Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Dry Eyes and Contact Lenses Don't Have to be a Parched Pair

Contact lens wearers have long suffered from dry eyes, however dry eyes do not have to be a symptom you live with. There are many solutions to erasing dry eyes that allow you to enjoy wearing your contact lenses instead of dreading it.

Dry eyes can occur for a variety of reasons, some which may be attributable to contact wear and others can develop for other reasons. If your dry eyes are a result of contact wear or overwork, you can simply switch lenses or wear your lenses for shorter periods of time. However, if you have dry eye syndrome or an eye disease, your doctor probably has more suggestions for you.

First, you should determine why you have dry eyes. Is it environmental factors, related to contact wear, or something else? Once you know what you have you will better be able to treat it.

Artificial tears are often time the best remedy for dry eyes. Artificial tears are simply lubricating drops that will alleviate the scratchiness and dryness. The wonderful thing about artificial tears is you can use them as often as you like and they are easy to carry. If for some reason artificial tears do not work for you, then you probably need something stronger like Restasis drops. These drops help more than artificial tears because they actually stimulate your eye to produce more tears. When your eye has more tears you have less scratchiness and dryness.

If your dry eye problem is caused by the environment then there are several precautions you can take. First, use a humidifier indoors if the air is drying your eyes out and always wear sunglasses outside to reduce sunlight and debris.

If your dry eye problem still persists, you might need plugs to reduce your tears evaporating so quickly or eye duct surgery. Some optometrists have also found there are supplements available that contain fatty acids that protect against dry eyes.

Regardless of why you have dry eyes, talk with your optometrist to make sure you are handling the dry eye situation as best as possible.

Maria Gonzalez is webmaster of Contact Vision, a site dedicted to bringing you up to date information on vision related topics. For more great articles on contact lenses, LASIK eye surgery and vision problems, visit our Contact Lens Articles page

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Today, There Are Contact Lenses For Every Need: Vision, Colors, Health, and Style

New technology with computers, such as the introduction of the internet has really allowed people convenient and comfortable ways to shop. You can order just about anything over the internet, including ordering contact lenses online. Shopping on the internet is not only popular, but it is becoming more and more useful. Before you were able to purchase contacts online, one of the only ways to obtain your contacts was through your eye doctor. However, as wonderful and handy as it is to order your contact lens online, there are a few things you will want to take into account and remember.

Before you order contact lenses online, or anywhere for that matter, you must first ensure that you have an up to date prescription with you at all times. The only legal way to purchase contacts in the United States is with a valid prescription issued by your optometrist. It is not that you will be involved in any legal trouble if you don’t have a valid prescription and order contacts online, but you will be liable for anything that happens to your eyes. What could happen to your eyes you wonder? Well, if you wear contacts that are not fitted to the proper shape and size of your eye, you can cause damage to your vision; not to mention that they would feel most uncomfortable to wear. Remember, before you order contact lenses online and you haven’t had an eye examination in the last two years, see your optometrist first! You may find you need a new prescription.

The contact lenses online that you can purchase, are from a variety of popular brand names like Acuvue, Johnson & Johnson, FreshLook and Focus. Each of these brands have their own different contact lens product that they sell for the different conditions of peoples eyes. For example, you can purchase the contact lens online that is called toric. Toric contact lenses are for those who suffer from astigmatism. You can also obtain contacts online that are for bifocal correction, or that color your eyes. Colored contact lenses online come in many varieties of brands and colors. These are one of the most popular of the contact lens online to be ordered. The reason for this is because they are designed for everyone to wear; those who have perfect 20/20 vision can purchase them. It is for this very reason why you should have your eyes checked, even if your vision is perfect. Remember, wearing colored contacts that do not properly fit the shape of your eye can be damaging.

Be a smart shopper when you purchase your contact lenses online. Learn about all of the great discounts that you can receive. Use your critical thinking skills when ordering contact lenses online, and you won’t ever need to worry about what you wear in your eyes!


Monday, March 9, 2009

What You Should Know Before You Get Contact Lenses

There are a number of reasons why so many people around the world suffer from vision deterioration old age, disease of the retina, cornea to name but a few. To help with vision around 1284 in Italy, Salvino D'Armate inventing the first wearable eyeglasses but vision aids where around much longer D’Armate design was very similar to what is still available today.

Who invented Contact Lenses?

Leonardo da Vinci sketched and described several forms of contact lenses in 1508, and in 1632 Rene Descartes suggested the possibility of a corneal contact lens. Adolph Fick first thought of making glass contact lenses in 1888, but it took until 1948 when Kevin Tuohy invented the soft plastic lens for contacts to become a reality.

What If I Want To Use Contacts

If you’ve been wearing spectacles and have never used contact lenses there are a number of things you need to do.

1. Make an appointment with your eye care specialised, a regular eye test can help detect eye diseases before you notice the effect on your sight. Early treatment can often prevent your sight form getting worse

2. When you go for your eye test you should take with you any glasses that you wear, the names of any medicine you are taking and the name of your doctor if needed.

3. Your eye care specialised should discuss your eye test results and your eye health with you. Don't be afraid to ask questions about any aspect of your eye test.

So What Types Are Available?

Soft Contact lenses: Are made from oxygen permeable, which is a water-loving plastic. They contain between 30 and 80 per-cent water, depending on the type of lens. Many people enjoy the comfort of soft lenses they are easy to adapt to and fit both comfortably and securely.

Toric lenses: Patients who are diagnosed with astigmatism are normally prescribed toric contact lenses.

Disposable Contact lenses: These are good as they decrease the possibilities of a contact lens wearer getting infected, after a prescribed period of time, the lenses are thrown away and replaced with a new pair.

Gas Permeable lenses: Made of special firmer plastics, which are permeable to oxygen, these lenses are very durable and usually have a longer life span than soft lenses. Many people prefer them and find them easier to handle than soft lenses.

Safety Practices

There are safety measures for choosing, applying, and wearing contacts which you can follow to protect your eyes and provide for long-term, problem-free contact lens wear, including:

There are a number of safety measures to remember when using contact lenses

1. Make sure you wash your hands before inserting or removing your contact lenses.

2. Never borrow or lend your contact lenses to anybody else.

3. Always clean the contact lenses with the solution provided to ward off infection and to cleanse it of protein enzyme deposits.

4. If your contact lens gets torn or damaged, replace it immediately.

Not everybody can wear contact lenses if your prone to eye infection you may not be able to wear them, if your eyes sting, burn or itch you may be experiencing the common signs of "dry eye." A feeling of something foreign within the eye or general discomfort may also signal dry eye. This may require a visit to your eye care specialised.

If I have problem like dry-eye can I wear contact lenses?

You’re may not have success with contact lenses than someone who does not have this condition. This of course does not mean that you cannot wear contact lenses at all. It basically means you may have a shorter contact lens wearing period than normal or you may have to wear your lenses only occasionally.

There is help available if needed you can make wearing contacts more comfortable by inserting eye lubrication drops. But, make sure you consult you eye care specialised beforehand to get advise.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Contact Lenses which includes Bifocal Contact Lenses, Toric Contact Lenses, and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

A Beginner's Guide to Colored Contact Lenses

Today, colored contact lenses has slowly become a fashion that aims to change your appearance. As the old saying goes, 'Eyes are the window to the soul'. With just a pair of colored contact lenses, you have the ability to transform your appearance with a pair of captivating eyes. Therefore, do not under-estimate the impact of a pair of colored contact lenses can really make. Today, colored contact lenses are not only used for cosmetic reason only but it can be used for people who has astigmatism and presbyopia problem.

Color contact lenses work by filtering all the color in the light except the desired color. There are few different categories of colored contact lenses:

Opaque lenses

Opaque lenses can dramatically change the natural color of your eyes regardless of how dark is your eyes color. It has a solid colored 'ring' that covers the iris while leaving a clear hole in the center to let the light passes through. Majority of colored contact lenses are opaque.

Enhancement tint

Enhancement tints lenses are translucent and are used to enhance your natural eye color (therefore, it also known as enhancer tints). If your natural eye color is dark color, enhancement tints lenses will be hard to make the color change visible. Therefore, enhancement tints lenses are recommended for light colored eyes only.

Visibility tints

Visibility tints do not change the eye color at all. It is slighted tinted for handling purpose so that you can remove and insert the lenses better. Also, it helps to find your contact lenses more easily if they are dropped or misplaced.

Light Filtering tints

Light filtering tints is the latest development in colored contact lenses. It is designed mainly to be used in sport such as tennis, golf or baseball. Light filtering tints can enhance certain colors while muting other colors. As a result, it is easier to target the balls that stands out against the background. For example, tennis players wearing light yellow or gold tint colored contact lenses would track the ball more easily by brightening the background. Recently, Nike's MaxSight Sport-Tinted contact lenses is the latest sport contact lenses that aims at athletes who are reluctant to use sunglasses due to fogging, scratching or inconvenience. This tinted contact lenses will give a devilish red-eyed appearance that function much like sunglasses by cutting down on glare.

Colored contact lenses are available as extended wear, disposable and daily disposable. Majority of colored contact lenses come in the form of soft lenses which are usually comfortable to wear and easy to adjust even for the first timer. In general, colored contact lenses are fun and safe to wear. However, if you feel uncomfortable and experience some irritation, you should contact your eye care practitioner immediately.

With continuing technology improvement in contact lenses industry, the price of contact lenses has become so affordable that you can simply try out various color contact lenses. You will probably look great on the popular bright blue eyes that everyone loves. Or you can try the green or lavender color contact lenses that create the exotic look. There are so many colored contact lenses to choose from that you probably have to try them all on to find the color that match your skin and hair tones.

Color contact lens is a fast growing market. Many large contact lenses manufacturers are producing a variety of new design and colors contact lenses every few months. In other words, you have more options to choose now. At present, Wesley-Jessen (acquired by CIBA Vision in 2000) is the market leader in colored contact lenses. They have produced a popular range of Freshlook colorblends contact lenses. In addition, you can also find wide selection of other popular colored contact lenses such as Acuvue 2 Colors, Focus Softcolors, Durasoft 2 Colorblends, CibaSoft SoftColors and many more.

Internet is an excellent place where you can buy colored contact lenses online. Unlike local eye-care shops, you are not geographically restricted to buy contact lenses online. Moreover, it is convenient and easy to make price and product comparison on the web that help you to save times and money. If you are looking to buy cheap colored contact lenses, online market is the right place for you. On the Internet, you can find many online stores with large collection of cheap colored contact lenses. But before you make your purchase, you should only order from reputable online contact lenses stores that offer money back guarantee or full refund should you not satisfy with your purchase.

Andrew is the owner of Color Contact Lenses Guide, a website that provides informational guide to colored contact lenses - how to choose the right colored contact lenses, where to buy discount colored contact lenses online, how to get free color contact lenses and more. Visit his website at:http://www.find-colored-contact-lenses.com