A Handy Beginner’s Guide to Contact Lenses
Contact lenses can be a great alternative to wearing spectacles. This is normally a personal decision, with some people opting for a combination of the two. For many people, contact lenses are convenient and much better suited to busy, active lifestyles. When first considering switching over to contact lenses, people tend to have a lot of questions, particularly about how to put them in and how to care for them. Independent optical group R. Woodfall have provided this handy beginner’s guide to contact lenses, which should help you get started.
What are contact lenses?
Surprisingly, contact lenses have been around since the end of the 19th century, although they would have been hardly recognisable from the options we have today. Then, the lenses were made by a glassblower and could only be worn for a very short period. Nowadays, a contact lens is a very thin curved lens that covers your eye by sitting on the tear film, the eye’s 3-layered protective coating that protects and lubricates the eyes.
Contact lenses may be soft or hard, depending on your requirements.
Who are contact lenses suitable for?
Most modern-day contact lenses are suitable for the majority of people. To determine which type of contact lenses would be suitable for you, book an appointment with a qualified Optometrist. They will be able to discuss the various options for you and which would work best for both your vision and lifestyle.
The benefits of contact lenses
Opting to wear contact lenses provides a number of benefits, including:
- They are simple and easy to use
- Great for sporting and leisure activities, where spectacles are not
- Suitable for people of all ages and can correct the majority of prescriptions
- There are even some eye conditions that can only be corrected by the use of contact lenses
- Flexible wear – you can choose to wear them daily or only occasionally
- A great range in a choice of brands on the market and many different varieties
How to put your contacts in
This is often the hardest thing to get used to when starting to wear contact lenses. Contact lenses are very easy to put in once you get used to them and are soon adapted to. Here’s a step-by-step for putting your contact lenses in:
- Preparation is really important when putting contacts in. When removing your contact lenses from their packet or case, ensure your hands are clean. Place the first lens onto your finger, the dome side of the lens should be touching your finger. Always use the opposite hand to the eye you are placing the lens to. This will make positioning the lens much easier.
- When positioning your lens into a comfortable position, place the lens onto your eye and wait a few moments for your eye to adjust. Look straight into a mirror, then around the room, looking left, right, up, and down. This will help the lens to sit in a comfortable position. If this does not work, keep your finger on the middle of the lens and move this around slowly. There may be trapped air which needs to be released.
- Do not worry if you don’t get this right the first time. Sometimes you may need to remove the lens and begin this step-by-step process again.
As this is a beginners guide to contact lenses, we will stress again the importance of good hygience and ensuring your hands are clean before you touch your lenses.
The various types of contact lenses
When browsing the market for a pair of contact lenses, you will find a number of varieties. These include the following:
- Daily Disposables
- Frequent Replacement
- Extended wear contact lenses
- Gas Permeable
- Multifocal lenses
- Ortho-K. Contact lenses
- Specialist Contact Lenses
Finding the perfect type of contact lenses may take time and some trial and error. This choice is usually up to you and what will work with your lifestyle. However, your Optometrist may recommend a particular type of lens, for instance, specialist contact lenses that are designed for patients with corneal conditions, or other eye conditions where normal contact lenses might not be suitable.