For me, contact lenses spell FREEDOM. Free from a frame’s pressure on my nose and temples, free from any distortions in my peripheral vision, and freedom from any minification or magnification effect that comes along with the optics of a spectacle lens.
A well fitted and comfortable lens is an ahhhhh moment for many of us. Here are a few benefits of contact lenses:
- A contact lens sitting on your eye greatly reduces the magnification and minification effect of large prescriptions so that you actually see the appropriate size of the world around you.
- Hugely beneficial for young children after congenital cataract surgery so they do not need to wear a massive plus prescription glasses.
- great for kids with large unequal prescriptions between their eyes so that both eyes have similar image size, allowing the brain to fuse them and therefore able to help with amblyopia (lazy eye).
- Excellent option for those that suddenly can’t read up close anymore…that dreaded presbyopia that hits around age 40. Monovision and multifocal contact lens options are incredible and have created some life changing moments in our office.
- Great way to check out what type of implant prescription works best prior to cataract surgery.
- Being able to wear non-prescription sunglasses. Wrapped sunglasses are often not an option for high prescriptions.
- Colour contact lenses can cover up any iris malformations such as iris colobomas or damage from injuries.
- Transition contact lenses that turn into a sunglass tint on your eye which we have found great for cyclists as they go in and out of different lighting conditions.
Contact lens technology is improving at warp speed. The best option is a daily disposable lens as these provide the thinnest lens material, highest oxygen transmission, best comfort, and significantly reduces the risk of infection that a 2 week or monthly disposable contact lens exposes you to. The latest contact lenses have components in them that contain antibacterial and antifungal particles to keep those lenses super clean while you are wearing them. Some lenses even have nutrients in them that increase telomere length in cells, reducing cell death and keeping your own cells younger and healthier.
Sometimes a 2-week disposable or monthly disposable contact lens is necessary if your lens parameters do not come in a daily disposable option. Technology in lens cleaners have also increased tremendously with antibacterial and antifungal plus the necessary chemistry to keep your microvilli functioning so that you don’t dry out your eyes. This is why you want to use the solution recommended by your eyecare provider (those no name brands use pool cleaning chemicals…not the best for your eyes!).
For those of you interested in the environmental impact of daily disposables vs a multi-use disposable lens you will be pleasantly surprised that a daily disposable lens is better. Multi-use needs a plastic lens case and plastic bottles from solutions. The lens waste from daily disposable contacts is about 9.125 grams per year, glasses produce around 35 grams. This means that one pair of eyeglasses makes as much waste as a four-year supply of daily disposable contact lenses. What’s more, most glasses are made of hard plastic which is very difficult to recycle.
Fortunately, terracycle has partnered with Bausch & Lomb to provide a recycling program for ALL contact lenses, foils, and packaging. We are super pleased to offer this through our clinic. So, are there times in your daily life where your glasses get in the way? If
So, we are thrilled to have you experience the freedom a contact lens can provide! Call us to book in!
