Laser Surgery For Eyes Glasses and Contact Lenses

What do all those numbers on my glasses prescription mean?
Your glasses prescription contains all the information needed to place your prescription into a pair of frames. It shows if you are nearsighted, farsighted, or if you have astigmatism. It also indicates how much power is needed to correct your vision. Other information shows if the glasses are single vision, bifocals, trifocals, or no-line bifocals. Various tints or coatings the doctor recommends may also be indicated on your prescription.

What does 20/20 vision mean, or 20/40, etc.?
The top number in the equation always represents the distance at which your vision was tested. The bottom number indicates the size of the smallest letters read at that given test distance. In simplest terms, a measurement of 20/40 means you can only see at 20 feet what someone with 20/20 vision can see at 40 feet.

Glasses	Contact Lenses
Advantages and Disadvantages of Contact Lenses

Why do doctors and opticians recommend sunglasses with UV coatings?

UV coatings are recommended to filter out harmful ultra violet rays from the sun that may promote aging changes in the eye. Sunglasses also help to reduce eyestrain and glare, providing clearer, more comfortable vision outdoors.

Are there scratchproof lenses?

No lens material or coating claims to be scratch proof. While glass is the hardest material to scratch, it is also 2x heavier and prone to shattering. Scratch resistant coatings are usually placed on the front surface of plastic lenses and provide a lens surface that is twice as hard to scratch as regular plastic.

My glasses are heavy, what can I do to make them lighter and more comfortable?

There are several ways to reduce the weight of new glasses. A smaller frame is often all that is needed. New titanium frame materials provide the utmost in comfort and strength while being the lightest material available. High index lenses for high prescription powers also help reduce lens thickness and weight by 25 - 30%.

What are multifocal lenses?

Some individuals require two or more different lens corrections for effective seeing at different distances. Combining the two or more needed corrections in one pair of lenses is a way to meet the specific visual needs of each individual.

A multifocal lens is a lens that contains two or more different powers or corrections. The most common multifocal lenses are bifocals (two powers) and trifocals (three powers). Quadrafocals, which are four different powers in one lens, are prescribed for special purposes. Another type of multifocal lens, the progressive additional lens, is designed to provide clear vision from far to reading distance without break or interruption. They contain no dividing lines between the different viewing sections.

Over 24 million people choose contact lenses to correct vision. When used with care and proper supervision, contacts are a safe and effective alternative to eyeglasses. And with today's new lens technology, many people who wear eyeglasses can also successfully wear contacts.

Contacts are thin, clear discs that float on the tear film that coats the cornea. Contacts correct the same refractive conditions eyeglasses correct: myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (an oval rather than round-shaped cornea).

The majority of people can tolerate contact lenses, but there are some exceptions. Conditions that might prevent an individual from successfully wearing contact lenses include dry eye, severe allergies, frequent eye infections, or a dusty and dirty work environment.

Individuals who wear any type of contact lens overnight have a greater chance of developing infections in the cornea. These infections are often due to poor cleaning and lens care.

Reasons To Consider Contact Lenses:

Contact lenses move with your eye, allow a natural field of view, have no frames to obstruct your vision, and greatly reduce distortions.
They do not fog up, like glasses, nor do they get splattered by mud or rain.
Contact lenses do not get in the way of your activities.
Many people feel they look better in contact lenses.
Contact lenses, compared to eyeglasses, generally offer better sight.

Some Things To Remember About Contact Lenses:

Contact lenses, when compared with glasses, require a longer initial examination, more follow-up visits to maintain eye health, and more time for lens care.
If you are going to wear your lenses successfully, you will have to clean and store them properly, adhere to lens wearing schedules, and make appointments for follow-up care.
If you are wearing disposable or planned replacement lenses, you will have to carefully follow the schedule for disposing your used lenses.

Can I wear contact lenses if I need bifocals or reading glasses?
Yes. Bifocal contact lenses continue to improve and work very well for some. Other options include monovision or wearing reading glasses in addition to your contacts.

Can I wear contact lenses if I have astigmatism?
Yes. Soft toric and rigid gas-permeable contact lenses provide excellent vision for almost anyone with astigmatism.

I just got my contacts. Why do they bother my eyes so much?
Each type of lens requires a certain adjustment period and may feel uncomfortable in the beginning. It may take a few days before soft lenses will feel comfortable, and from two weeks to a month before complete adjustment to hard lenses is reached.

During this period, patients may experience sight irritation of eyes, tearing, increased blinking, sensitivity to light, and occasional visual blur. These symptoms should disappear as adapation takes place. Individuals with dry eyes may have more difficulty adapting to and wearing contacts.

Contact lenses can be made from a number of different plastics. The main distinction among them is whether they are hard or soft. Most contact lens wearers in the United States prefer to wear soft lenses. These may be daily wear soft lenses, extended wear lenses, or disposable lenses. Toric soft lenses provide a soft lens alternative for people with slight to moderate astigmatism.

Hard lenses are usually less comfortable than soft lenses and are not as widely used. However, rigid gas permeable lenses provide sharper vision for people with higher refractive errors or larger degrees of astigmatism.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Contact Lenses

Lens Types

Advantages

Disadvantages

Rigid gas-permeable (RGP)

Made of slightly flexible plastics that allow oxygen to pass through to the eyes.
Excellent vision... short adaptation period... comfortable to wear... correct most vision problems... easy to put on and to care for... durable with a relatively long life... available in tints (for handling purposes) and bifocals. Require consistent wear to maintain adaptation... can slip off center of eye more easily than other types... debris can easily get under the lenses... requires office visits for follow-up care.

Daily-wear soft lenses

Made of soft, flexible plastic that allows oxygen to pass through to the eyes.
Very short adaptation period... more comfortable and more difficult to dislodge than RGP lenses... available in tints and bifocals... great for active lifestyles. Do not correct all vision problems... vision may not be as sharp as with RGP lenses... require regular office visits for follow-up care... lenses soil easily and must be replaced.

Extended-wear

Available for overnight wear in soft or RGP lenses.
Can usually be worn up to seven days without removal. Do not correct all vision problems... require regular office visits for follow-up care... increases risk of complication... requires regular monitoring and professional care.

Extended-wear disposable

Soft lenses worn for an extended period of time, from one to six days and then discarded.
Require little or no cleaning... minimal risk of eye infection if wearing instructions are followed... available in tints and bifocals... spare lenses available. Vision may not be as sharp as RGP lenses... do not correct all vision problems... handling may be more difficult.

Planned replacement

Soft daily wear lenses that are replaced on a planned schedule, most often either every two weeks, monthly or quarterly.
Require simplified cleaning and disinfection... good for eye health... available in most prescriptions. Vision may not be as sharp as RGP lenses... do not correct all vision problems... handling may be more difficult.

Looking to purchase contact lenses? Visit LensPrice.com

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