must see an eye doctor immediately. There is a reasonable chance that you have a corneal infection, which is serious. Time is of the essence. Treatment is almost always successful when initiated early on. Every contact lens patient should have a pair of glasses that they can wear in an emergency.

When Should I Put On My Make-Up?

• Insert soft contact lenses in before applying makeup
• Put on makeup before putting gas permeable contact lenses in
• Remove contacts before removing make-up
• Lash extending mascara can get under the contact lens
• Water proof mascara can stain contact lenses
• Use hair spray before putting in contacts
• Nail polish and nail polish remover can ruin contact lenses so be careful

How Often Do My Contact Lenses Need to Be Checked?

For greater comfort and safety, contact lens fits need to evaluated each year. Even if you see fine and feel comfortable you need to be examined. Approximately, ten percent of those patients whose lenses feel fine are beginning serious problems which need to be identified and fixed.