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Contact Lenses, Anyone?

These days, it's rare to find a patient that cannot wear contact lenses.

October 28, 2007       Leave a Comment
By: Dr. Lee Newton, Eye Care

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These days, almost anyone can be successfully fit with contact lenses. The variety of lenses and designs has improved so much over the years that it's rare to find a patient that cannot wear contact lenses.


Gone are the days when "I was told I couldn't wear contacts due to.." is actually a valid statement (well, maybe in extreme cases).

Let's discuss the different characteristics and applications of contact lenses currently available:

As always, there are lenses to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Astigmatism-correcting contact lenses are not new; they've been around for years.

(What is astigmatism? A visual condition whereby your eye(s) has(have) unequal focus, when the front surface is shaped like a football instead of a basketball, that requires each curve or meridian to have its own focus. Kind of like two prescriptions for the same eye.)

Bifocal contact lenses have existed for years, but recently they've become much better.

Now we even have bifocal contact lenses that correct for astigmatism; this is fairly new. Very exciting for patients 40+ years of age with astigmatism!

We have soft contact lenses and oxygen permeable contact lenses. A few words on each:

Oxygen permeable contact lenses, the current politically correct term, are more "rigid" than soft contact lenses - but are not like the "hard" lenses of the past. The old "hard" lenses did not allow the eyes to breathe adequately, and are seldom used anymore.

Depending on your unique needs, you may benefit more from either oxygen permeable or soft lenses. Ask your eye doctor.

Soft lenses - now most of them are disposable. 5-10 years ago or more, most soft contact lens wearers would actually wear a pair for several months to a year. When I first wore contact lenses, this is what was available. The benefit of improved technology: today, patients can have a year supply of contact lenses that they replace every two weeks for less annual cost than one pair of contact lenses twenty years ago!

With soft lenses, some patients get confused on terminology. "Extended wear" means that you sleep with contact lenses on your eye to some degree, either a nap, or overnight, or several nights. Let's make one thing clear, no matter which type or material of lens you wear, it's always healthier to remove at night before sleeping. Given that some patients wish to sleep with their lenses and will anyway, it's helpful to have breathable lenses that are approved for this use.

"Daily wear" is essentially the opposite of extended wear; wearing lenses during the day and removing them before sleeping.

Erroneously, some individuals still refer to the old style, yearly replacement contact lenses as daily wear. It's true to some extent - if the lenses aren't worn during sleep - but this is assumed, since they are not breathable enough for this. The correct term is "conventional wear", pertaining to lenses disposed of at larger intervals. This is in contrast with the term "disposable", meaning lenses that are discarded every day, every week, every two weeks, or every month. The point is that some disposable contact lenses are approved for extended wear, but also may be worn in a daily wear cycle. The difference - If you are sleeping with your lenses on, your ongoing eyecare needs are different than someone who does not sleep with their lenses on.

The recent improvements to soft lenses are centered on both oxygen permeability and wettability, making the direct benefits to patients better long term eye health and increased comfort. The breathable lenses were introduced 7 or 8 years ago, and now are being produced in the astigmatism and bifocal modalities.

Special purpose contact lenses:

Bausch & Lomb, together with Nike, make an amber-tinted lens that improved contrast in sports such as baseball, softball, soccer, and tennis. It also comes in a dark grey-green tint for general outdoor use in bright sunlight. The results so far have been impressive.

Daily disposable lenses - that's right, 720 lenses for a year (if you wear them every day). These are the ultimate in convenience, and also are nice problem-solving lenses for patients with allergies, dryness, or lens comfort issues.

Cosmetic lenses - color changing, color enhancing tints; other "loud" theatrical designs have been and are still available. Please make note of this - it is illegal (meaning $10,000 or so fines from the FDA) for a novelty shop, thrift store, pharmacy, or any hole-in-the-wall retailer to "sell" contact lenses without a valid prescription from a doctor. Just because a contact lens may have zero optical power, it is still a prescription medical device. The prescription will specify physical characteristics such as material, diameter, and curvature.

Corneal reshaping lenses - wear at night, and no need for glasses or contact lenses to see clearly during the day. Look in the archives - this was the subject of a previous column.

Any age restrictions on contact lens wear?

There really is no upper limit, but it can become problematic later in life if the patient has any concurrent issues with dryness or other medical eye issues.

How about a lower limit?

Certainly we don't fit infants/small children for convenience/cosmetic reasons. But for very high prescriptions (no matter what the age), contact lenses actually do a better job at correcting vision than glasses. Some infants have worn contact lenses for that reason, and also because glasses would tend not to stay in place for them.

If you've had eye surgery, or have distorted or irregular shaped eyes, oxygen permeable contact lenses will usually do a better job of correcting your vision than soft contact lenses.

Fitting and follow-up of contact lenses and monitoring eye health - Contact lenses are medical devices, and they can change the health of your eyes. You should be examined at yearly intervals at least. Some patients do need more frequent care.

As you can see, contact lenses are no longer limited to those patients with pseudo-normal eyes. These days, the more pertinent question may be "who can't wear contact lenses."

I invite your questions and feedback

Or Contact Dr. Lee Newton at:
3720 E. Wilder Road, Bay City, MI
(989) 667-9393



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Dr. Lee Newton, Eye Care

Dr. Lee Newton has provided eye care services in Bay City ever since graduation from professional school. He and his family consider the Bay City area a great place to live, work, learn, and play!

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