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.