Curious About Contacts? Read This!
- Maria Coward
- Mar 24, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 7, 2023
Note: This blog is focused on soft contact lenses
Contact lenses can be a great way to sharpen your vision, especially if you do activities where glasses can get in the way. However, contact lenses are also a medical device. It’s important to know how to take care of your contact lenses to prevent infection and maximize your vision.
If you have been on the fence about trying soft contact lenses, or if you are a long-time contact wearer who is looking to try something different, then this is the blog for you!
Back to Basics: What is a Contact Lens?
A contact lens is a medical device that sits directly on your eye. It is typically used to improve your vision.
Trying Contacts for the First Time: What to Expect
Contact lenses can be a little scary for the new wearer! To help people learn how to put in and take out contacts safely, we bring them in for a special type of appointment called a “Fit and Teach.”
At the Fit and Teach, we:
Talk about the different types of contact lenses
Practice putting in and taking out the contacts safely
Discuss how to properly care for the contact lenses
Refine the contact lens prescription to maximize vision
Make sure the contact lens is fitting the eye properly
Which Contact Lens Option is Right for Me?
One contact lens is not like the other and the best contact lens option for a patient depends on many different factors.
Daily, Biweekly or Monthly?
Daily lenses must be thrown out after a day, biweeklies after two weeks and monthlies after one month. The benefit of daily lenses is they are often thinner, more breathable, and more comfortable. There is a lower risk of developing an infection and they are more convenient because you don’t have to clean them. However, they do tend to be more expensive than the other lens options.
Biweekly and monthly lenses tend to be cheaper, but it is important to clean them properly to decrease the risk of infection. They are typically less breathable and thicker.
Astigmatism or Spherical?
Astigmatism means the eye isn’t perfectly round. If you have an astigmatism, you may need to opt for a special “toric” contact lens that corrects your eye’s unique curvature.
Contact Lenses for People Over 40
When people turn 40 they start to need reading glasses. There are many different contact lens options for people over 40 like:
Contacts with reading glasses over top: you wear your contacts but when you need to read, you put a pair of reading glasses over top.
Monovision: you wear a reading prescription in one eye and a distance prescription in the other eye. The brain will pay attention to the eye it needs depending on what distance you are looking at.
Multifocal: Like a pair of bifocals or progressives, the reading prescription is built right into the contact lens itself.
Coloured Contacts
Coloured contacts can make your eyes look a different hue. However, there are many downsides. They tend to be more uncomfortable and not as visually clear as traditional lenses. They are also only available in a limited range of prescriptions.
If you do want to try coloured contacts, NEVER buy them from a non-optical shop (like a drug store or a costume store). You have no way of guaranteeing these lenses are properly sterilized or even regulated. Always visit your optometrist to discuss safe, coloured contact lens options.
Frequently Asked Questions About Contact Lenses
1. Can I use my contact lens prescription to buy any brand of contacts?
NO!! Each contact lens brand fits totally differently on the eye. When we prescribe you a certain contact lens, we check to make sure that particular lens fits properly and that your eye is getting enough oxygen. If you switch to a different brand without having it examined by an optometrist, you are putting your eye health at risk.
2. If I wear contacts, does that mean I never have to wear glasses again?
Even if you wear contact lenses, you still need to have an up-to-date backup pair of glasses. If you are unable to wear the contact lenses for whatever reason (like you have an infection or run out of contacts), you will need something to wear in the meantime. It is also good to take contact lens breaks in the evenings and on weekends and wear your glasses instead to help avoid signs of contact lens overwear.
3. Can I use my glasses prescription to order contact lenses?
The glasses prescription is rarely the same as a contact lens prescription. This is because contact lenses sit directly on the eyeball. You need to have a prescription specifically for contact lenses.
4. Is my monthly contact lens good for 30 wears or 30 days?
A monthly contact lens is good for 30 days from the time you open it. Even if you only wear it occasionally, you still have to throw it out after 30 days. If you find you aren’t wearing your monthly or biweekly lens that often, consider switching to a daily disposable instead.
5. Can I sleep in my contact lenses?
No. There are only a few brands out there designed to be slept in. Most should only be worn while awake. You greatly increase your risk of infection if you sleep in your contacts.
6. Can I swim in my contact lenses?
It is not recommended to swim in contact lenses. Any potentially contaminated water (tap water, pools, hot tubs, lakes, etc.) that gets into your eyes when you are wearing contact lenses can cause an infection. One of the worst eye infections commonly linked to contaminated water is acanthamoeba keratitis, which can cause permanent vision loss.
7. What do I do if my eyes get sore, red or irritated in my contact lenses?
STOP wearing your contacts right away and go see your optometrist!
If you’re thinking of trying contact lenses but are not sure where to start, give your optometrist a call and see if you can set up a consultation to find out if contact lenses are right for you.
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