If you’ve worn glasses all of your life, the idea of contact lenses can be a daunting one at first. Or perhaps your sight has just started to deteriorate and you want to know what your other options are. Here, we answer some of the most common questions people have about contact lenses and how they could make a difference to your life.
What are contact lenses? Contact lenses are thin circles of plastic that are placed into your eyes using the tip of your finger and are designed to correct a person’s sight. Prototypes of the contact lens date back over five centuries and are nowadays an increasingly popular alternative to glasses.
How do they work? Contact lenses stay in place via the moisture in your eye. They work in a similar way to glasses by adjusting your eye’s natural lens and correcting it to how it would be in a person with no sight problems. Although most people use contact lenses to correct a problem with their vision, you can also buy cosmetic ones to change the colour of your eyes; these are favoured by people who want to change their image.
Do they hurt? You might be wary the first time that you use contact lenses, as it can feel unnatural putting something into your eye, but it is something that gets easier with practice. If inserted correctly, you should not be able to feel contact lenses at all, as they are thin and sit comfortably on the surface of your eye, kept moist by the eye itself.
How often should I change contact lenses? This depends on the type of lenses you are using. Disposable lenses are designed to be changed daily but thrown away, whilst some are to be changed but reused and others can be left in for a prolonged period of time. It is important to check with your optician or healthcare provider, to find out how often you should change the specific lenses you have been given.
What are my other options? Of course contact lenses aren’t the only option if you are looking to improve your vision. Many people are now opting for laser eye surgery as a permanent solution to their impaired sight. Optimax offers laser eye surgery and you can visit the site for information about how the procedure works, whether it is the right option for you and any other questions you may have. There is always the option of sticking to glasses while you make a decision about what you wish to do, and these days there are so many fashionable styles out there, that there’s something to suit everyone.