Contact lenses are small plastic discs that correct visual problems much like glasses do. In 1837, Swiss physician Dr. Fick and optician Edouard Kalt developed the first glass contact lens. Today, the contact lens can change your eye color as well...
Contact lenses offer an attractive alternative for those who have vision defects but prefer not to wear glasses. There are a wide variety of different contact lenses on the market. Some are geared to special vision needs, others offer...
The method used for making contact lenses often is dependent upon the type of contact lens. There are three chief contact lens types: soft, gas permeable or hybrid lenses. Soft contact lenses are made in order to retain their flexible properties...
Allergic eye disease is a broad term that encompasses several different types of eye conditions. All of these conditions involve irritation and inflammation of the conjunctiva. The most common conditions---seasonal and perennial allergic...
When you are told by your eye doctor that you need contact lenses, you may need to decide between hard contact lenses and soft contact lenses. Traditional hard contact lenses made from glass or polymethyl methacrylateas (PMMA) are mostly obsolete,...
Contact lenses are a convenient alternative to traditional eyeglasses and can be used to improve vision whether you are nearsighted or farsighted. Several types of lenses are available, including disposable, extended wear, bifocal and colored...
Contact lenses are small, disc-shaped pieces of plastic that are placed on the surface of the eye. They are worn primarily to provide vision correction for several eye problems. Contact lenses are often chosen as an alternative to eyeglasses...
Choosing and using the right contact solution for lenses is crucial for the health and safety of your eyes. The University of Michigan's Kellogg Eye Center notes that contact lenses must be cleaned and disinfected properly to remove germs and...
Toric contact lenses correct astigmatism caused by a slightly irregular-shaped cornea. They differ from regular lenses in that toric contact lenses have two powers: one to correct astigmatism, the other to correct near-sightedness or...
Eye contact lenses were first developed in the 1960s, and have continually improved. The early contact lenses were known as hard contact lenses. That is, these lenses were rigid. They were made of a plastic called polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)....
Soft contact lenses are the most popular type of contact lens prescribed in the United States. Toric contacts are a type of lens that corrects for astigmatism, a common vision problem. Any type of contact lens may become dried out or feel stuck on...
The cornea, the clear covering over the front of the eye, normally has a dome shape. When keratoconus develops, the dome-shaped part of the cornea thins, causing it to become cone shaped. Because the cornea refracts light, any change in its shape...
There are several methods you can use to avoid blinking when inserting a soft contact lens. A contact lens is a medical device and should not be used unless done so under the supervision of an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. Your eye doctor...
The purpose of the inner layer or the endothelium of the cornea is to pump the fluid out of the cornea and keep it clear. When the endothelial cells stop working, the cornea swells; this is called corneal edema. The endothelial cells can be...
Wearing multifocal contact lenses gives individuals the ability to focus through different strength prescriptions, but through the same lens. The technology uses a single lens for each eye rather than multiple lenses. One of the most common types...
The eye is frequently assaulted by bacteria that cause infection. The defenses of the eye are normally able to keep foreign invaders out. Still, bacterial infections can and do occur both on the surface of the eye and deep inside the eye....
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), nearsightedness (myopia) is a vision impairment in which faraway objects are out of focus but objects near the eyes are clearly viewed. Nearsightedness is caused by either an excessively long...
More than 38 million Americans wear contact lenses and many wear gas permeable or RGP lenses, according to the American Optometric Association. Gas permeable contact lenses are made from a firm plastic that allows oxygen to get to the cornea,...
Contact lenses are as diverse as the patients that wear them. What type of contact lens one patient ranks as number one versus what another patient likes best is an individual choice. Some patients' eyes will only tolerate single use lenses while...
Toric contact lenses, designed for people who have astigmatism (irregularly shaped cornea), are similar to ordinary soft and RGP (Rigid Gas Permeable) lenses. In fact, the only difference is the shape. Toric contact lenses curve at different...
Contact lenses provide flexibility eyeglasses cannot give to those with vision issues. There are a variety of lenses manufactured for a variety of sight problems, as well as for cosmetic purposes. Almost everyone is now a candidate for some type...
Itching, burning eyes are not just from allergies. Although millions of people wear contact lenses without difficulty, dangerous complications, including conjunctivitis and sensitivity to lens solutions, can cause devastating results, even loss of...
Colored contact lenses, whether you've chosen them to correct your vision or just to change your eye color, are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA recommends that you use the same hygiene measures to care for colored...
If you wear contact lenses that are not designed to be worn overnight, your optometrist has probably warned you against sleeping in them. Sleeping in contact lenses may harbor bacteria or scrape the eye, causing an infection. If you experience eye...
Contact lenses can cause a variety of eye disorders, depending on the type of contact lens worn, cleaning solutions, hygiene, fit and wearing schedule. According to “The Eye Book,” complications that are caused by contact lenses are...
Hard contact lenses are different than the type of lens most commonly worn today. Most soft lenses are designed for comfort and are usually more durable than hard contact lenses. But if you have astigmatism or are particular about the quality of...
Whether for comfort or for economy, you may want to change your contact lens solution for a different brand or formula. Contact lens solution is typically made of the same materials, namely salt and water, for every brand, according to GP Contact...
