September 2nd, 2006

Proper Care of Contact Lenses Will Protect Your Vision

Posted to Article Directory

By: Nicky Pilkington

Are you wearing contact lenses right now? Maybe not if you’ve been viewing the computer screen for a long time. The computer is only one cause of discomfort for contact lens wearers. If you are new to contacts or have developed bad habits in caring for your lenses you may find your eyes are often dry and irritated when wearing them.

Properly caring for your lenses and following the guidelines for your type is important in protecting your vision and ensuring your contacts are comfortable to wear. See if you’ve been making these mistakes that could be ruining your contacts and possibly harming your eyes.

WHY CLEANING CONTACT LENS WITH WATER IS NOT A GOOD IDEA…

Your eyes are very sensitive and can easily become infected when you do not clean your lenses properly. The lens develops a build up of deposits that can irritate the eye. Lens cleaning solutions will break down the deposits and disinfect the lens.

Water and homemade saline solutions can contain micro-organisms, chlorine and other minerals that can damage the lens and harm your eyes.

Unless you are wearing disposable lenses you must clean your contacts after every wear. Use an appropriate lens case for storage and clean the case and allow to air dry between uses.

ONLY WEAR CONTACT LENS FOR THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF TIME

Some contacts are meant to be thrown out after one day of wear. Others can be worn for a week or a month without removing them in between. Most require removal and cleaning every day. It is important to know the schedule your contacts are intended for to prevent problems with your eyes.

HANDLE WITH CARE

When you remove or insert your contacts be sure to handle them with clean, dry hands. Avoid washing your hands with soaps containing perfumes or oils and don’t allow sunscreen, hand cream or nail polish remover to come in contact with them.

If your eyes are dry and irritated you can also use eye drops to remoisten your contacts while wearing them rather than trying to take them out. In fact, if your eyes do feel dry and the contact is sticking try to remoisten your contacts before attempting to remove them.

If you wear makeup you should insert the contacts before applying cosmetics and remove them before washing cosmetics off. Powders and sprays can irritate contact lens wearers so be careful when applying powdery shadows or hair spray when wearing contact lens. If irritation occurs DO NOT rub your eyes; remove lenses first and clean them in the cleaning solution before wearing again.

Your vision is invaluable - take care to protect it from harm. If you do think you’ve injured or infected your eye do not wear your contacts until you have been seen by an eye care specialist.

Find out more about General Health at healthandfinesse.com

Article Courtesy of Eye Care

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June 30th, 2006

Contact Lenses for Dry Eyes - Your Options

Posted to Article Directory, Contact Lens


Contact lenses can be a nightmare for people with dry eyes. In a healthy eye, a thin layer of tears always forms under a contact lens. If this layer dries out, the lens starts feeling like sand. Is this the inevitable price you have to pay for the convenience of contact lenses, or is there a better alternative?

Do contact lenses cause my eyes to dry?


There are several causes for eye dryness. First of all, some people simply produce less tears than others, or their chemical composition of their tears is not adequate. The amount of tears produced usually decreases with age.

Another cause is environmental - if you work in an overheated or air-conditioned room, of if you are exposed to smoke, dust or wind, your eyes will feel dry. Dry eyes are also a problem for most computer users. People tend to blink less when working on the computer and blinking is essential for wetting your eyes.

Finally, some contact lenses can also contribute to dry eye syndrome. Most soft contact lenses are made from polymers and water - sometimes up to 70% water. While its this moist, the lens feels comfortable in your eye; but the water evaporates from the lens as the day progresses. So the lens absorbs water from your tears, leaving you with dry-feeling eyes. Generally speaking, the more water the lens contains, the more prone it is to lose its moisture.

Soft contacts that can help with dry eyes

Since dry eyes is a serious problem for many contact lens wearers, lens manufacturers are constantly working to produce contacts that will be comfortable for people with dry eyes.

One way is to reduce the water content of the lens. Modern silicon hydrogel lenses are only about 30% water - much less than the 50-60% of traditional lenses. Also, the new polymers used in contact lenses help the lens to stay moist.

Out of all the lenses formulated for people with dry eyes, Acuvue Oasis and Proclear Compatibles receive the most favorable reviews from wearers.

Acuvue Oasis, by Johnson and Johnson, is specifically formulated for people who work or live in dry environments. It is made of high-quality polymer senofilcon A and contains a special rewetting agent - Hydraclear Plus - that makes the lens feel moist even if your eyes dont produce enough tears. Acuvue Oasis is a daily wear contact lens (you should take it off at night), and it should be replaced every two weeks.

Proclear Compatibles, by Cooper Vision, is made from omafilcon A, which has demonstrated very high on-eye water retention, during clinical studies. Also, Proclear uses the revolutionary technology of biocompability. The lens contains PC (phosphorylcholine) - a substance that occurs naturally in human cells. It prevents your body from perceiving contact lens as a foreign object in your eye and trying to reject it. As a result, Proclear Compatibles feel moist and silky in your eye and dont cause dehydration. Proclear are monthly disposable contact lenses.

See more reviews of contact lenses for dry eyes

RGP lenses for people with dry eyes


Some doctors recommend their patients with dry eyes to switch to Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) contact lenses. The reason is that an RGP lens is made from polymeric materials and dont contain any water. So water wont evaporate from the surface of the lens, as with soft lenses. Thus one cause for dry eyes is illuminated.

However, RGP lenses may present other problems for people with dry eyes. Since the lens is rigid, it can irritate your eye if there are not enough tears under it. A rigid lens in a dry eye feels much worse than a soft one.


If you have dry eyes and your current contact lenses dont feel too comfortable, you dont have to live with the discomfort. Ask your doctor if the lenses we recommended would work for you.



Tanya Turner is an eye health and vision expert. She provides consumer information, tips and advice about healthy contact lenses as well as reviews of trusted online retailers of discount contact lenses

Article Courtesy of Contact Lens Resource Center

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June 7th, 2006

Contact Lens Advances

Posted to Article Directory, Contact Lens

In recent years contact lenses have become a fast-growing health product. For many people, contact lenses are a comfortable, convenient alternative to glasses. They are great for playing sports, driving, or work. Unfortunately, for others contact lenses are not so comfortable. People with dry eyes, bad allergies, or sensitive eyes, have had many problems adjusting to their new contact lenses, and therefore have had to stick with their glasses. Recently, contact lens manufacturers have been busy making advancements in the products to bring comfort to a wider range of people.

Acuvue Advance and O2 Optix are two lenses that are helping people with dry eye. These lenses are called silicon hydrogels, and are made to allow more oxygen to reach the surface of a wearer’s eyes. This promotes eye health and allows the eye to retain more moisture. When properly cared for these lenses can allow people who traditionally could not wear contacts to wear them with comfort.

Personally, I made the switch to silicon hydrogels roughly 3 months ago and I have been extremely happy with the results. I have had no problems with the lenses, and they are extremely comfortable. I spend at least 8 hours a day in front of a computer, and this can be very straining on lens wearers, but with my new lenses my eyes feel great.

Acuvue has recently also introduced Acuvue Oasys and Acuvue Advance for Astigmatism. Acuvue Oasys is a lens similar to the Acuvue 2 lens, but in a silicon hydrogel, and Advance for Astigmatism allows people with eye problems who wear toric lenses try the comfort of hydrogels as well.

For more information or to buy contact lenses, visit AC Lens.

Author: Brian has expertise in the contacts lens area.

Article courtesy ofFor Your Eyes Only

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June 1st, 2006

Discount Contact Lens Online

Posted to Article Directory, Discount Contact Lens

 

It is no longer a secret that you can buy many products online for less than you would pay in traditional stores. Contact lens are no exception - in fact, you can save anywhere from 50 to 70 percent by ordering your contact lens online.

Why online stores sell discount contact lens?

First, internet businesses don’t have as many expenses as eye care practitioners - they don’t have to pay rent or hire staff. Second, large online contact lens retailers sell thousands of lenses per day, which is more than an average eye doctor would sell a year; so they make less profit per box of lenses, but win on the amount of sales. Third, large online retailers can get their stock of lenses cheaper than eye doctors, because they buy in bulk, directly from the manufacturer.

Are discount contacts from online stores inferior in quality?

If your doctor says that the lenses you buy online are not as good as the ones you order through his or her office, don’t believe it. Discount contacts bought online are exactly the same contact lenses from exactly the same manufacturers.

In fact there are only a few large contact lens manufacturers. 95% of all soft contact lenses prescribed by optometrists are produced by Ciba Vision, Cooper Vision, Johnson and Johnson or Bausch and Lomb. You can find most of the lenses produced by all four manufacturers on the Net. Popular lenses like Acuvue, Acuvue Advance and Acuvue 2 Colors, all Focus lenses, varieties of SofLens, Freshlook Colorblends and other Freshlook color collections are widely available online.

How to select the best online contact lens store?

The only problem you face, when deciding to order your discount contacts online, is choosing a store to buy them from. Most people pick the store that offers the lowest price, but there are several other factors you need to keep in mind.

Is the store large and reputable, and how long have they been in contact lens business?

There are thousands of sites selling contacts online, but some sell thousands of contacts every day while others are only a one-person business. It is safer to buy from a large ompany: they usually have a better organized business.

Do they offer free shipping?

Some companies sell their lenses very cheaply but charge a lot for shipping. On the other hand, several online stores offer you free shipping on all orders, or orders larger than certain amount.

Are there any additional discounts?

Some sites offer an even better price if you buy a year’s supply of contact lenses. Unopened contact lenses don’t spoil, so it is sensible to order a year’s supply and get an extra discount.

Does the company have a privacy policy?

All respectable online retailers guarantee that your personal information will be kept secure.

What is the company’s return policy?

Does the store offer good customer service?

(Editor’s Note: the number one factor to consider when buying discount contact lens on line is the same factor when buying anything on line and that is method of payment. Assuming the contact lens you want are in stock and you have evaluated the final delivered cost of the contact lens you want, then as long as the company accepts major credit cards, your purchase is backed by your credit card company should you have any problems. Select the best deal for you based on the the contact lens you need and when you need the lens. Order a name brand, use a credit card, make sure you consider the shipping costs and confirm your lens is in stock or at least confirm the shipping date. If those criteria are met, make your purchase and enjoy your discount contact lens.)

For you it would be time-consuming to evaluate several companies, trying to find the best one. To save time, you can look for comparisons and reviews of contact lens retailers on sites that provide consumer information. It pays to read a review before you commit to buy.

For additional information on Discount
Contact Lens, please visit Discount Contact Lens

 

 

Author: Tanya Turner is a contact lens expert and a founder of Contact Lens Consumer Guide, which gives you reliable information about all types of contact lenses.

Article courtesy of  For Your Eyes Only and Discount Contact Lens

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