Contact lens sales are regulated by the FDA (Food And Drug Administration) and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission.) In the U.S. contact lens marketplace, 82 percent wear soft lenses, 16 percent wear rigid gas-permeable and only 2 percent wear hard. 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. You'll want to take simple precautions to make any lens purchase safe and effective.
Disposable lenses don't come with instructions for cleaning and disinfecting, while those labeled specifically for planned replacement do. People who have good distance vision but need help for reading can get a monovision reading lens for one eye. You can mark rigid lenses to show which lens is for which eye; they don't rip or tear, so they're easy to handle.
Rigid gas permeable contact lenses are more durable, resistant to deposit buildup, and generally give a clearer, crisper vision. It's important for your eyes to have a rest, without lenses, for at least one night following each scheduled removal. If you plan to wear lenses for more than 18 hours for the purpose of eye color change, then buy colored soft lenses.
You can become adjusted to soft lenses within just a few days, compared to several weeks for rigid ones. There are two general categories of contact lenses - soft and rigid gas permeable. Rigid lenses generally give you more clear vision.
While the ability to hold water increases the oxygen permeability of soft lenses, it increases their fragility quotient as well. The length of continuous lens wear depends on the lens type and your doctor's evaluation of your tolerance for overnight wear.
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. 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. Compare prices - get quotes from two or three online and offline suppliers.
Make sure you have a current, valid prescription when you order contact lenses. Wherever you buy, shop for quality and value and don't forget you want to do what's best for your eye health. Buy your contact lenses from a supplier you're familiar with and know is reliable or has name familiarity
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. When you place your order make sure your lenses are available and not out of stock, because you'll need them now. Check out how long the online supplier has been in business before you buy.
The use of homemade saline made by using salt tablets mixed in water is one of the biggest contributors to Acanthamoeba keratitis in contact lens wearers: the FDA no longer condones the use of salt tablets. Getting a proper fit is essential; contact lenses that are poorly fitted can lead to eyesores, eye inflammation, and eye abrasions. 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. 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. Extended-wear rigid lenses can cause unexpected, undesirable, reshaping of the cornea.
It's becoming easier and easier all the time to shop online and often the shipping is free. If you lead an active lifestyle, contact lenses can provide you with close to natural vision. Remember to use only contact lenses that are FDA-approved and only if prescribed by a licensed eyecare professional.
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