Contact Lenses 101
by: Briana Liebmann
Contact lenses are a great alternative to glasses. Many people who live an active lifestyle have enjoyed the ease and convenience of contacts now for many years. Today, there is an extensive choice to best fit your need.
Contacts now have so many options; it may seem a bit overwhelming to find the right pair for you. In truth, there are a few things you should know when shopping for contacts. But when done right, you will find much better prices and varieties than your optometrist could provide.
After a visit to your eye doctor, you can ask for a prescription of your eyes. This little sheet of paper will tell you everything you want to know about the shape, size, and power of your eyes. First, you will need to decipher the abbreviations on your prescription
PWR: this is the strength in diopters your new lenses must have in order to sharpen your sight to an acceptable level.
BC: Known as back curvature, this number indicates the shape of your cornea and helps with overall fit and comfort.
DIA: The distance in milliliters across your contact lenses
CYL: For those of you with astigmatism, this measures how advanced it is.
AXIS: Also for astigmatism patients, this helps the contacts correct the oval shape of your cornea.
ADD: For bifocal users, this will show the additional strength in the section of your contacts used for reading or close viewing.
COLOR: If you have chosen contacts that will enhance or change your eye color, your desired color will be shown here.
BRAND: If your doctor has prescribed a certain brand for you, in most cases, retailers are required to sell you only that brand.
Now that you know what your prescription means, you can now shop for the best contacts for you, there are some things to note though. After talking to your doctor, you should be aware if you need soft or gas permeable contacts.
Soft contacts are quite common and take less time for your eyes to adjust to. Because they contain anywhere from 25% to 79% water, they are more comfortable but less durable. Some also allow you to sleep in them. Soft contacts are generally replaced more often than gas permeable lenses. The life expectancy of soft contacts vary from once a day to once every few months. This factor depends on upkeep and how sensitive your eyes are.
Gas permeable lenses are made from a rigid silicone which is considerably more durable and longer lasting. In the long run, gas permeables are slightly more expensive up front but less expensive over time since one pair will last a couple of years compared to soft contacts lasting an average of around a month.
A new craze today is color changing or enhancing contacts. Some people add this feature to their already existing prescription and some even buy them simply for decoration. Color can come in a variety of intensities.
Tinted contacts have a visible tint meant to enhance the natural color of your eyes. this type looks best on light colored eyes.
Color tints have an opaque solid color pattern around the center of the lens which can dramatically change eye color. The color pattern is based off of natural color occurrences in the iris. The center is clear so you can see. These lenses come in colors such as blue, hazel, green, and even violet.
Costume tints have been used in movies for special eye effects and are now available to the general public. Options include white-out, spiral, cheetah, and alien. These are obviously not for everyone.
With this information, shopping for the best contacts can be a fun and rewarding experience. You are almost guaranteed a better price and more ease than conventional ordering from your optometrist. The best way to find the best prices is to browse around and compare prices. Be careful of scammers and stay with reliable companies.
About The Author
Briana Liebmann is an original content writer for http://www.youseekit.com which features original articles on a variety of topics.
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Contact Lenses in Silicone Hydrogel ? the Vision of the Future?
Contact Lenses in Silicone Hydrogel ? the Vision of the Future?
by: Dr Bianca Tavares
Contact lenses manufactured from silicone hydrogel represent the most important advance in soft contact lens technology in recent years. Wearers would obviouly prefer lenses they can sleep in with total safety, so it was only a matter of time before the industry developed a safe product for continuous wear. After years of ongoing development and testing, such lenses are now readilly available for everone to wear at an affordable price. This article looks at what?s so special about silicone hydrogel lenses and why they might be just the right choice for you.
YEARS IN DEVELOPMENT
The concept of lenses made from silicone hydrogel was first proposed over 20 years ago. The potential benefits were clear but the technological challenge was as difficult as needing to combine oil and water to produce an optically clear product. Researcher organizations have to date...
Contact Lenses in Silicone Hydrogel ? the Vision of the Future?
Contact lenses > Contact Lenses in Silicone Hydrogel ? the Vision of the Future?
What Is Refractive Eye Surgery?
What Is Refractive Eye Surgery?
by: Gray Rollins
Refractive eye surgery is a type of eye surgery that is used to rectify refractive errors of the eye and decrease dependency on corrective lenses such as eyeglasses and contact lenses. Successful refractive procedures can reduce myopia or nearsightedness, hyperopia or farsightedness, and astigmatism or elongated corneas. A number of different procedures exist for refractive eye surgery depending upon the type and severity of the refractive error.
There are four main types of refractive eye surgery procedures: flap and photoablation procedures; corneal incision procedures; thermal procedures; and implants. Currently, the most common refractive eye surgeries involve the use of lasers to reshape the cornea.
Flap procedures involve cutting a small flap in the cornea so that the tissue underneath can be reshaped to correct the refractive error. LASIK, short for Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis,...
What Is Refractive Eye Surgery?
Contact lenses > What Is Refractive Eye Surgery?
The Five-Minute Beauty Regimen
The Five-Minute Beauty Regimen
by: Hilary Drewlik
Instant Every Day Beauty Tips
With hectic schedules and multiple-roles women feel pressed for time. Even for some basic makeup when you are on the go. However, you can do with some get-set-go beauty tips not just for the morning but also anytime during the day. Touch up your face and perk up your spirits and personality. It is a good break from the ever-hectic life.
For instance, a concealing stick or a bit of powder is a sure shot solution for dark spots and blemishes. It does not't take long to apply, especially if you are working on specific areas only. Just make sure you use a product that closely matches your natural skin color. If you have red eyes, use Visine drops that can be used with contact lenses as well.
There is no reason to hide your eyes with a ton of eye shadow and mascara. Simply choose a color that complements your outfit and only apply one layer of mascara....
The Five-Minute Beauty Regimen
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Vitrectomy Recovery - The Aftermath of Eye Surgery
Vitrectomy Recovery - The Aftermath of Eye Surgery
by: Charlie Cory
They eyes are very sensitive. I cannot imagine anyone not cringing at the thought of eye surgery. Anyone who has experienced a vitrectomy will have experienced what it is like to have partial sight. So, vitrectomy recovery is something which needs your very careful attention, if you want to achieve the best possible results from your eye surgery.
A vitrectomy is a procedure to remove the vitreous from the eye. The vitreous is a colourless gel-like substance which fills the space behind the len of the eye, and is attached on all sides to the wall of the eye, the lens and the retina.
The vitreous must remain clear to maintain a clarity of vision, and if anything causes the vitreous to lose clarity, then a vitrectomy can be performed to remedy the situation and to try and improve the quality of vision for the patient.
A vitrectomy can also be performed if any damage...
Vitrectomy Recovery - The Aftermath of Eye Surgery
Contact lenses > Vitrectomy Recovery - The Aftermath of Eye Surgery