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Among the many kinds of contact lenses you can buy are: novelty, colored, crazy, Halloween, special effects, theatrical, costume, scary, glow in the dark, wild eyes, mirrored, black, white, and red. Before you buy contact lenses from anyone other than your eye care professional, it pays to be a wise consumer. Contact lens sales are regulated by the FDA (Food And Drug Administration) and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission.)
There are 75 million contact lens wearers worldwide and 31 million in the U.S. alone. If you've always wanted to change your eye color, color contact lenses can provide baby blues, gorgeous greens, heavenly hazels -- even various patterns and designs.
Bifocal correction is possible with both soft and rigid lenses. Keep in mind contact lenses are often more complex than appears to be. Disposable lenses don't come with instructions for cleaning and disinfecting, while those labeled specifically for planned replacement do.
Extra-thin soft lenses are on the market for very sensitive people. Soft lenses are easier to adjust and are much more comfortable than rigid lenses, because they conform to the eye and absorb and hold water. Contacts provide for excellent peripheral vision for sports, driving, safety, and performing.
Although easier to handle and less likely to tear, rigid gas permeable lenses are not as comfortable initially as soft contacts and it may take a few weeks to get used to wearing the RGPs, compared to just a few days for soft contacts. There are two general categories of contact lenses - soft and rigid gas permeable. The expiration date for your prescription is currently set by your state requiring a one-year or two-year renewal; if your state hasn't set a minimum expiration date, government regulation sets a one-year date unless your eye doctor determines there's a medical reason for less than one year.
With planned-replacement lenses, the doctor works out a replacement schedule tailored to the needs of each patient. While the ability to hold water increases the oxygen permeability of soft lenses, it increases their fragility quotient as well.
Beware of attempts to substitute a brand different from the one you want when buying contacts. Buy your contact lenses from a supplier you're familiar with and know is reliable or has name familiarity Check to see if you have a health insurance plan that includes vision coverage.
Always buy from a reputable company; you can buy contact lenses without a prescription, but the company is selling you a prescription device as if it were an over-the-counter device violating FTC regulations by selling you contact lenses without having your prescription. There are many good contact lens retailers now on the Internet making their lenses available at a good discount for prescription and non-prescription lenses. When you receive your order, if you think you've received an incorrect contact lens, check with your doctor or eye care professional right away; don't accept any substitution unless your eye care professional approves it.
When you place your contact lens order, request the manufacturer's written patient information for your contact lenses; it'll give you important risk and benefit information as well as instructions for use. Get a feel for how the retailer handles customer service calls; in case you have a problem after your order arrives. Wherever you buy, shop for quality and value and don't forget you want to do what's best for your eye health.
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. 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. Getting a proper fit is essential; contact lenses that are poorly fitted can lead to eyesores, eye inflammation, and eye abrasions.
Under the binding down of a rigid contact lens during sleep, the flow of tears and oxygen to the cornea is reduced; lack of oxygen leaves the eye vulnerable to infection. Soft extended-wear lenses bind down on the closed eye, but they are porous and allow some tears through during sleep; because they have so little form, their binding has very little effect on the shape of the eye. 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.
Ordering contact lenses online has never been simpler with, and sometimes without, a credit card. If you're looking for cheap contact lenses, you may find that cheap materials or other ways of cutting costs will affect the quality you'll want for your precious eyes. It's becoming easier and easier all the time to shop online and often the shipping is free.
The sales of contact lenses are regulated by the Food And Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. Now it's easy to order the perfect contact lenses online at a great discount. Ophthalmologists are eye surgeons who study and treat eye diseases and can also perform the duties of optometrists. Optometrists examine eyes, diagnose and treat vision problems, and prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses. In most states they can also prescribe medicine. Opticians grind and dispense eyeglasses and in some states dispense contact lenses.
You'll want to take some simple precautions to make any lens purchase safe and effective. And all correcting contact lenses must have a valid prescription from an ophthalmologist or optometrist.
If you plan to wear contact lenses for more than 18 hours for the purpose of changing your eye color then buy colored soft lenses. You can mark rigid lenses in a way to show which lens is for which eye. They don't rip or tear, so they are easy to handle. Soft lenses are much easier to adjust and are much more comfortable than rigid lenses because they conform to the eye and absorb and hold water.
Soft lenses also come as disposables, used once and discarded, or as planned-replacement lenses. Rigid gas permeable contact lenses are durable, resistant to deposit buildup, and generally give a clearer, crisper vision. In some model lenses, each lens corrects for near and distance vision and in others, one lens is for near vision, and the other for distance.
There are several types of lenses in the marketplace today including soft contact lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses, extended wear lenses and disposables. Keep in mind contact lenses are often more complex than appears. The expiration date for your prescription is currently set by your state requiring a one-year or two-year renewal. If your state hasn't set a minimum expiration date, government regulation sets a one-year date unless your eye doctor determines there's a medical reason for an expiration date of less than one year.
Disposable lenses don't come with instructions for cleaning and disinfecting. But those lenses labeled specifically for planned replacement do. Extended wear lenses are usually soft contact lenses made of flexible plastics that allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea.
Check out any rebates that 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. Beware of attempts to substitute a brand that is different from the one you want when buying contacts. Ask about discount prices at your doctor's office when you have your eye examination, or during a follow-up visit after you get your prescription.
Always buy from a reputable company. You can buy contact lenses without a prescription, but the company would be selling you a prescription device as if it were an over-the-counter device violating FTC regulations - selling you contact lenses without actually having your prescription. And when you receive your order, if you think you've received an incorrect contact lens, check with your doctor or eye care professional right away; don't accept any substitution unless your eye care professional approves it. There are many good contact lens retailers now on the Internet making their lenses available at a discount for both prescription and non-prescription lenses.
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 contacts. Check to see if your health insurance plan includes vision coverage. Compare prices and get quotes from two or three online and offline suppliers.
To be sure your eyes remain healthy you shouldn't order lenses with a prescription that's expired or stock up on lenses just before the prescription is about to expire. It's much safer to be re-checked by your eye doctor. Interesting note: when the eyes are open, tears carry adequate oxygen to the cornea to keep it healthy, but during sleep, the eye produces fewer tears, causing the cornea to swell. And the risk of corneal ulcers for people who keep extended-wear lenses in overnight is 10 to 15 times greater than for those who use daily-wear lenses only while they're awake.
A basic rule: never swap your contact lenses with anyone else. And the most serious safety concern with any contact lens is from overnight use. Replace your contacts as recommended by your eye care doctor because they wear out as time goes by.
If you're looking for cheap contact lenses, you may find that cheap materials or other ways of cutting costs will affect the quality you want. Remember to use only contact lenses that are FDA-approved and only if prescribed by a licensed eye care professional. Ordering discount contact lenses online has never been simpler with, and sometimes without, a credit card.