Today, people who do not want to wear glasses have a great alternative. Contact lenses can replace this traditional optical device. They correct any degree of visual defects such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism. However, it can be quite difficult for people to stop wearing glasses. Meanwhile, according to doctors, contact lenses make it possible to correct vision much better. In addition, they cannot fog up in the cold, like the glasses of ordinary glasses, do not fall if a person makes sudden head movements, and do not get lost at inopportune moments. Thus, wearing lenses is the most convenient and he althy way to correct vision, and if these optical products are chosen correctly, then a person will not experience discomfort from their first use.
Benefits
To date, contact correction of visualfunctions is becoming more popular in Russia. The lenses used are quite easy to use. Their use allows avoiding refractive operations, which have an irreversible effect and are sometimes accompanied by a number of complications.
If we compare the use of contact lenses and spectacle correction, then when choosing the first option, a person receives some advantages. They consist in achieving a high quality of vision. After all, a contact lens that fits snugly to the eye forms an integral optical system with it. In addition, this type of correction is very convenient for people involved in sports, as well as representatives of those professions where glasses can bring not only inconvenience, but also cause certain difficulties.
Recommended to use contact lenses in case of a big difference in vision between the eyes. The fact is that in glasses a significant discrepancy in diopters is poorly tolerated by a person and affects overall comfort. Sometimes this makes you stop wearing them altogether, deciding to have an operation.
Contact lenses are also convenient because they are:
- do not allow glare to appear;
- not felt on the eyes;
- do not distort the view;
- protect the cornea from ultraviolet radiation (some models);
- can be worn at the same time as sunglasses.
Flaws
Despite the extensive list of benefits, wearing lenses also has some negative sides. They are enclosed:
- in the need to acquire certain skills and abilities in order to use them;
- careful care and regular disinfection;
- reducing the quality of the product due to its wear;
- wearing time limit;
- need to get used to a foreign object in the eye.
A bit of history
Contact correction of visual defects was invented in the 16th century. This became known when studying the literary heritage of Leonardo da Vinci and Descartes. The researchers found drawings and calculations of devices that became the prototypes of contact lenses that are currently being produced. For the first time, such optics were put into practice in 1888. And from that moment, an active process of improving materials, manufacturing technologies, and also the design of contact lenses began. Gradually, the indications for the use of these devices expanded more and more. For example, soft lenses have become excellent assistants not only for correcting vision anomalies. They have proven themselves as therapeutic agents to eliminate some ophthalmic diseases. In addition, today colored cosmetic lenses are produced, as well as carnival ones.
General Features
What are contact lenses? These are small transparent devices that are worn directly on the eyes to increase the level of vision of objects in the surrounding world. They are of various types. The difference between such products is in the material of manufacture, service life, wearing mode,transparency and design.
All contact lenses are classified into soft and hard. Doctors recommend using the first of these two options. The fact is that the use of rigid models is shown only in the rarest cases and with complex pathologies.
When choosing contact lenses (optical) for the first time, you should be aware that they are of three types, each of which has its own type of correction. Based on this, such devices are:
- spherical;
- toric (used to correct astigmatism);
- bifocal (used in case of senile farsightedness).
All models offered by manufacturers differ from each other and the material used in the manufacture.
Top Models
All contact lenses on the market today are safe for he alth. Regardless of their type, they are capable of providing a person with a sufficient level of comfort during their operation. However, based on the oxygen permeability parameter, those models that are made of silicone hydrogel are most preferred. In addition, one of the possible complications that can occur when wearing optical contact lenses is the development of hypoxia. Products made of silicone hydrogel can eliminate the risk of developing this disease.
In addition, according to scientists, those devices forgood vision, the wearing of which lasts for only one day. How to use contact lenses of this type? A person puts them on in the morning, and takes them off in the evening and disposes of them. Single use minimizes the risk of contamination.
But it should be borne in mind that the safety of the product depends not only on the material of manufacture and the model itself. Careful operation and the necessary skills play an important role here.
Which product is right for you?
For the selection of contact lenses according to the parameters, you must come to an appointment with an ophthalmologist. Such recommendations are due to the fact that there are certain restrictions on wearing such products. This may be, for example, glaucoma, inflammation or allergies. The specialist will select a model and explain what are the features of caring for the product, and tell about its service life.
The best option for selecting lenses is computer diagnostics. Wearing lenses, a person should feel comfortable enough. The first step in the selection of corrective products is a comprehensive examination. It will allow you to get complete data on the condition of the eyes. In this case, the ophthalmologist will definitely check the visual acuity. Activities carried out by a specialist will eliminate contraindications to wearing lenses, which will help to avoid dangerous complications.
How to use contact lenses for the first time? A few days after the acquisition, doctors recommend wearing corrective devices for only 2-3 hours,no more.
Self choice
Can contact lenses be purchased without first consulting a doctor? Of course, in stores offering optics, contact lenses are not forbidden to buy on their own. However, it is worth remembering that in this case a person will be limited only to the choice of the manufacturer of the product or design. A variety of lenses designed to improve vision should still be recommended by a specialist. In addition, when purchasing a certain model, you will need to pay attention to diopters. After all, the lower a person's vision, the more they will need. If you independently determine the required number of diopters, you can only worsen your vision.
The ophthalmologist selects their value slightly lower than the existing one. This makes the eyes less tired.
Choosing lenses by type
Which type of vision correction aids do you prefer? The selection of soft contact lenses is necessary for people involved in sports and who prefer an active lifestyle. They are the best option for those who simply prefer comfort. Such lenses have significant advantages over the rigid type. They are made of soft material and have a high moisture content. The selection of such lenses can be carried out in the range from -20.0 to +20.0 diopters. Their advantages lie in increased elasticity, as well as less likelihood of shifting and falling out of the eyes. In addition, soft lenses have a short adaptation period and increased wearer comfort.the initial stages of wearing them.
When choosing such products, their disadvantages should also be taken into account. Among them:
- care complexity;
- the likelihood of allergic reactions to the material from which they are made, or to the components of the solution;
- increased risk of eye infection;
- fixed costs of purchasing new optical products;
- Unable to correct medium as well as high astigmatism.
For farsightedness
People suffering from hypermetropia have good vision of distant objects. The same objects that are located nearby, they simply blur. This causes difficulty in sewing, knitting, writing, reading. Often, in order to focus on a particular subject, a person strains so much that he begins to suffer from headaches and constant severe fatigue.
Multifocal soft lenses are perfect for correcting this kind of visual dysfunction. With their purchase, you no longer need to wear glasses. One eye will fix objects that are far away, and the second - near. In addition, soft optical lenses, which can be worn for a long period of time, will slow down the course of the pathological process that has already begun.
For myopia
With this pathology, which is called myopia, a person sees distortedly what is located far away, but is able to see well everything that is close. Treatment of such an ailment is mandatory.
When selecting lenses for a person with myopia, silicone-hydrogel or hydrogel models. Such products contain a large amount of moisture, and they are able to pass oxygen through their structure.
It is possible to restore peripheral vision with myopia when wearing perifocal lenses. In this case, vision will approach the natural perception of objects, and the light load that occurs will be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the retina.
With astigmatism
Sometimes people suffer from a pathology that does not allow the eye to focus the rays at one point. This is astigmatism. In this case, all objects in the patient have a fuzzy contour.
Previously, the selection of astigmatic contact lenses was carried out only from hard-type models. Today, people with such a visual defect have the opportunity to wear comfortable soft products.
Optical lenses used for astigmatism are different from products used for hypermetropia or myopia. They have two additional and at the same time very important parameters that the ophthalmologist will indicate in his prescription. This is the force and axis of the cylinder. There are no such parameters in ordinary lenses.
Wearing rules
How to use contact lenses? A person who has decided to stop wearing glasses and has already visited an ophthalmologist should go to an optician with a prescription received from a doctor. Here he will get the most optimal and comfortable model of contact lenses for him.
What should be his next steps? How to use contact lenses for the first time? First of all, you will needprepare your hands. They should be washed thoroughly with unscented soap before the products are removed from the blister. When wiping your hands, it is recommended to pay attention to the fact that there are no lint left on the fingers from the towel. After all, if they get into the eye, they will certainly cause severe irritation.
How to use contact lenses? After preparing the hands, the product must be removed from the blister, inspecting it for contamination or mechanical damage. If they are absent, you can wear a lens. However, one nuance should be kept in mind here. For the first time, it can be very difficult for a person who has not previously worn lenses to touch the eyeball. There is involuntary blinking. The eye starts to water. As a result, the lens is not secured. In order to facilitate the task, you will need to look up, while pulling the lower eyelid. Further, without looking at the lens, it is placed on the eye. After that, it is recommended to cover the eyelids for a short while. This will allow the product to fall into place. Removing the lens is much easier. To do this, you need to pinch its edges between your thumb and forefinger and blink. The product will immediately be in your hand.
How to use contact lenses correctly? At first glance it seems that everything is simple. Put on the product, vilified it, and then took it off. However, it is not. Rules for the use of contact lenses say that a person, first of all, needs to make sure that he has put on the products correctly. How to do it? That the procedure was carried out in accordance with existing requirements,indicates a tight fit of the lens to the cornea. If it is not present, then the corrective device will cause pain in the eye, tearing, itching or burning.
How to properly use contact lenses while wearing them? A person should not rub his eyes. You should also not open them when diving underwater.
When wearing products, follow the recommendations given in the instructions. If there is an indication that the product is to be used for a month, then it is not recommended to use it for a longer time. Otherwise, serious harm will be done to he alth.
Care
How to use contact lenses? Proper use of these products also requires some care for them. After removing the lenses, they must be placed in a special solution intended for storage. Items are cleaned periodically. For this, a special tool is used, which can be bought in optics stores. Please refer to the packaging for specific cleaning intervals for specific models.
You don't need to leave lenses on your eyes at night. This can damage not only the product, but also vision.
