Contact Lenses A Better Vision Option

Contact Lenses A Better Vision Option

There are over 34 million contact wearers in America. The idea of contact lenses has been around for hundreds of years. It is said that the first person to conceptualize the idea of contact lenses was Leonardo da Vinci in the early 1500's. It wasn't until 1971 that soft contact lenses entered the market, followed by GP or gas permeable contact lenses in 1978. Extended wear contacts received FDA approval in 1981 and disposable contacts were introduced in 1987.

Today's contact lenses do more than improve vision. Some contacts are specifically manufactured to change eye color only. With dozens of different colors available some contact lens wearers change their eye color slightly, and some go for a totally different look, such as brown eye to green or blue eye to brown. There are contacts that have special effect lenses that produce effects on the eye such as jaguar and zebra stripes, a yellow cat eye with a vertical pupil, black spiral, stars & stripes and fire. The FDA considers lenses described above as cosmetic only. Depending on your state you may not need a prescription to purchase them. If your contact lenses are to be corrective then you will require a prescription to purchase them.

Another recent advancement in contact lenses is light filtering lenses. These lenses work as do lens specific sport sunglasses by filtering certain lights such as blue light, so that baseballs, golf balls and tennis balls are easier to see. There are also contact lenses that block ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light has been linked to cataract formation.

There are many types of contact lenses available, hard contacts, gas permeable lenses and soft lenses. We will now give you some advantages, and disadvantages of each kind. Hard contact lenses are less costly in the long run as they aren't replaced often, and actually allow the wearer better, clearer sight. Soft contact lenses are easier to fit than hard lenses. Gas permeable or GP lenses allow you eyes to breath better and will not dry your eye out as much as soft lenses. Soft lenses are comfortable from the moment you put them on whereas hard lenses at first are very uncomfortable and take some getting used to.

There are safety concerns with any type of contact lenses. Extended wear contact lenses, soft or rigid, when worn long term and overnight can lead to risk of infection and corneal ulcers which can permanently damage eyesight. Most ophthalmologists believe it is better for your eye that you do not wear any type of contact lens overnight. Cleanliness if also of utmost importance for lens wearers. To reduce the risk of infection you should only use commercial sterile saline solutions when cleaning your contact lenses.

It is best to check with your licensed ophthalmologist to discuss which contact lens is best for you.

About the Author

Article courtesy of http://www.lense-shopper.net

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Color contact lenses can really brighten your look and your life, but selecting the perfect pair is not as easy as it sounds. We will tell you everything you need to know about color contacts.

1. Are your eyes light or dark?

When deciding what color contact to buy, take into account the natural color of your eyes. If your eyes are light and you want to brighten their natural color, go for enhancement color contacts. Enhancers look more natural on light eyes. However, if your eyes are dark or you want a dramatic change, look at opaque color contacts.

2. What kind of change do you want - a dramatic effect or a slight change?

Some color contact lenses are brighter than the others. The brightest hues, like Freshlook Colorblends True Sapphire, are best for parties, when you are also going to have evening make up. For work, on the other hand, you might prefer lenses that aren't so vivid. These rules are not set in stone, of course, just make sure to consider how bright a lens you want before making your purchase.

See pictures of colored contacts by most popular brands

3. Think about comfort as well as the look

Go for well-known brands of contact lenses, so your lenses feel as good as they look. You can get disposable (weekly and monthly) as well as traditional (annual replacement) color contacts. Which is best for you depends on how often and for how long you intend to wear your color lenses. If you are going to wear them every day and all day long, it is better to buy disposable lenses, like Acuvue 2 Colors or Freshlook. Replacing the lenses often won't let protein deposits to build up on them and the lenses will feel more comfortable.

On the other hand, if you only want to have those perfect blue or green eyes occasionally, annual replacement color lenses would serve your purpose.

4. You need a prescription to buy color contacts

All contact lenses, including color ones, are considered medical devices. So, whether or not you need vision correction, you will need a doctor's prescription to buy color lenses. Color contacts are not "one size fits all", and even if you have perfect vision your eye doctor has to measure the base curve of your eye.

Most famous brands of color contacts are available in plano (no correction power) as well as with plus and minus powers. But if you have an astigmatism your choices are very limited; so far only Freshlook offers toric color contacts.

5. You can get free trial color contacts from your doctor

Most doctors can offer you a trial pair of color contact lenses. Of course, he or she won't let you try many lenses, so you should have some idea about brand and the color you want before you ask your doctor for a free trial pair. Many people are searching for free trial color contacts online. However, since color lenses are medical devices, the only place you can get them is an optometrist's office.

6. Compare the prices at several shops

You probably already know that the best way to save on color contact lenses is to buy them online. However, online prices differ from shop to shop. After you have selected the exact lens you want and visited your eye doctor for a prescription, check the prices for your lenses in several shops. You should also take the shipping charges into account.

7. Be prepared to care for your color lenses properly

If you already wear corrective contact lenses, you probably have guessed that color contacts would require similar care. If you want to buy non prescription color lenses purely for cosmetic purposes, you will still have to look after them properly. Don't be scared, this is not hard and take only a few minutes. When giving you a prescription, your doctor should show you how to put the lenses in, take them off, clean and store your contacts. If he or she doesn't, make sure to ask. Then all you need to do, is not to forget to clean your color contacts every time you take them off.

About the author:

Tanya Turner invites you to Contact Lenses Consume Guide to see reviews and consumer information about colored contact lenses . There you can also find pictures and advice about best color contacts and comparison of online contact lens retailers.