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contact lenses tips

Take Care of Your Eyesight With These Contact Lenses Tips

Contact Lenses Tips

The first image depicting what we now know as contact lenses appeared in a sketch pad belonging to the Italian mathematician and inventor, Leonardo de Vinci, in 1508. Contacts as we know them today, after much trial and error, found an accepted place for themselves in the 1980s. The Vision Impact Institute's research has found that three out of four people in the states have a need for vision corrections. Of that group, 71 percent wear prescription glasses, and 22 percent wear some type of contact lenses.

Finding the Right Contacts

Although you can find contact lenses almost anywhere, because your eyes are sensitive, you should take great care when making a selection. The first step in finding the right kind of contacts requires the help of a professional. An ophthalmologist is a specialist who can treat disorders and diseases of the eye. Ophthalmologists are trained and knows how to perform a routine eye exam and a contact lens exam. The exam measures the surface of the eye for the size and type of lenses you will need, and it will also test your eye's ability to produce enough tears to comfortably wear contacts.

Types of Contacts

Your contact lens exam will determine if you need a soft or hard contact. The name soft or hard is a reference to the material the lens is made from, and how it feels on the eye. Soft lenses are made from a mix of water and a pliable plastic that bends. The water allows oxygen to pass through the lens to the cornea. Hard lenses, also called a rigid gas permeable lens, is made of a more durable plastic and is more rigid. It too helps oxygen flow to the eye's cornea.

How Often Should Contacts Be Worn

Because contact lenses are placed directly on the eye, how long you wear the lens is important to your eye health. Daily contact lenses are usually the most affordable and the easiest to dispose of. They are worn every day and taken out at night to be cleaned and disinfected. Daily contact lenses are usually soft and should be replaced on a regular basis, anywhere from every two weeks to every six months.

Extended use contact lenses can be worn overnight, and you can safely sleep in them. They should be removed once a week for cleaning and disinfecting. Even though they can be worn for longer periods of time, extended use contacts lenses should be replaced on a two to three month schedule.

How To Care for Your Lenses

The use of contact lens solutions is an important part of your eye care. Contact lens solutions used for storing your lenses must be saline. Lenses should not be stored in water. Homemade saline solutions are not safe and should not be used.

Discount contact lenses online can be purchased and are the same name brands you can get from your doctor.