You know that contact lenses are a convenient alternative to traditional glasses. If you’ve been keeping up with our blog, you know how to care for them and what NOT to do.
You may even have an idea about how to choose the right type of contact lenses. But do you know how contact lenses work? How about which conditions they can be used to treat?
Do you have any idea how long contact lenses have been around for? In this blog, we’ll discuss these questions and more.
What are Contact Lenses Used for?
Contact lenses are used to treat and correct refractive errors—conditions where light doesn’t enter the eye the right way.
These conditions cause blurred vision, which can be made crisp and clear when corrected by the right lens.
Some of the most common conditions treatable by contact lenses include nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia, and astigmatism.
How Exactly do Contact Lenses Work?
Contact lenses work very similarly to traditional glasses. They change the way that light enters the eye so that it can focus on the retina like it should.
Contact lenses are made up of an optic zone, which is the center part that does the correcting. The outer, curved edges do not actually affect vision. They just help the lenses stick onto the eye better.
Contact lenses are held in place with the fluid produced by your eyes and move with your eyes. Because of the direct contact with your eye, they do not have as much corrective power as traditional glasses.
The History of Contact Lenses?
Contact lenses work very similarly to traditional glasses. They change the way that light enters the eye so that it can focus on the retina like it should.
Contact lenses are made up of an optic zone, which is the center part that does the correcting. The outer, curved edges do not actually affect vision. They just help the lenses stick onto the eye better.
Contact lenses are held in place with the fluid produced by your eyes and move with your eyes. Because of the direct contact with your eye, they do not have as much corrective power as traditional glasses.
The Many Types of Contact Lenses?
We’re going to talk about the four most common types of contact lenses. Each type of lens has its own advantages and disadvantages. You and your optometrist can work together to decide which of the following is best for your lifestyle:
Rigid Gas-Permeable (RGP) — These correct most vision problems and provide a clear, sharp image. They do require more maintenance than other types of lenses.
Daily-Wear Soft Lenses —These are comfortable and stay in place better than RGP lenses, but they do not correct all vision problems.
Extended-Wear —These can be worn for seven straight days without being removed, but they require regular care and monitoring.
Extended-Wear Disposable — These don’t require much cleaning (if any at all) and there is less of a risk for infection, but they may not produce as clear of a vision and cannot correct all vision problems.
Are you considering contact lenses as an alternative to traditional glasses? If you’ve never worn contact lenses before, you’ll need to have your eyes evaluated during a comprehensive eye exam. This will help ensure that you get the the right prescription and the right type of lenses for your eyes and lifestyle.
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