With a contact lens prescription in hand, it's possible to buy your contact lenses from stores, the Internet, over the phone, or by mail. There are 75 million contact lens wearers worldwide and 31 million in the U.S. alone. Now it's easy to order the perfect contact lenses online at a great discount.



Be careful about buying cheap contact lenses, they may not be the quality you want; discounted quality contact lenses are the most desirable. The choice of which lens is right for you should be based only on an examination by your doctor or eye care professional, not over the phone.

Soft lenses have the added benefit in that soft lenses aren't as likely as rigid lenses to pop out or get foreign material like dust underneath. People who have good distance vision but need help for reading can get a monovision reading lens for one eye. Extended wear lenses are usually soft contact lenses; made of flexible plastics that allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea.

Rigid lenses don't absorb chemicals, unlike soft lenses which will soak up residue from your hands like soap or lotion. There are several types of lenses including: soft contact lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses, extended wear lenses and disposables. Soft contact lenses are made of soft, flexible plastics that allow for oxygen to pass through to the cornea.

The length of continuous lens wear depends on the lens type and your doctor's evaluation of your tolerance for overnight wear. Disposable lenses don't come with instructions for cleaning and disinfecting, while those labeled specifically for planned replacement do. Rigid gas permeable lenses tend to be less expensive over the life of the lens since they last longer than soft lenses.

Check out how long the online supplier has been in business before you buy. You can buy contact lenses from an eye doctor, on the Internet, from an optical store or a warehouse club. Check to see if you have a health insurance plan that includes vision coverage.

Make sure you have a current, valid prescription when you order contact lenses. When you place your order make sure your lenses are available and not out of stock, because you'll need them now. Beware of attempts to substitute a brand different from the one you want when buying contacts.

Carefully check to make sure the company gives you the exact brand you ordered, the name of the lens, the power, sphere, cylinder, if any, axis, if any, diameter base curve, and peripheral curves, if any. Rebates may be available from the seller, from the manufacturer, for first-time contact lens wearers and for individuals who buy lenses and get an eye exam. If you have an insurance plan, the insurance plan's seller's prices may or may not be better than what you can find elsewhere; this should be just one option when you're shopping for lenses.

One sight-threatening concern is the infection Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is caused by improper lens care; this difficult-to-treat parasitic infection's symptoms are similar to those of corneal ulcers. Microorganisms may be present in distilled water, so always use commercial sterile saline solutions, if you plan to use enzyme tablets in water for disinfection. Be aware that extended-wear (overnight) contact lenses - rigid or soft - increase the risk of corneal ulcers, which are infection-caused eruptions on the cornea that can lead to blindness; symptoms include vision changes, eye redness, eye discomfort or pain, and excessive tearing.

Don't wear lenses any longer than they're prescribed for, nor when sleeping unless you are otherwise directed. Extended-wear rigid lenses can cause unexpected, undesirable, reshaping of the cornea. The FDA has approved extended-wear lenses for use up to seven days before removal for cleaning; but there are risks with use of extended-wear lenses even for one night.

Shopping for contacts online will save you a lot of money; contact lenses are deeply discounted. Make sure to visit a reputable eye doctor for a complete eye examination once a year, or more frequently if needed. If you're planning to buy contact lenses, you should buy the best quality you can get, even at a higher price; you don't want to skimp on quality when it comes to your eyes.