It often happens that people with poor eyesight refuse to wear glasses. The reasons can be very different: from discomfort to dissatisfaction with their appearance in them. Alternatively, there are contact lenses for the eyes. There are many varieties of them. Lenses are used for myopia (or hyperopia), and astigmatism. In addition, this is a good option for children, which will help to avoid the development of complexes. However, it is important to know that the best eye lenses, reviews of which from doctors and acquaintances will be perfect, may not be right for you. Therefore, the first thing you need for a competent choice is a consultation with a specialist.
Types of Contact Lenses
According to the type of stiffness, hard and soft lenses are distinguished. The former stood at the origins of this type of vision correction, but today they are almost replaced by soft ones.
Despite this, it is with their help that astigmatism is corrected. Hard lenses for the eyes have a longer life. In addition, they are not exposed to the environment. But in terms of comfort, they are undoubtedly inferior to soft ones. Contact lenses are also divided according to the frequency of replacement. A pair can be changed from once a month to once a year. Of course, it’s more medically correct to bet on short wearing periods (up to three months). Such lenses for the eyes, reviews of specialists receive mostly positive, health problems when wearing them does not arise. For various diseases, the following types of corrective lenses are used:
- spherical (myopia, farsightedness);
- toric (astigmatism);
- bifocal (presbyopia).
Lenses or glasses?
The main advantages of contact lenses are excellent peripheral vision and the absence of distortion of objects. No matter how good the glasses are, they do not allow you to see what is on the sides. To do this, you should turn around, which is not very comfortable. In addition, glasses change the shape of our eyes and their appearance. Particular discomfort is felt by their owners in the cold season. Indeed, in winter, glasses often fog up; For these and many other reasons, lately, correction with soft contact lenses is gaining popularity among drivers. They are comfortable, hygienic, do not interfere with movement and do not limit the visual field. For drivers, correct vision correction is directly related to safety. Modern soft contact lenses PureVision2 HD provide high definition vision, the absence of glare and ghosting, especially at night, as well as excellent access of oxygen to the cornea of the eye.
disadvantages
Of course, like every medical device, contact lenses have their drawbacks. First of all, when wearing them, you need to be quite careful and strictly follow all the rules of use. Compared to glasses, lenses have a short life and require regular replacement. In addition, these are additional costs. If you wear products without taking off for a long time (or do not change them in time), then it is almost impossible to avoid the occurrence of eye inflammation, conjunctivitis.
Do contact lenses have contraindications?
The specialist will not prescribe lenses for such factors:
- inflammatory processes that are in the active stage;
- decreased tear formation;
- subluxation of the lens;
- glaucoma;
- strabismus (angle more than 15 °);
- asthma, respiratory diseases, rhinitis.
Difficulties may arise if a person has a tendency to allergic reactions. Dry eyes can occur when working in rooms in which a huge amount of chemicals or dust is concentrated.
Colored contact lenses
Today, eye lenses are in great demand. Reviews about them are positive mainly due to the aesthetic effect. Indeed, approximately every third woman dreams of a different eye color. The coloring matter that is used in their manufacture is completely safe. Colored eye lenses do not cause inflammatory or allergic reactions (with the exception of individual intolerance), they are not toxic. In addition to the cosmetic effect, such products can also correct medical imperfections. They are indispensable for clouding of the cornea. There are diseases that are accompanied by intolerance to sunlight. In this case, the lens is also useful. After an injury or surgery, defects of the iris often occur. Color lenses for eyes will help to correct such a drawback.
Types of Colored Lenses
All pigmented lenses are divided into two groups. The first includes tint products. They have a small fraction of the coloring matter and are practically transparent. It is impossible to radically change the color of the eyes with their help, but to correct the shade is quite real. For dark eyes, they do not fit. The second group is colored lenses for the eyes that have an opaque coating. That's it they are used to radically change the tone. There are both color correction lenses and non-diopter products.
Disadvantages of pigmented lenses
One of the main problems when wearing colored lenses is the deterioration of vision in dark rooms. After all, with the expansion of the pupil, part of it can be blocked by a lens (since the transparent area does not change in size). Naturally, this can significantly impair the perception of the surrounding space. Colored lenses are relatively thicker, so their wearing time is reduced to a few hours. Otherwise, inflammatory processes cannot be avoided. Another unpleasant situation that can occur with such products is that they can shift when blinking. This should be considered when choosing such lenses for the eyes. Reviews indicate that wearing them is undesirable when driving.
Orthokeratological lenses
A new word in vision correction is night lenses. They have several advantages. Orthokeratology (night correction) allows the regular use of special lenses to correct the shape of the cornea. This will make it possible to have perfect vision during the day . Night lenses for the eyes make the middle of the cornea flatter. This form of it is able to persist for 1-2 days. This correction method can stop progressive myopia in adolescents. This is a great alternative way for those who are contraindicated in soft lenses, as well as for athletes and people who lead an active lifestyle. Orthokeratology is also suitable for those who have constant contact with aggressive components. If the patient plans to resort to laser vision correction and wants to simulate the result, then night lenses will help him in this. However, do not forget that the effect is reversible, and in a day the vision will become as it was. Only regular use is able to give the desired result for every day. Such lenses for the eyes receive good reviews: addiction takes place after about a week, nothing prevents sleep, care is quite simple.
How to choose the right contact lenses
The most important rule when choosing methods of vision correction is consultation with an experienced specialist. He will check the state of vision and select exactly those lenses that will be suitable for your eye shape. Choosing a model, the doctor makes a fitting. You may need more than one pair of products, so that there is no discomfort when wearing. Then 10 minutes you will need to wait. After this time, the specialist re-examines the eyes, the position of the lenses on them. If they are selected correctly, then directly in the optics salon the patient will have to learn to put on and take off the products himself. An ophthalmologist will talk about how to properly care for lenses, how often to change and what to avoid. According to the recommendations, the duration of wearing should be increased gradually. On the first day, it will be enough to wear contact lenses for 2 hours, on the second - 4, gradually increasing to 10-12 hours. There are special lenses for sensitive eyes. They are made of biocompatible material and have good oxygen permeability. Moreover, such lenses are extremely thin, which makes them imperceptible to the eyes. If there is such a feature as increased sensitivity, then today, modern ophthalmology will offer many options for correcting vision. By the way, one-day lenses are also recommended for sensitive eyes.
Myths about harmfulness
The question of whether lenses are harmful to the eyes is of concern to many patients. However, with proper wear and regular replacement, the health risk is minimal. Following the doctor’s recommendations, their existence can be remembered only when the time comes to take them off. To eliminate the possibility of problems with the eyes, do not forget about hygiene. When putting on or removing lenses, hands should be thoroughly washed with soap. It is advisable to use a waffle towel to avoid sticking of small fibers. It is better to abandon the soap cream so that moisturizing oils do not remain on your hands. A portion of the disinfectant is designed only for 1 time. The product container must be in perfect cleanliness and must not be washed with running water. And you should forget about the habit of rubbing your eyes with your hands. In addition to being able to infect, there is a risk of damage to the lens. If a woman has to do makeup, then the lenses should be worn before starting this procedure. And only after removing them, you can begin to cleanse the face. Regular replacement of contact lenses (as well as containers), scheduled eye examinations will help to maintain eye health for a long time.