See Our Contact Lenses
Everyday, millions of people wear contact lenses to help them see clearly.
Everyday, millions of people wear contact lenses to help them see clearly. There have been numerous advancements in both lens materials and designs, allowing most individuals to wear contact lenses successfully. As a result, there are more contact lens choices available than in the past.
If you have worn contact lenses in the past but discontinued use due to discomfort or unacceptable visual results, it may be time to revisit your options. Your eye care professional will help you select the best option for you based on the health and shape of your eyes, the type of correction you require, your previous contact lens experience, your tear production and your lifestyle.
According to recent surveys, 90% of people use digital devices for two or more hours each day, while 60% use digital devices for five or more hours each day.
Types of Contact Lens
Soft Contact Lenses
Soft contact lenses are the most common type and account for over 85% of contact lenses dispensed. Traditional soft contact lenses are made of soft plastic polymers and water. They allow oxygen to permeate through the lens material to the cornea. The advantages of soft contacts are that they are almost instantly comfortable and come in many different prescriptions and designs.
Disposable Lenses
Disposable contact lenses are soft lenses designed to be discarded on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. By replacing lenses on a regular basis, long-term protein deposits (which can affect vision, comfort, and the health of the eyes) do not build up. They are convenient and require less maintenance than traditional soft lenses. It is important that disposable contacts be replaced at their designated time to avoid eye infection. Disposable lenses are available in most prescriptions.
Tinted or Cosmetic Contact Lenses
Tinted contact lenses are soft lenses that enable most patients to change the color of their iris (the colored portion of their eye). These lenses are available in many exciting colors and can provide a subtle or dramatic change in the appearance of your eyes. They are not available for all prescriptions.
Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses
Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) or just Gas Permeable (GP) lenses are sometimes mistaken for the old-fashioned hard contact lenses but are more pliable, more comfortable and most importantly, allow oxygen to the cornea. In fact, gas permeable lenses transmit more oxygen to the cornea than do traditional soft contact lenses. Because gas permeable lenses are rigid, they do not change their shape when you blink and can offer sharper vision than soft contacts. They are much more durable than soft lenses and because they do not contain water, proteins and lipids do not adhere to them as easily as with soft lenses.
The biggest disadvantage to GP lenses is that they are not immediately comfortable like with soft lenses. In general, they take 3 to 4 days to adapt to and they need to be worn regularly (although not every day) to achieve maximum comfort. Also, because they are smaller in size, they can dislodge from the eye more easily than soft lenses.
Multifocal Contact Lenses
Multifocal contact lenses, similar to progressive glasses have more than one power to allow an individual to have clear vision, near and far. They are available in both soft lens and gas permeable lens designs. Another alternative to multifocal contacts is monovision correction. With these lenses, one eye is used for distance and the other eye for near or reading vision. Both of these lens types require more time from the doctor for fitting. They also require more time for the patient to adapt to.
Toric Contact Lenses
Toric contact lenses are designed to correct for astigmatism. They are available in both soft and gas permeable designs. Toric lenses are more difficult to fit and generally require more time from the patient and doctor for fitting and adaptation.