Contact Lenses

Most individuals who require sight correction can wear contact lenses. Technical advances in contact lens development include multi-focal contacts, daily disposables, extended wear and frequent replacement lenses and lenses to correct astigmatism, nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Contact lenses are a healthy vision option for many people. Only your eye care professional can determine if contact lenses are a healthy option for you. When your eye care professional prescribes contact lenses and you follow all prescribed steps for inserting, removing and caring for them, contact lenses have proven to be a safe and effective vision correction device for millions of people. Every contact lens wearer should see their eye care professional on a yearly basis to ensure long term corneal health.

As soon as the vision correction need is identified, contact lenses can be considered a viable option. In fact, contact lenses have frequently been used in premature infants who often have underdeveloped retina at birth and are at risk of blindness. With proper care and lens maintenance, infants, young children, teens and adults of all ages can wear contacts effectively.

Contact lenses used for myopia control can be either bifocal or multifocal soft contact lenses, as well as the rigid contact lens designs used in orthokeratology. Children wearing multifocal lenses had 25 percent less myopia progression and 31 percent less axial elongation than those wearing single-vision lenses over two years, according to a 2014 double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of 221 Hong Kong children.

Coloured soft contact lenses are still considered to be a prescribed medical device that must be fit and followed up by your eye care professional.

Yes. The single best way to protect your vision is through regular professional eye examinations. Eye care professionals do more than provide eye exams — they care for the overall health of your eyes. You should see your eye care professional yearly.

Yes. Though contact lenses provide benefits, you should still keep your glasses’ prescription current. There may be days that you don’t want to wear your lenses, or when your glasses are better suited for the situation. Your eyes still needs more oxygen, thus you may only wear your contact lenses for a certain period of time.

Follow your eye care professional’s wearing and replacement schedule to keep your lenses clean and your eyes healthy.

You should consult your eye care professional about wearing prescription lenses during any water-related activities.

Contact lenses are ideal for most sport activities. In fact, they could give you an edge. They offer a more natural vision correction and increase peripheral vision. And you can quit worrying about broken frames or lenses. Plus, contact lenses don’t fog up, slide down, or fall off. Some types of  sports may still require protective eye gear for safety. Ask your eye care professional if you have any questions.

Yes. To avoid possible complications, patients who wear contact lenses should observe the following guidelines when applying cosmetics or toiletry products:

1. Apply cologne, deodorant, and hair spray before inserting your lenses.
2. Wash hands thoroughly with oil-free soap like J&J baby shampoo prior to inserting lenses.
3. Put your contacts in before applying make-up.
4. Use a water-based but water-resistant mascara that is not prone to flaking. Two thin coats are better than one thick coat.
5. Use a soft pencil eyeliner rather than a liquid or powdered version that will flake off.
6. Use pressed powder eye shadow rather than liquid or cream. Never use pearlized or frosted types that may contain tinsel. Always remove your lenses before removing makeup.
7. Always insert your lenses before applying eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara.

Yes. Sometimes people experience discomfort during the peak of their seasonal allergies. If that happens to you, call your eye care professional and follow his/her recommendation.  He/She may suggest you simply reduce your wearing time or discontinue wearing your lenses until the allergy symptoms have passed. Thoroughly and frequently cleaning your lenses may help reduce allergy discomfort. And never use eye drops that are not made for contact lens wearers when you are wearing your contact lenses.

No! By using contact lenses prescribed for someone else, you risk serious eye infection. Only wear contact lenses that have been prescribed for you. And never allow anyone else to wear your lenses.

No. But your contact lenses may slide under your eyelids or become displaced. If this occurs, try looking in the direction of the lens to get it to move back to the correct position. Soft contact lenses will tend to center automatically on the cornea.

Unless your eye care professional says it’s OK, you should always take out your lenses before you go to sleep. If, however, you do fall asleep with them on your eyes, remove your lenses as soon as you get up, and follow the recommended lens cleaning and disinfecting instructions. It may be helpful to put drops in your eyes before removing your lenses to moisturize them if the lens is stuck, not moving, and you are unable to remove it easily.

If you tear a lens, simply throw it away and replace it with a new one. Never put a torn contact lens on your eye. If the contact lens tears in the eye, see your eye care professional to help remove it, as it can easily get stuck underneath the eyelid.