People who need corrective lenses for better vision prefer contact lenses to glasses for reasons more than one. Besides the apparent appearance, glasses may be uncomfortable on the face, be heavy on the ears and nose and may have glare problems. This drawback can be overcome by using contact lenses, which are almost invisible on the eyes to others.



Initially, contact lenses were made of glasses and were rigid and uncomfortable. But soon they were replaced by a polymer based product which made them a little comfortable. But this type of contact lens too had a hiccup, the oxygen flow to the cornea was restricted and this caused problems to the eyes of those who wore contact lenses for a prolonged time.

But now is the era of soft contact lenses which are made of silicon hydro gel that is similar to plastic and are more comfortable on the eyes. Though they are thinner and tend to tear off easily, they are almost weightless and blend well with the eyes. So, now it is possible to have color contact lenses in colors of jade, yellow, violet or red. Color contact lenses are basically for aesthetic or cosmetic purposes because they tend to restrict the oxygen flow to the cornea.

Contact lenses are used by people who have nearsightedness or farsightedness or astigmation or some may wear them to avoid the use of bifocal lenses. Some contact lenses are intended for daily wear and such lenses would be discarded after each use, which gets rid of cleaning, disinfection and cleaning solutions.

Contact lenses should be worn only for the prescribed time and extending their wear is a potential disaster to the eye. It is highly important to maintain proper hygiene of the contact lenses. They should be always stored in a clean and sterile atmosphere and cleaned using only a contact lens solution, specifically intended for this purpose. If not, it may lead to lot of eye complications. Some of the potential eye problems that may occur are persistent redness, pain, light sensitivity and blurred vision. But infections in the eye may cause severe eye damage.

Therefore before handling the contact lenses, the hands must be thoroughly washed and made free from contaminants. The contact lens solution must be one approved by the FDA and well within the expiration date. While not in use, the contact lenses must be kept immersed in the solution and closed tightly to avoid any dust particles falling into the solution. Each time, a fresh solution should be taken and a little more of the solution should not be added to the existing solution.

If at all any problem is experienced with the vision, the contact lenses must be immediately removed and the eye care professional must be contacted immediately.