Cheap Contact Lens

Discount Color Contact Lens

2009-05-15T03:28:00.000-07:00

Colored contact lenses are very popular among the young and fashion-conscious of today. They let you change your eye color to match your mood and dressing. There are basically four types of colored lenses: opaque color tints, visibility tints, light-filtering tints and enhancement tints. Most of the colored lenses are available without visual correction; however, they are also available for those with astigmatism and bifocal corrections.

Opaque color tints give you a dramatic change to your eye color and are obtainable in a variety of colors like gray, blue, violet and hazel. Visibility tints are light-colored tints added to the lens. They are normally light green or blue, and do not affect your eye color. Light-filtering tints are specially designed for sports purposes, as they enhance certain colors like optic yellow or green in tennis and softballs and even golf balls. What they do is actually make the other surrounding colors dull, and enhance the color of the target ball.

Those who are planning to venture into the new look of colored lenses should be aware that there are a few drawbacks, such as the possibility that the colored portion of your lenses might slide over your pupils, especially when you blink. This is because the size may not be the exact fit to your pupils. There are also possibilities for your vision to be affected at certain times because the size of your pupil is constantly changing to accommodate different lighting. Do not disregard any discomfort as a passing phase, as it might indicate a problem with your lenses; therefore, it would be best to contact your eye care practitioner if you have constant problems with your eyes.

As with normal contact lenses, colored contact lenses are available from numerous manufacturers, and discounts are available.

Discount Color Contact Lens provides detailed information on Discount Contact Lenses, Discount Color Contact Lens, Contact Lens Discount Coupons, Contact Lens Discount Stores and more. Discount Color Contact Lens is affiliated with Eye Contact Exams.

Spice Up Your Eyes with Theatrical Contact Lenses

2009-05-09T02:48:00.000-07:00

Spice Up Your Eyes with Theatrical Contact Lenses

Have you ever wished for really dramatic eyes, something far beyond the normal variations in color? Are you looking for an accent for a Halloween costume, or a dramatic look for a character in a play? If so, theatrical contact lenses could be right for you.

Long a staple of the movie and theater industry, theatrical contact lenses come in a wide variety of shapes and colors to give a truly dramatic look to your eyes. Here are just a few of your options.

Animal-Inspired Lenses

If you've ever wondered how you would look with an animal's eyes, this is your chance to find out. Give yourself the eyes of a jaguar, a lizard, a wolf, among others, and see how people respond to your animal nature.

Sports-Themed Lenses

If you love to show your team spirit, choose contact lenses with the colors of your favorite team. Or use lenses that have flags, logos, sports equipment, or other fun themes.

Spooky Lenses

If you are looking to add a spooky flair to your look, try contact lenses decorated with spider webs, mummy wrappings, pentagrams, or other scary styles. Choose lenses that turn your eyes milky white or pure black. There are a wide variety of lenses available for spooky effects for Halloween costumes or plays.

Futuristic Looks

If high tech is your thing, you can buy theatrical contact lenses with circuit boards or computer chips traced across them, or pick mirrored lenses to give yourself a Cyberpunk look.

Fantasy Lenses

If you are dressing up as a fantasy character for a Halloween costume, LARP, or roleplaying session, try theatrical contact lenses that make your eyes look like an elf, an angel, or a demon. Cosmetic contacts can look like the eyes of vampires or valkyries, sexy succubi or tongues of flame - the choice is yours.

No matter what your style, theatrical contact lenses will really complete your costume.

Eye Contact Guide is a premier resource for vision related issues including eye disorders, eye surgery and eye health. Whether you have been wearing contact lenses for years or are new to the world of contact lenses, this site will give you the information you will need to assist you with buying contact lenses online.

Simple Guidelines For Taking Care of Your Contact Lenses

2009-04-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

Firstly it was the need of contact lens. Secondly the need gave way to fashion. Thirdly fashion gave way to craze. Now amazing things are happening in the world of contact lens. You matched in everything, from tip to toe and in between you had forgotten the eyes. The revolutionary changes in the contact lens culture do provide you with the color of your choice for the eyes.

But these colored lenses and Halloween costume lenses require constant and careful maintenance. However, the procedure is simple. It is done with a no-rub multipurpose solution. Additionally, you require a pair of plastic tweezers and also a contact lens case. You can use any solution marked for soft contact lenses. If you have many pairs of contacts, let each one live in its own case.

It is not alone the solution, but the actual handling of the solution that matters. Solution plays a very important role in the overall handling of the contact lens. Before handling the contact lens, you need to wash your hands with soap. Then carefully pick the contact lens with tweezers and place it on your fingertip. Then rinse it with the no-rub solution. The contact lens is now ready to place it in your eye. And when you take the lenses out, one more rinse is necessary. Now keep it in its case with fresh solution till you use them again.

If you don't wear lenses for several weeks, it is necessary to change the solution and rinse them once in a week. If the lenses remain unattended in the case over a long period, rinse them two times in fresh solution and before wearing them, let it remain in the solution for a couple of hours.

Remember, using proper solutions is related to the health of your eyes. Contact lens solutions for hard contacts need to be used in a proper way, taking this important aspect into consideration.

There is a proper order to use contact lenses solutions. The daily cleaner aspect is important. As soon as you remove them, you need to clean them by using the first of the solutions for hard contacts.

The second solution for hard contacts is the saline solution. This is used for the purpose of rinsing after you have rubbed it in the palm of your hand with the daily cleaner. Then, comes the soaking solution. Now, you need to just place your lens in the soaking solution.

So, this cleaning operation for the hard contact lenses is done once in a week. As for using the solutions, always follow the packaging instructions. These four solutions are enzymatic cleaner, daily cleaner, saline solution and soaking solution.

Many Contact Lens articles are available at Contact Lens & http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/

Many Contact Lenses articles are available at http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/ for Contact Lens.

Rene Descartes - The Father of Modern Mathematics, Philosophy, and Contact Lenses

2009-04-14T00:17:00.000-07:00

Many people believe that contact lenses are a modern-day invention. But the truth of the matter is that Rene Descartes came up with the original idea all the way back in the 1600's!

Rene Descartes was an influential philosopher and mathematician who was born in France in 1596, and lived until 1650. Descartes was dedicated to using science to improve the human condition, and he invented Cartesian geometry, which led to the sciences of calculus and analysis. You might be familiar with one of his better-known phrases, "Cogito Ergo Sum" - "I think, therefore I am."

As part of his interest in increasing knowledge and improving the living conditions for humanity, Rene Descartes became interested in some sketches that Leonardo Da Vinci had made in 1508. DaVinci's designs showed how to make a lens that could improve eyesight.

Rene Descartes took DaVinci's ideas a step farther, and described a way to attach lenses directly to the cornea to sharpen vision. Of course, Descartes' idea would have been a bit uncomfortable to implement. His design called for a liquid-filled tube to be placed directly on the cornea, which would have prevented the wearer from blinking!

Rene Descartes' ideas were not a waste, however unsuitable for long-term use. The idea of the corneal contact lens was picked up by Thomas Young nearly 200 years later. Young built on Descartes' concept to create an actual contact lens - a quarter-inch thick tube filled with water that corrected his own vision. However, having a tube that thick in your eye could not be comfortable for long.

It was in 1887 that a working model of Rene Descartes corneal contact lens was used for the first time, thanks to a prototype created by a German glassblower named F.E. Muller, who capitalized on an astronomer's suggestion that a working contact lens must precisely fit the curve of the human eye.

Ever since Rene Descartes' concept was proven to work, people have concentrated on improving the process. In the early 1900's, inventors used molds of the human eye to create better fitting lenses. In 1936, an American developer made the first contact lenses out of plastic. In the 1970's, contact lenses were made available to the general public for the first time.

Although today's micro-engineered slivers of plastic look far different from Rene Descartes' clunky, water-filled tubes, we can still thank the great philosopher for a theory that has helped thousands of people around the world see more clearly.

Article provided courtesy of the Contact Lens Consumer Guide

Eye Contact Guide provides contact lens information and resources. Read about eye surgery, nutrition, vision disorders, contact lens history, eye problems and more. Comparison shop for contact lenses online.

Contacts Guide: How to Use Crazy Contact Lenses?

2009-04-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

Occasionally we all like to get weird and practice the 'shock and awe' on our near and dear ones. Remember the days when as a child you would get behind the curtain and wait for mom to walk by, and the moment she did you would spring out, you shriek loud and your palm turned into claws with your fingers curled in. It would leave her startled and you would thoroughly enjoy that shocked look on her face.

That was fun. In those days, contact lenses were not so frequently used to enhance the shock effect neither were we allowed to use them as kids. Well, kids are still not supposed to use them but with the advent of newer technology, ground breaking innovations have taken place adding altogether new chapters to the evolutionary history of contact lenses. Contact lenses, thus, have stepped beyond their conventional role of vision correction and have become part of fashion and style.

Crazy contact lenses, as they have now come to be known as, fall under that category. The only difference being that they are not there to change the look to look better but to appear a little too different and, at times, plainly scary. These lenses are zero power lenses and are normally available in two varieties-- monthly lenses and standard lenses. The monthly ones can be worn over a period of one month or 30 time on and off. The standard lenses, on the other hand, can be worn for as long as 18 months on and off.

These crazy ones have to used with care and caution. Avoid make-up, sprays and perfumes in order to avoid damage to the lenses, for they might sustain damage without your realizing, which can be harmful for your eyes in the long run.

Being zero powered lenses, they are sometimes shared by the people in much the same way as sunglasses are. Don't do it because they are very different from sunglasses due to their proximity with the living tissues of the eye. Sharing lenses could cause infection. So, avoid.

Prior to handling them wash your hands properly and always clean and disinfect the lenses with the prescribed solution only. Make sure that you use the solution manufactured by an approved and reputable company. Since these lenses are not used everyday, they must be stored carefully. When it is time to discard them, do dispense with them even if you have worn them only a few times. The desire to derive value for money in such cases is quite dangerous. After all, eyes are precious. Right?

To read more articles on contact lenses, buying contact lenses and contact lens reviews visit http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/

The auther writes articles on different topics. To get more articles on contact lens visit http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/.

Taking a Peek at Halloween Contact Lenses

2009-03-25T02:59:00.000-07:00

Halloween is absolutely one of the coolest times of the year. Its one of the wildest holidays that we celebrate. You can see all kinds of monsters prowling the streets in search of victims and of course, some treats. Imagine all the spooky costumes, treats, and parties that are all part of Halloween. There is also the most important aspect of Halloween, the opportunity of scaring others out of their shoes. Halloween is the perfect laboratory for testing the scary costume that you have been working on all year. And one thing that would really help you blow others away is Halloween contact lenses.

Costume accessories make making costumes really exciting. Just imagine what you cool costumes you can make with, fake blood and gore, fangs, and make up and of course Halloween contact lenses. You can really let your imagination go wild. Just imagine how much more frightening your costume will be with piercing, bloodshot eyes to compliment them.

Eye contact is vital in scaring people. A lot of emotions are expressed through the eyes and imagine the havoc you can cause with a good pair of Halloween contact lenses. Take the werewolf concept for example. You may have all the other accessories needed but you wont be able to scare anyone if you have puppy like eyes. Get your hands on deep red Halloween contact lenses, fake fur and ideal set of teeth and you're set for some serous scaring. Now doesnt that sound exciting?

Let me give you an idea on how you can get those Halloween contact lenses that would be perfect to go along with your costume. Its important to start searching immediately. They are in great demand and may be difficult to come by as Halloween approach. Other people love scaring as much as you do and many are looking for Halloween accessories as well.

The Internet is the best place to hunt for Halloween contact lenses and for other materials that you need. You can be sure to have a better chance than by just simply looking or them on Halloween stores. You dont have to go through the hassle of competing with other people on crowded stores. Its much easier to hop on the World-Wide Web for all the accessories you need. Halloween only comes once a year so making the scariest costume possible is really worth it.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Halloween Contact Lenses. Visit our site for more helpful information about Halloween Contact Lenses and other similar topics.

Discount Contact Lenses

2009-03-19T03:56:00.000-07:00

Contact lenses are very popular, both for cosmetic and medical reasons. Contact lenses now come in so many colors that we have a great range of choices available. However, the best way to obtain the right type of lenses for you would be to contact your ophthalmologist, optometrist or optician, who would be able to advise and guide you on what will be the best option for your eyes.

Even though contact lenses are more popularly known for cosmetic reasons, many have forgotten that contact lenses are actually medical devices that can only be fitted by an eye-care practitioner. It is important to learn the right method of placing the lenses in your eyes so that you do not damage your eyes in the process. In the United States, it is not possible to legally purchase contact lenses unless you have a valid written prescription by a qualified eye-care practitioner.

There are various types of contact lenses to suit the needs of different individuals. Various types of contact lenses that are available on the market include disposable contact lenses, contact lenses for extended wear, gas permeable (GP) contact lenses or RGP lenses, contact lenses for those with astigmatism, bifocal contacts for those who are used to wearing bifocal glasses, costume or colored lenses for the purpose of just adding color to your eyes, and also contact lenses for those who have difficulties in fitting the normal lenses in their eyes.

Contact lenses, which were once thought to be quite pricey, have now become affordable to almost anyone, thanks to the innovative manufacturers who have found cost-effective ways to manufacture lenses of high quality. There are various manufacturers of contact lenses in the market these days, so prices have also become very competitive, with numerous discounts available.

Discount Contact Lenses provides detailed information on Discount Contact Lenses, Discount Color Contact Lens, Contact Lens Discount Coupons, Contact Lens Discount Stores and more. Discount Contact Lenses is affliated with Eye Contact Exams.

A Step By Step Guide For Buying Contact Lens Online

2009-03-16T05:43:00.000-07:00

The Internet has made buying and selling 'just a click away' thing. Whatever you need and wherever you need, just log on to the net, surf a little, find what you want and order online. In due course of time you'll have it home-delivered. End of the story.

The same goes for the contacts as well. You need a contact, log on. However, the question that most of the people ask is whether or not it is alright to buy online or is it better for one to go out and shop for it like we did in the good old non-Internet days.

Let me shoot the doubt forthwith. It's no problem buying it online. No problem at all. So, rest assured on that front. However, do take care of a few things so that you get the right lenses without hassles.

1.Keep your eye specialist in the loop at all times. Visit him regularly, get your eyes checked and ask for this advice on what kind of lenses would suit you best. Listen carefully to what he says and jot it down if you feel the need. Do not ignore anything he says, for in that case you might end up getting the wrong lenses.

2.Coming to actual ordering, when to fill out the form make sure that you have filled in all fields correctly. Do a double-check on it.

3.No substitution for what you asked for without the permission of your eye specialist.

4.The moment you receive the lenses, check the expiry date on it carefully and return them back right away if the date has already passed or is just round the corner. No point buying a lens that's about to expire in a month unless it happens to be a daily use one.

5.Before you put the lenses on, it is advisable that you visit the specialist and show the lens to him for his opinion on it. If he has any doubts, do not just wave them off. Consider them carefully.

Therefore, use the net to your advantage, but do not forget that ordering online means you do not get to hold the thing before getting it packed, which necessitates your ordering it carefully and checking it thoroughly on delivery.

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Contact Lenses For Beautiful Eyes

2009-03-09T00:29:00.000-07:00

For many nearsighted women, contact lenses are their most important beauty accessory. Many women say they just don't "feel pretty" with their glasses on. Although many women think of eyeglasses as a fashion accessory, women who have to wear them all the time relish the freedom contact lenses can provide.

Women who wear contact lenses need to be careful when applying makeup. Because of the high water content in a contact lens, the lenses can easily absorb colors and odors, and the stains can be permanent. Because makeup can get on your hands, you should always put your contact lens in first before applying your makeup. Close your eyes before spraying hairspray or perfume-and wait until it has dissipated before opening them again. Be especially careful when applying mascara. Remove as much of the mascara from the brush as you can before applying so that it doesn't spatter onto the surface of your lenses; if necessary, you can reapply to get the quantity you need, but it's better to take the cautious route. If makeup gets onto a lens, not only can it stain the lens, but it can also make your eyes uncomfortable.

Colored contact lenses can really be another kind of makeup. The colored contact lens can be used by women without vision problems, but also comes in corrective strengths. The contact lens colors that are available can enhance your natural eye color, or even change it completely for a dramatic change in your look. You'll find that changing your eye color may also let you wear a whole different color palette of clothing or makeup.

Even if you don't want to change the color of your eyes, a contact lens with a tint may be good for you. One type of colored contact lens has what is called a "visibility tint," simply to help you find it if you drop it. Others lenses have a subtle tint that's made to protect your eyes from UV rays.

James Munroe is a writer and administrator for Contact Fresh Look Lens a site that specializes in contact lenses.

A List Of Contact Lens Benefits

2009-03-01T22:20:00.000-08:00

WHY CONTACTS? The word is nearly as old as the mountains and a number of people still turn around and fire the 'why' thing at you. All you do is shrug your eyes spread wide in wonder if there could be such a question regarding something that has been around for what seems like eternity now. But then, a question is a question howsoever obvious the answer might be.

First and the foremost, one gets rid of the irritating apparatus on one's face, which immediately undoes the aesthetic loss caused by its presence. In short, you look smarter than ever. That was one reason that comes first to anyone who thinks about the pros of the contacts, but it is not the only one by any means.

When was the last time you wished you had wipers on your glasses so that you didn't have to take them off ever now and then to remove the misty presence of water or snow. That's another one of the advantages.

The glasses distort the appearance of objects. This distortion is done away with in case of contacts. One sees the real things the real way. Besides, the peripheral vision is, to a large extent, compromised with glasses, which is not the case with the lenses.

For sportsmen who play outdoor games like football, lenses are indispensable because with glasses chances are that one fine day while you are chasing the ball, it will suddenly disappear and by the time you get your glasses back, the opponents will be celebrating. In short, get the lenses before you are out of the team.

Those were the pros, but it would be unfair to the 'why-guy' if we hid the downside. The most prominent disadvantage is that they need careful handling and frequent replacements, which makes them delicate things that are heavy on the pocket.

Another problem is that since contacts are worn inside the eyes, the chances of infection are quite high. And for the carefree professionals there is an extra note of caution. Dear fellow, unlike the glasses, you cannot just come home and toss them off. You need to clean them, disinfect them and then place them back in the lens case.

Thus, time, diligence, patience and money are the four things a contact lens demands of its wearer. If you have them, it's a great companion, and if not, better get used to the glasses.

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Contact Lens Guide: Who Shouldn't Wear Contacts?

2009-02-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

If you thought anybody could wear contacts, any time and anywhere, I am afraid you are wrong, for there are few of us for whom wearing contacts is simply not advisable or practicable either due to some health condition or because of the professions we are in.

For instance, those who suffer from dry eye syndrome just can't stand having contacts on. Then, there are people for whom contacts are virtually useless, like the ones suffering from severe nearsightedness, for no matter what kind of contact lens you use, they are effective in correcting only upto a certain degree of nearsightedness. If you happen to be allergic to products used for cleaning and disinfecting the lenses, contacts are not for you, too, for every time you clean and put them on you'll have your body overreacting to it. So, no point inviting trouble for no reason at all. Experts suggest that even the diabetics should be extra careful about using the contacts because they are prone to infections and their bodies may not tolerate even a mild infection and may also take longer to cope with it.

Since cosmetic lenses have come in vogue in a big way, even the little ones want to try their hands at looking 'different'. A few of the loving parents may be a little over-accommodating. They must not be. No cosmetic lenses for kids. Adolescence is the earliest they can try one. It is because the eyes of kids are tender and may not take well to the contacts. Besides, the careless handling of the contacts can cause harm to the eyes.

There are certain professions that make the use of contact lenses impracticable and potentially harmful. For instance, if you happen to be a chemical engineer and are involved in direct handling of the chemicals, you must avoid wearing contact lenses because chemical fumes can harm the lens, which is obviously harmful for the wearer's eye.

Therefore, before you walk down the optician's door to buy a pair of contacts make sure you are not among those who are advised by the experts to stay clear of the contacts, for all they can do to you is harm.

rel="nofollow" href="http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/blogs/contact-basics.htm">contact lens benefits and contact lens resources visit http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/

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How to Make Sure that A Contact Lens Prescription Is Valid

2009-02-20T05:56:00.000-08:00

Contact lens prescriptions should come from a qualified eye care specialist. This is especially true with the contact lenses that are used either corrective or therapeutic. Stores would require a prescription before they sell a pair.

Here are the things that you have to look for in a prescription to determine its validity:

1. The patient's name should appear in it. This important detail would prove that the person who has the prescription has gone through the necessary procedures essential to determine the right pair of contacts he or she has to get.

2. The date of the examination. The examination date has to be current. This ensures that the prescription is freshly made and that the patient is recently examined. This is very important in therapeutic contact lenses.

3. The issue date and the date of expiration of the prescription. These two sets of dates are equally important as the examination date. This solely determines if the prescription is still usable.

4. The doctor's information. To further assure the manufacturers and the sellers of the prescription's validity, they can proceed to call the doctor who made the prescription. They can do that to clear out anything that maybe vague or questionable to them.

5. The lens's power. The contact lens's power corresponds to its sphere, cylinder, or axis, when applicable. This detail is essential to determine the right pair for the intended user.

6. The material or the manufacturer of the lens. Contact lenses can be made of different materials. Some are made of Plexiglass, while some use Hydrogel. Most of the time, the brand of the contact lenses is enough to determine what kind of material is used.

7. The base curve and the diameter of the contact lens. These are the specifics of the lenses one is to buy. Here goes the actual specification as prescribed by the attending eye physician. These are determined by the tests conducted to the patient.

8. The contact lens's manufacturer information. In case the doctor prescribed a private label contact lens, this information is needed. It would help the seller to verify the exact pair you have to get. These are what compose a contact lens prescription. Each component is important, because it will lead you to the perfect pair. And more importantly, these are the requirement of the FTC. Contact lenses are still considered medical devices, even though if it is used for aesthetic purposes. That's why contact lens prescriptions, with all these information, are a requisite.
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Wearing Contact Lens For Therapy

2009-02-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

A contact lens is a kind of therapeutic lens positioned on the eye lens for correcting the vision of the patient. It is a replacement to the age-old spectacles. Contact lenses usually serve the same purpose as the glasses or spectacles do. The major difference is the comfort level between the two. Contact lenses are very light in weight and are almost invisible when dipped in the solution specially made for them. Many of the commercial lenses have a faint blue color so that they are visible when put in solution. Contact lenses also come in various colors, which can change the color of your eye.

According to a study, it has been found that a staggering 130 million people use contact lenses all over the world. Out of this, around, 40 million people who suffer from less vision opt for contact lenses in United States alone. There are many reasons why so many of us have opted for the contact lenses. It gives them more comfort than those glasses, which are always there with you where ever you go! Apart from convenience, contact lenses give a better vision and have a wider field. They are less affected by wet weather, do not steam up and require less care than the glasses.

The material of the contact lenses has changed from time to time and has developed a shape for giving more of comfort to the eye. The first contact lenses were made from glass, which caused eye irritation, and so were not able to be worn for longer periods and were a failure. However, a transition came up when a doctor by the name of Dr. William Fein bloom made lenses out of a plastic material called polymethyl methacrylate or PMMA. This material was far much more easy and comfortable for use. These are the hard types of contact lenses as they are referred to today.

These rigid lenses prevailed for more than 150 years among the consumers but never became as popular as the new soft contact lenses. The recent development in the field of contact lenses or the hydro gel lenses in the year 1960's was a major breakthrough. The polymers from which soft lenses are made have definitely improved in quality. It has been made permeable to oxygen content providing more breathing space to eye muscle and thus more comfort.

One should take care of the contact lenses he is using. Proper washing of the lenses by the medicated solution every night is very important for the long life of the lenses.
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Easy Steps To Take Care Of Your Contact Lens

2009-02-16T05:18:00.000-08:00

Contact lenses rid one of the glasses, which to many, look like an artificial contraption indicative of some physical deformity or disablilty. In other words, they see spectacles as vision-crutches.

However, it's another matter that even a bespectacled look is now considered dignified and is thought to indicate intelligence and competence. But that has not affected the ever increasing popularity of contact lenses, and now they graduated from vision correction devices to cosmetic accessories, which means that even those who have sound vision are looking for contacts to enhance their looks. And if you are one of the contacts users, it is important for you to know a few things about how to take care of your contacts.

1.To begin with, before you put the contacts on or off wash your hands in order to make sure that you don't let germs and dirt go into your eyes. After washing use a lint-free towel to wipe your hands dry.

2.No moisturizing soaps, for they do not go very well down with contact lenses. That may be good for your skin but when you go to wash your hands to apply contacts, use normal soap.

3.Use only the recommended solution to wash your lenses and be very regular with it, for it removes the dirt and sticky deposit. Some of the lenses may need a thorough rubbing for good cleaning while the others may work with simple rinsing in the solution.

4.Disinfecting your lens is another important measure, for which you just need to make sure that your lens case is clean at all times and the disinfecting fluid is changed periodically so that it itself does not get contaminated over a period of time. The process of disinfection kills microorganisms, which could otherwise harm the eyes.

One last thing that needs to be pointed out is that if you are not using a disposable lens, do consider using protein remover because though normal cleansing does some protein cleaning but that's not enough. Taking care of your lenses is a good way to make sure that they take care of your eyes in equal measure.

To read more articles on eye contact lenses, contact lens maintenance and best contact lens options visit http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/

The author writes articles on different topics. To get more contact lens articles visit http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/

Change the Colour of Your World with Tinted Contact Lenses!

2009-02-12T22:41:00.000-08:00

Changing the colour of your eyes with tinted contact lenses is easy, quick and extremely effective. Want your eyes to match the colour of your new dress? No problem! Just pick the right lenses, pop them and transform yourself from a brown eyed brunette to a blue eyed babe!

With so many people choosing to do exactly that, we've decided to write an article to explain exactly how tinted contact lenses work.

The idea behind tinted lenses is to cover the iris (the coloured part of your eye) with a new colour thereby changing your look. Since the new colour sits on your contact lens you can return to your natural colour by simply removing your contacts.

There are two types of coloured contact lenses: opaque coloured lenses (which change your natural colour completely) and enhancement lenses which simply enhance the natural colour of your eye. Let's look at these types of lenses in a bit more detail.

Opaque coloured lenses have a clear part which covers your pupil so that you can see out of them and an coloured opaque part which covers your iris. Tints vary by manufacturer which means that a green tinted lens from one will give you a different look to a green lens from another.

Enhancement contact lenses alter your existing eye colour by boosting it slightly. They have very light tints designed to work well with particular shades.

As well as the more established varieties of tinted lenses, a new type has recently been added to the marked. This is known as an equinox tinted lens. It makes the wearer look as though he or she has a black ring around their iris. Although it looks fairly natural it produces an extraordinarily hypotonic effect.

Whatever type of tinted lens you choose, you can have a lot of fun changing your look. Match your eye colour to your outfit, mood or an occasion and enjoy the transformation!

A note of caution however, tinted contact lenses need to be taken as much care of as ordinary lenses. Always wash your hands before inserting or removing them, get an optometrist to prescribe them and follow their care guidelines carefully.

Onestopcontactlenses.co.uk is a website where you can buy cheap tinted contact lenses online

New contact lens will cut down on eye infections

2009-02-05T02:07:00.000-08:00

New contact lens will cut down on eye infections

Those who wear contact lenses constantly deal with the hassle of using wetting solutions and often have to wrestle with their lenses. They risk infection if they are improperly handled, a threat that surfaced in a big way in May 2006 when Bausch and Lomb removed its ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution product after many users reported serious eye infections. Now traveling with contact lens solutions also has become difficult and at $12 a bottle it is expensive to replace in every city. A new product from Clearlab hopes to be on the market within the next year or two called AquaSoftSingles. The single-use lenses are packaged in a container approximately the thickness of a dime or about eight times thinner that the typical blister packs now used for disposable lenses. The user peels off the top and the lens pops up so it can be easily placed on a finger for insertion.

Using a contact lens such as Aqua Soft and disposing of it daily could help reduce eye infections. One of the most common infections associated with contract lens use is caused by the fungus Fusarium, but that is much more prevalent in warm, humid climates.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_4468545

Michael Monheit, Esq. Anapol Schwartz Weiss Cohan Feldman & Smalley are working on ReNu lawsuits against Bausch & Lomb.

Daily Wear Soft Contact Lenses

2009-01-30T00:31:00.000-08:00

Soft contact lenses are made of a soft polymer-plastic material combined with a percentage of water. Water allows oxygen to pass through the contact lens material and increases comfort. Many soft contact lenses also provide UV protection. Soft contact lenses are more comfortable than rigid gas permeable contact lenses when first inserted into the eye.

Many soft contact lenses are disposable and can be thrown away after a short period of use. Being able to have a fresh pair of soft contact lenses means less chance of infection, less cleaning, and more comfort, especially for people whose eyes naturally produce more protein that clouds contact lenses. Other soft contact lenses are worn on a yearly basis and are not disposable.

While most people choose soft contact lenses because of their benefits, there are also some disadvantages. Soft contact lenses easily absorb pollutants like lotion or soap from your hands, which can irritate your eyes. Soft contact lenses are also more fragile than hard contact lenses and can rip or tear easily.

The most recent types of soft contact lenses to hit the market include:

* Daily Disposables. These soft contact lenses are only worn for one day and then thrown away. The benefits include not having to clean your contact lenses on a regular basis, convenient replacement schedule, and reduction of dry eye and irritation related to contact solutions. If you are an allergy sufferer, these are the contact lenses for you.

* Silicone Extended Wear Disposables. These soft contact lenses are made with a new silicone hydrogel material that can be worn for up to 30 nights and days. The new silicone material also prevents deposit build up and reduces dry eye irritation.

Colored Soft Contact Lenses

They're hip and they're fun, but colored contact lenses can also be quite practical. There are four types of colored contact lenses, each offering a slightly different benefit:

* Visibility tint. These colored contact lenses are lightly tinted so you can find your lens if you drop it. Visibility tints don't affect the color of your eyes.

* Enhancement tint. These colored contact lenses have a translucent tint that's meant to enhance your natural eye color. Enhancement tints are slightly darker than a visibility tint.

* Color tint. Darker, opaque tints that change the color of your eyes. Color tints come in a wide array of specialty colors, including amethyst, violet, and green.

* Light-filtering tint. These colored contact lenses are designed for athletes and sports fans. They enhance certain colors and mute other colors. For instance, contact lenses for tennis players would enhance optic yellow, the color of tennis balls.

Remember, colored contact lenses are a medical device just like clear contact lenses. Never share colored contacts lenses with anyone. Clean and care for them just as you would any prescription contact lens.

Fouad is a contact lens expert.For more Information and Reviews Contact http://www.lensrate.com

Facts About Contact Lens Saline Solution

2009-01-24T04:52:00.000-08:00

When it comes to contact lenses, the saline solution is as essential as the lens it self. The saline solution is the liquid substance used in rinsing and moistening the contact lenses to prepare it for use. You should never use your contact lenses without disinfecting it first.

The solution is also helpful in removing small elements and debris from the lens's surface. This function is very important because it assures you that there will be no irritants that can cause infection to your eyes. Also, saline solutions are used to maintain water balance, especially to the softer types of contact lenses.

There are three basic kinds of saline solution. These are the commercial solutions with preservatives, the commercial solutions without preservatives, and the homemade solutions that also do not have preservatives at all.

Some contact lens saline solutions use preservatives to aid in slowing the propagation of bacteria in the lens. The saline solutions, especially the ones with preservatives, should be used according to the guidelines that come along with it.

For people who happen to have infections to the preservatives used, the sterile or the preservative-free saline solutions are the one they should pick. But these kinds are easily contaminated than its counterpart. Its users should be stricter in following the instructions.

Although it is a fact that some people produce homemade contact lens saline solution, it is actually not advisable to use. Distilled water mixed with enzyme tablets is not good enough. The saline solution must be manufactured in a highly disinfected environment to be germ-free.

Again, before using commercial saline solutions, you have to read the label. For starters, do not overuse the solution. You have to replace it in a regular basis to ensure that you are getting the best possible protection.

Contact lenses come in a case and are covered in the solution when bought. Once the lenses are taken out of the case, throw the solution away. Rinse the case and air-dry it. When the contact lenses need to be placed back in, put in a fresh saline solution.

Always check out the expiration date on the bottles. Dispose of the ones that are way past the date, even if they are not opened yet. Change the saline solution, as well as your contact lenses as prescribed by your practitioner.

Before using a pair of lens, always disinfect. Even if the lenses are sitting in a saline solution overnight, you are still not assured that it is 100% free from bacteria. Use another splash of fresh saline solution to do the trick.

For vital information on all things concerned with wool, fabrics, tips and techniques and visit Contact Lens

Halloween Contact Lens

2009-01-12T22:56:00.000-08:00

Halloween Contact Lenses Can Give an Edge To Your Costume

If you are looking for the perfect finishing touch to your Halloween costume then you might want to try a pair of Halloween contact lenses. These special colored lenses have been used by the film industry to create a non-human appearance. Now Halloween contact lenses are more widely available for people to wear to their parties or when taking their kids trick or treating. The variety of Halloween contact lenses is huge. You can transform your eyes into those of a wild animal to match your werewolf costume, bloodshot to give your Vampire a more ghoulish quality, or simply change the color of your eyes into an unearthly shade of red ? the choice is yours. The prices vary depending on the amount of detail involved, but a pair can start under $100. The top of the range Halloween contact lenses are those that are hand painted and have vision correction. You can expect to pay over $400 for a pair of these. Your costume is bound to create a stir at the Halloween party if you are wearing Halloween contact lenses.

There are different types of contact lenses, just as with normal lenses. The oldest type of lenses is hard ones, but these are not to be worn for long periods of time because they prevent the cornea from getting the oxygen it needs. Gas Permeable (GP) or Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Halloween contact lenses allow oxygen to reach the cornea because they are made of a breathable plastic. These are actually custom fit to the individual shape of the cornea. This makes them comfortable to wear but does make them one of the most expensive types of Halloween contact lenses. Soft contact lenses are the most comfortable type of Halloween contact lenses and they are best for your eyes.

As with any type if contact lenses it is essential that you know how to put your Halloween contact lenses on properly. If these are the first contact lenses you have tried to use then there are a few points that you need to follow to prevent damaging your Halloween contact lenses or, more importantly, your eyes

? Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly before you start
? Ensure that your Halloween contact lenses are dirt-free, moist and in perfect condition
? Put one of the Halloween contact lenses on the tip of your finger ? using whichever hand is most comfortable first
? Pull down the bottom eyelid lid of the eye that the Halloween contact lens is for
? Use your other hand to hold the top eyelid wide open
? Focus your eyes on the Halloween contact lens and position the lens in the centre of your eye
? Slowly release your eyelids

Halloween contact lenses, especially hard ones, are not designed to be worn for long periods of time. It is essential that you do not keep them in too long or your eyes can become dry. Dryness is one of the main problems caused by Halloween contact lenses. If you have naturally dry eyes, it is worth using eye drops to make wearing your Halloween contact lenses more comfortable.

Celia Nemart has been writing about travel and wellness over the last few years, this time she had decided to write about something that is even more fun, Halloween, the things you need to know about Halloween and the Halloween Spirit.

Who Are The Contact Lens Wearers?

2008-11-01T01:26:00.000-07:00

When you think of contact lens wearers, where does your mind go? Do you think of people who are vainly trying to conceal their need for eye correction? Do you think of middle class people who can afford the luxury of contacts but not the cost of laser surgery? Or does your mind go back to the tormented kid from your childhood who was bullied on the school playground and taunted with names like Four Eyes while trying to protect their glasses from being ripped off and broken?

Whatever the case, you are probably partially right. Contact lens wearers come from all walks of life. Some of them are vain about their looks, while others choose to wear contacts because they are more comfortable than glasses. Many wear contact lenses because they can't afford laser surgery correction, while others are simply not good candidates for laser surgery. They feel fortunate to be able to choose between glasses and contacts!

The cost component of owning and caring for contacts has become less of an issue for the sight-challenged as the cost of many brands of lenses are comparable to purchasing a pair of glasses. In fact, for many, contacts may seem like a more affordable option since they can purchase a few disposable contact lenses now and then buy more in the future while glasses must be paid for up front.

It is also likely the horrors of schoolyard bullies play a role in the purchase of contacts. After all, childhood traumas do tend to color the way we view ourselves and others throughout our lives. Wearing glasses may make them feel like victims or geeks, but contacts, well those are freeing! They are the ultimate means of hiding what may be construed as a weakness or personal flaw and actually make them feel more confident.

No matter the reason, contact lens wearers share one thing in common. They want to purchase a product that is easy to care for while providing comfortable, clear vision. To this end, it is important to schedule regular eye exams and to discuss which contacts are the best option for both your budget and your eye care needs.

Larry Scott is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Contact-Lenses-Here.com. He provides more tips about contact lenses and free online contact lenses information at http://www.contact-lenses-here.com where you can research at any time, day or night, on his website.

Daily Disposable Contact Lenses - The Solution For Itchy Summer Eyes?

2008-10-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

The heat wave that has spread across the UK over the last few weeks has made most of us sweaty and uncomfortable and it looks like there?s more hot weather to come. According to weather forecasters global warming is going to mean soaring temperatures during June, July and August are likely to be the norm in the future.

The heat does not just make people tired and bad tempered. For many contact lens wearers it can also mean months of itchy eyes. This can make them more sensitive to lenses during the summer months.

The reason for this is that the pollen count increases when the weather is warm which can cause seasonal allergies. If you are suffering from itchy eyes and are finding your contact lenses uncomfortable, do not despair; help is at hand!

Switching to glasses whilst your eyes itch in the heat can be one effective way to alleviate your problems. However, for those of you who prefer the appearance of contacts, there is another alternative.

You could try wearing daily disposable lenses for a few hours every day. Unlike with regular contact lenses, daily disposables get thrown away at the end of every day. This means that deposits are less likely to build up on their surface which increases the level of comfort that they offer.

Another option is to use anti-histamine eye drops to help relieve your itchy eyes. However, if you do use these drops bear in mind that they cannot be used alongside your contact lenses.

Or, how about trying mast-cell stabilizer drops? These are designed to strengthen the cell membrane of your eyes to reduce itchiness.

Many contact lens wearers complain about having itchy eyes during the summer. This is usually the result of seasonal allergies provoked by an increased pollen count. Although the problem is widespread it can be easily remedied by switching to glasses or daily disposable contact lenses or by using anti-histamine or mast-cell stabilizer eye drops.

One Stop Contact Lenses sells daily disposable contact lenses at unbeatable prices- we promise to match any price that beats ours! http://www.onestopcontactlenses.co.uk/contact_lenses.asp?Category=1

Wearing Contact Lens For Therapy

2008-10-16T23:56:00.000-07:00

According to a study, it has been found that a staggering 130 million people use contact lenses all over the world. Out of this, around, 40 million people who suffer from less vision opt for contact lenses in United States alone. There are many reasons why so many of us have opted for the contact lenses. It gives them more comfort than those glasses, which are always there with you where ever you go! Apart from convenience, contact lenses give a better vision and have a wider field. They are less affected by wet weather, do not steam up and require less care than the glasses.

The material of the contact lenses has changed from time to time and has developed a shape for giving more of comfort to the eye. The first contact lenses were made from glass, which caused eye irritation, and so were not able to be worn for longer periods and were a failure. However, a transition came up when a doctor by the name of Dr. William Fein bloom made lenses out of a plastic material called polymethyl methacrylate or PMMA. This material was far much more easy and comfortable for use. These are the hard types of contact lenses as they are referred to today.

These rigid lenses prevailed for more than 150 years among the consumers but never became as popular as the new soft contact lenses. The recent development in the field of contact lenses or the hydro gel lenses in the year 1960's was a major breakthrough. The polymers from which soft lenses are made have definitely improved in quality. It has been made permeable to oxygen content providing more breathing space to eye muscle and thus more comfort.

One should take care of the contact lenses he is using. Proper washing of the lenses by the medicated solution every night is very important for the long life of the lenses.

Linda Polansky writes about Vision Direct Coupon , Contact Lens Coupon Codes and Online Codes

Discount Color Contact Lens

2008-10-13T01:33:00.001-07:00

Colored contact lenses are very popular among the young and fashion-conscious of today. They let you change your eye color to match your mood and dressing. There are basically four types of colored lenses: opaque color tints, visibility tints, light-filtering tints and enhancement tints. Most of the colored lenses are available without visual correction; however, they are also available for those with astigmatism and bifocal corrections.

Opaque color tints give you a dramatic change to your eye color and are obtainable in a variety of colors like gray, blue, violet and hazel. Visibility tints are light-colored tints added to the lens. They are normally light green or blue, and do not affect your eye color. Light-filtering tints are specially designed for sports purposes, as they enhance certain colors like optic yellow or green in tennis and softballs and even golf balls. What they do is actually make the other surrounding colors dull, and enhance the color of the target ball.

Those who are planning to venture into the new look of colored lenses should be aware that there are a few drawbacks, such as the possibility that the colored portion of your lenses might slide over your pupils, especially when you blink. This is because the size may not be the exact fit to your pupils. There are also possibilities for your vision to be affected at certain times because the size of your pupil is constantly changing to accommodate different lighting. Do not disregard any discomfort as a passing phase, as it might indicate a problem with your lenses; therefore, it would be best to contact your eye care practitioner if you have constant problems with your eyes.
As with normal contact lenses, colored contact lenses are available from numerous manufacturers, and discounts are available.
Discount Color Contact Lens provides detailed information on Discount Contact Lenses, Discount Color Contact Lens, Contact Lens Discount Coupons, Contact Lens Discount Stores and more. Discount Color Contact Lens is affiliated with Eye Contact Exams.

Spice Up Your Eyes with Theatrical Contact Lenses

2008-07-22T01:29:00.000-07:00

Spice Up Your Eyes with Theatrical Contact Lenses

Long a staple of the movie and theater industry, theatrical contact lenses come in a wide variety of shapes and colors to give a truly dramatic look to your eyes. Here are just a few of your options.

Animal-Inspired Lenses

Sports-Themed Lenses

If you love to show your team spirit, choose contact lenses with the colors of your favorite team. Or use lenses that have flags, logos, sports equipment, or other fun themes.

Spooky Lenses

Futuristic Looks

If high tech is your thing, you can buy theatrical contact lenses with circuit boards or computer chips traced across them, or pick mirrored lenses to give yourself a Cyberpunk look.

Fantasy Lenses

No matter what your style, theatrical contact lenses will really complete your costume.

Simple Guidelines For Taking Care of Your Contact Lenses

2008-07-12T01:09:00.001-07:00

Remember, using proper solutions is related to the health of your eyes. Contact lens solutions for hard contacts need to be used in a proper way, taking this important aspect into consideration.

Many Contact Lens articles are available at Contact Lens & http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/

Many Contact Lenses articles are available at http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/ for Contact Lens.

Rene Descartes - The Father of Modern Mathematics, Philosophy, and Contact Lenses

2008-07-12T00:28:00.000-07:00

Many people believe that contact lenses are a modern-day invention. But the truth of the matter is that Rene Descartes came up with the original idea all the way back in the 1600's!

Article provided courtesy of the Contact Lens Consumer Guide

Advantages Of Wearing Contact Lenses Are Many

2008-07-03T23:14:00.000-07:00

Contact lenses are the rage these days with more and more wearers discovering the comfort and ease of wearing contact lenses. It also enhances the looks of a person as contact lenses are worn on the eyes and can be a fine substitute for a pair of spectacles. Thus one can see one?s face without the hindrance of spectacles over the bridge of the nose that shades away the beautiful eyes.

What then are contact lenses? One might wonder. A contact lens is actually a thin piece of plastic or glass that is fitted over the cornea of the eye. Thus it can eliminate the need for spectacles as defects in one?s vision can be set right merely by wearing these thin pieces of glass or plastic over the cornea of the eye. Thus contact lenses can be worn easily by people with vision defects like myopia. Hyperopia, astigmatism, and other related problems.

These corrective measures to be worn over the cornea of the eye come in two different types. Contact lenses come with hard or soft lenses. They are defined as soft lenses as these contact lenses are made of soft plastic and are much preferred by the today? wearer. They are very comfortable to wear, as they can hold water. Most times soft lenses are disposable lenses as well. Thus the busy wearer of today, who cannot be strapped to a routine of regular lens cleaning in addition to his or her other responsibilities, is rightly suited for wearing soft lenses.

The contact lenses that are made with a glass piece are usually the hard lens variety. These lenses are rigid and gas permeable. Some of these hard lenses may even have a colored tint so that locating these lenses for the wearer becomes easier.

They are also fitted with UV protection in most cases and can be fitted with bifocal lenses as well. The wearer of such a lens is blessed with durability though cleaning these lenses has to be a regular routine.

As these lenses are now made with silicone polymers, they allow oxygen to circulate freely to the cornea. They are meant for regular wear, but extended wear over the night is not recommended. Constant wear can limit the flow of oxygen to the cornea and in some cases can even lead to damage of vision.

By and large, with a little precaution, one can find the contact lens that is ideally suited for one?s lifestyle and go about one?s work unhindered by the hassle of having to carry a pair of glasses as one of the essential items in one?s bag.
http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/ & Contact Lens provides detailed information on contact lens, color contact lens, acuvue contact lens and more.

Safe Halloween Contacts - Things you Should Know About Costume Lenses Safety

2008-06-26T22:43:00.000-07:00

Are you thinking about adding Halloween contact lenses to your costume, but not sure if they are safe? Recently there have been several FDA warnings about dangers of costume lenses. But the lenses themselves are not to blame; some people just don't follow doctor's instructions on wearing contacts and caring for them. Here are 7 simple rules you should follow to enjoy your special effect contacts the safe way.

1. Get doctor's prescription for your Halloween lenses

Some people think that if they don't need vision correction, they can just select the lenses they like and order online. Unfortunately, it is not this simple. All contact lenses, including cosmetic ones are considered medical devices and should be properly fitted by an eye care professional. It might sound like a hassle, but trust me, low quality contacts or lenses that don't fit properly will feel awful in your eyes. They may look pretty, but you won't enjoy the party much, not to mention that sometimes wearing contacts that don't fit can cause eye problems.

The doctor will suggest you high quality contacts that will suit your eyes. Wild Eyes and Crazy Lenses are most commonly prescribed. After getting your prescription, get online and order your lenses from a reputable online contact lens retailer. They have an amazing range of styles and colors - Cat eye, Alien, Hypnotica, Blackout and Whiteout, Red Vampire, Wolf, Bloodshot and Zombie eyes are only a few to mention. Ordering contacts online will save you a lot, comparable to the price doctors charge for contact lenses. Costume shop or a flee market, however, is not a safe place to buy special effect contacts.

See examples of Halloween contact lens designs by different brands

2. Don't share your costume contacts with anybody

Shearing contacts is probably the main source for eye problems contact lens wearers experience. If your friend has contacts that are perfect for your costume it is very tempting simply to borrow them, instead of buying your own. However, contact lenses are not a dress or jewelry, and never should be shared. First, lenses that fit someone else probably wouldn't fit you, and, second, another person can have an eye infection. And don't give your contacts to anybody to try on, explain that it can hurt their eyes as well as yours

3. Never wear your lenses for longer than 8 hours

Halloween contacts are thicker than ordinary contact lenses because of the layer of paint. And the thicker the lens is, the less oxygen it lets through. Human eye needs oxygen to function properly - this is the reason any contact lenses should not be left in your eyes for too long. The safe bet with quality costume contact lenses is 6 - 8 hours.

Also, you should never sleep in your contacts - if you do, your eyes will feel terribly dry and sore in the morning. So, no matter how tired you are after the party, take your contacts out.

4. Take proper care of your contacts

The easiest way to care for costume contact lenses is with multipurpose solution, which is available from any chemist shop. You can use it for cleaning and storing your lenses. After taking your contacts out, rinse them with solution (never use tap water) and place them in the case. If you don't wear your contacts often, change the solution once in a while and store your lenses in the fridge.

You should never wear contacts for longer than their expected lifespan. Disposable costume contacts like monthly Crazy Lenses are only good for a month. Most special effect lenses last up to a year after opening, with proper care. Unopened box is good for 5-6 years.

5. Close your eyes when using perfume or hair spray

This rule applies to all contact lenses - sprays can irritate your eyes. Face make up should be applied after your contacts are already in. Be careful of the eye area, so cosmetic doesn't get into your eyes

6. If your eyes feel irritated take the lenses out immediately

There can be two possible causes - the lens is damaged, or something got stuck under it. When getting ready for a party take your lens case and a small bottle of solution with you just in case. If the lens hurts your eye, take it out and inspect it. If it is torn, you will have to throw it away, there is no repair and a damaged lens can seriously harm your eye. If the lens looks alright, just rinse it and put it back in. It should feel fine after rinsing.

7. Wear your Halloween contact lenses before the party

Quality special effect contacts are comfortable to wear. However, if you are not accustomed to wearing contact lenses, it is a good idea to try your new costume lenses before the party, just like you would try new shoes. Several days in advance put them in first for a couple hours, then longer and longer. This way your eyes will get used to the lenses and you will feel no discomfort during the party.

As you see, with certain care wearing Halloween contacts can be very pleasant and problem free. Same safety rules apply to all color contact lenses. Enjoy your new look!

Tanya Turner is a contact lens expert and a publisher of Contact Lenses Consume Guide which provides information and reviews of all Halloween contact lenses and color contact lenses. You will see pictures of real people wearing colored contacts by different brands.

Costume Contact Lenses - Add Spice to Your Halloween Costume

2008-06-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

Want to have a really great costume this Halloween? The secret is in the eyes. Bright, inhuman eyes, is that extra touch that will make your character believable. Modern contact lens industry offers an amazing variety of costume contact lenses to fit any costume and character. Find out how you can get Halloween contacts that make a great addition to your outfit.

Can I wear Halloween contact lenses?

There are costume contacts for everybody, whether you have a good vision or wear corrective glasses or contacts. Plano special effect contacts are suitable for people who don't need vision correction; they are purely decorative lenses without prescriptive power. These are easiest to find, because every manufacturer of costume contacts makes lenses without prescription.

If you need vision correction, you should select a brand that offers contacts with corrective powers. Wild Eyes or Crazy Lenses would work fine. People with astigmatism can even find toric costume lenses, but usually they will have to be custom made and would cost more.

Costume contact lens choices

There are mass produced brand name costume lenses. One example is Wild Eyes by Wesley Jessen. Their best designs are: zebra, black-out, knockout, cat eye, hypnotica, alien, white-out, wildfire, icefire, and red hot. Crazy Lenses is another popular choice they offer Blood Red, Wolf Red, Spiral Black, Cat Yellow, Devil and many other styles.

For something completely unique, you can order custom made special effect lenses. These would cost more and take some time to make, but a skillful artist can paint anything you like on the lens.

You can also get glow in the dark contacts - looks very spooky. See pictures of people wearing costume contact lenses for Halloween

How to buy special effect contacts

First thing you need to do is to visit your optometrist and ask him or her for a prescription for costume contacts. Even if you only need plano lenses, doctor's prescription is required to buy them, because one-size-fits-all just doesn't work with contact lenses.

The doctor will probably offer you to order your contacts from their office as well. This is convenient, but you will be paying a double price. Ordering your Halloween contact lenses online is a much cheaper option. Compare prices at several online contact lens shops that have your prescribed lenses. I would recommend buying your contacts from a big store that has positive reviews online. This way you can be sure that you will get authentic brand name lenses and good service.

How to care for costume contacts

Taking care of your Halloween lenses is not all that difficult. You will need contact lens case and contact lens solution. There is no special solution for costume lenses, any multipurpose solution would do. After taking your contacts out rinse them in contact lens solution and then store in the case in your fridge. It is best to change the solution at least once a month giving your lenses a good rinse.

If you want to wear your contacts after you didn't use them for a long time, make sure you give them a double rinse before putting them in your eyes.

How long do costume contacts last?

This depends on the type of contacts you get. Some costume contact lenses are monthly disposable which means that they are only good for one month. These lenses are ideal if you only want to use them once for Halloween, they are also cheaper.

If you buy not disposable, but traditional special effect lenses, with proper care they last for about a year. This way you can save your contacts for next year Halloween party as well as wear them to clubs and other costume parties.

Halloween contacts can make a great difference to your costume and you will definitely be the center of attention in any party. Make this addition to your costume, and you won't regret it!

Find more information and pictures of Halloween costume contacts at Contact Lenses Consumer Guide We compare different types of special effect and color contact lenses to help you pick the best contacts for you.

Buying Contact Lenses Online

2008-06-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

A wise consumer today is one who shops from his work table or the nearest cyber caf?. Buying goods online makes complete sense for most consumer products as one can see the entire range and check for the prices and other competitive advantages, while browsing through the sites of products on the website. The buying of contact lenses online therefore is just one such example of perfect and sensible shopping decisions.

But unlike the buying of consumer items of daily use buying contact lenses online requires some spade work before one can actually buy the item online. As this is a medical item, online contacts buying requires that one should have a medical prescription in place before venturing on to buying contact lenses online.

This medical prescription should give details of the kind of contact lens that the wearer has to be fitted out with. This gives the buyer the advantage of buying contact lenses online. This medical prescription is detailed about the kind of corrective measures the eye of the wearer needs in order to be equipped with contact lenses.

The medical prescription for a buyer of contact lenses will give the power of the lenses required by the wearer. It will give the sphere, cylinder, axis, diameter, base curve and peripheral curvature of the eye and by reading these details the makers of contact lenses will be able to equip the wearer of contact lenses with an individually crafted pair of lenses for his use.

Without these essential details the cruising through a website of contact lens makers would be a futile task undertaken by the user of contact lenses. Also, it is essential that the wearer and buyer of contact lenses online should use a medical prescription that is just one or two years old. {mospagebreak}

A later prescription may not give accurate readings of the state of the eyes and one might require vision corrections and alterations to be pointed out, in subsequent prescriptions. Thus for shopping online, in the matter of contact lenses, one must be prepared to use an updated and correct medical prescription from a reliable optometrist, for best results.

Once one has the necessary medical papers in place, the buyer online must then browse around for a reliable company manufacturer of contact lenses and not settle for the first site that comes into view on the computer screen. Even after one has homed on to a particular supplier there is a necessity to get a re check on the supplier before firming up on the order. This rechecking can be done from a shop or supplier one is familiar with and one can rely on, for accuracy.

In case one has no such reliable source for rechecking one?s contact lens order placement online, it is necessary to follow a few thumb rules on one?s own. While buying contact lenses online it is essential that one is aware of attempts by some suppliers to suggest substitutes in place of the brands that your doctor might have mentioned.

Buying an alternative brand is not a way of diverting the customer by the suppliers. It is done for other reasons as well. As contact lenses differ on the water content and shape of the contact lenses, there is a difference in the contact lenses on these lines. Buying contact lenses online thus means that one should be aware of theses aspects of contact lens buying when shopping online for them. Settling for a substitute lens cannot be done by the lay user of contact lenses.

At this point it is necessary to consult your medical practitioner and not rely on the offers given by contact lens manufacturers who have the facility of selling contact lenses online. It is only a professional who can decide whether the alternative offer of a contact lens variety available online will be suitable for the user.

Also, such information cannot be confirmed on the phone. As the professional who is being asked by the patient about the alternative brand of contact lens has to personally check out the eyes and the prescription before giving his opinion, a personal visit to the doctor becomes a must for the wearer of contact lenses and who wants to buy a pair of them online.

With a few precautions in place and with a few valuable guidelines to be kept in mind while buying contact lenses online, the wearer is sure to get both comfort and his money?s worth, when shopping online for contact lenses.

http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/ & Contact Lens provides detailed information on contact lens, color contact lens, acuvue contact lens and more.

Having Fun With Crazy Contact Lenses

2008-06-11T01:54:00.000-07:00

Having Fun With Crazy Contact Lenses

The arena of contact lens making has become a subject of intense research. As more and more people are wanting to redefine their looks and reinvent themselves into newer images, or as more and more movies are being based on creatures and human in the outer planet, the task of fitting these people with changed personalities has led to the use of crazy contact lenses. Side by side, there are several companies and brands that have grown around this demand. As a result major brands have now been established in the crazy contact lens industry.

Some of the most popular types of crazy contact lenses that have fired the imagination of wearers of contact lenses is the ones that simulate the shapes of the eyes of wild animals. The more ferocious the animal, the more is the fascination to wear a pair of crazy contact lenses. It makes one imitate the eyes of these creatures from the wild world.

Thus people like to wear crazy contact lenses that are modeled after the eyes of jaguars. These are cat like in shape and have a narrow black slit in the center that is surrounded by a reflexive metallic teal. They give the wearer of these crazy contact lenses the feel of being a sly but sure enemy even in the dark.

For fun wearers of crazy contact lenses, there is the zebra crazy contact lens. This type has solid black stripes on a white background and makes the wearer draw instant attention. This is very useful if one is acting to be a personality from the nether world or one is trying to depict a supernatural creature, on stage or screen.

The crazy contact lens that is sure to draw attention with magicians albeit the amateur variety is the hypnotica contact lens. This lens has a thin white line spiraling towards the pupil of the eye and seems to bring everything into its magic spin. {mospagebreak}

This crazy contact lens can give the magic show an extra edge. For the magician wearing such a pair of crazy contact lenses is an additional draw to the event.

While crazy contact lenses had initially begun as essential make-up gear for actors in horror movies, they have now become a style statement. The days are not far therefore, when socialites and beauty queens will come up on stage wearing crazy contact lenses in lieu of their original eye color and shape to woo the crowds with their glamorous and eye catching make over.

The reason behind this growing popularity of crazy contact lenses is not just a matter of eye-catching style but also one of practical common sense. The crazy contact lenses are by and large disposable ones as they are to be worn as an occasional affair. Thus cleaning them is not an issue at all. They are simply discarded into the nearest waste bin and forgotten. They are usually soft lenses and flexible to feel. Thus the days of crazy contact lenses are just round the corner and wearing them will soon become as common as changing one's hairstyle or sporting a new pair of jeans.

Many Contact Lens articles are available at Crazy Contact Lenses & http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/

Many Contact Lenses articles are available at http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/ for Crazy Contact Lens.

Contact Lens Discount Stores

2008-06-08T23:40:00.000-07:00

There are more than 90 contact lens manufacturers and almost all stores provide these brands and offer discounts. Most online contact lenses stores have better discounts than normal outlets or eye-care specialists. This is because online stores have the advantage of not having to pay rent and other overhead costs.

Online purchasing is a very common trend now; however, when it comes to purchasing medical products some people may be hesitant simply because they are not sure if what they are purchasing is the real thing. You can be assured that online store products are the same as the ones that you would find in any retail outlet or your eye practitioner?s clinic.

The only problem that you might face when it comes to online purchasing is that there are so many stores for you to choose from that you can get confused. People tend to pick the stores that provide the best offers, or those with the lowest possible price. Even though it sounds good, it is best to keep in mind a few tips. Find out how reputable the company is, and how long it has been in the contact lens business. Some companies offer free shipping, which is a good thing compared to those who sell the lenses at a very low price but the shipping cost would end up being double or triple the cost of the lenses! Most of the time, the cost decreases as the purchasing quantity increases. Another important factor to consider when you purchase from discount stores is to ensure that the store has a good privacy and security policy, since your credit card and personal information would be available to them.

Some of the popular brands that you will be able to find in the discount stores include Focus, Durasoft, Ciba Vision, Vistakon, Freshlook, Acuvue, OSI/American Hydron, Bausch & Lomb, Sunsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Biomedics, Wesley ?Jessen, Frequency, Boston, Cooper Vision and Specialty Ultravision.

Discount Color Contact Lens provides detailed information on Discount Contact Lenses, Discount Color Contact Lens, Contact Lens Discount Coupons, Contact Lens Discount Stores and more. Discount Color Contact Lens is affiliated with Eye Contact Exams.

Putting In and Removing Contact Lenses

2008-05-31T01:08:00.000-07:00

If you are new to contact lenses, there are two things that you will need to learn - putting your contacts in and taking them out. Even if you may have got in some practice with your optician during your fitting exam, you will find things to be totally different once you step in front of your mirror at home and try to do it by yourself.

The first thing you will become aware of is that it can be difficult to put your contacts in. If you are putting them in for the first time, it can be a little tricky getting them in your eye. With a few days or a few weeks to practice, you'll be more than comfortable with your lenses.

Always keep in mind that no one is perfect, it takes all of us time to get good at it. Here are a few tips that will help you with inserting and removing your contacts.

Putting in contacts Before you put your hands on your contacts, you should make sure that you clean your hands thoroughly, and that you dry them off. Once your hands are clean, put the contact lens on your index finger.

Next, place a drop of solution in the center of the lens. Now, use your other hand and pull down your lower eye lid with your thumb then look up with the eye you will be inserting the contact lens into.

Take your index finger with the contact on it and place it into your eye. Do not close your eye immediately, rather leave it open a few seconds to let the contact settle. After a few seconds, close your eye and your contact should be perfectly in place.

If it feels uncomfortable, take it out and try again. It may take you a few tries; although the more you put them in the better you will get at it.

Taking out contacts Same as before, you want to make sure that your hands are clean and dry. When you are ready to take them out, look up with your eye then use your fingers to grab the contact by the sides and pull it out.

You can normally get it out on the first try, with a little practice. Once the contact is out, blink a few times to clear your eyes. If it does not want to come out, put some drops in your eye to moisten it up, and then try again.

Contact lenses are easier to use than most people may think. Once you have worn contacts for a few days or a few weeks, you will find that it becomes second nature to put them in and take them out. Once you have got the hang of it, you will be able to put them in and remove them in a matter of seconds.

Alex Fir shares a wealth of information on his website Contact Lenses Center. To learn about contact lenses care as well as extended wear contact lenses visit his site now.

Why Do People Prefer Acuvue Contact Lenses Over Other Lenses?

2008-05-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

Ask a contact lens wearer what is the bane of his or her life and the answer will come pat. It is the daily grind of removing the contact lenses each night and maintaining a regular routine of cleaning the contact lenses to ensure their efficacy is not compromised. Thus the discovery of the Acuvue contact lens has been welcomed by contact lens wearers with open arms.

The arrival of the Acuvue contact lens, first introduced in the late eighties by the firm of Johnson and Johnson, made international headlines as they promised the wearer freedom from the daily grind of contact lens maintenance as its primary advantage. The Acuvue contact lens is the first disposable contact lens to hit the market and has remained on top of the charts in the field of contact lens research and manufacturing.

The disposable contact lens better known as the Acuvue contact lens can be changed daily and allows the wearer the joy of wearing a fresh pair of lenses each morning. Thus there are no messy solutions to be dealt with and no time to be wasted in carefully cleaning out those thin pieces of plastic or glass.

Then with the ongoing research in the field of Acuvue contact lenses in place, these lenses now come fitted with ultra violet ray protection, giving the wearer the advantage of eye protection even in the outdoors.

The makers of this lens have also gone into ensuring that Acuvue lens is handy and easily spotted on the crowded dressing table, by making the lenses with a slight hint of tinting.

This clever scheme helps in locating and handling the Acuvue lenses even when one is not too tidy a person or the dressing table in one?s room is actually a place for equipping oneself for a role on stage, chockfull of bottles and brushes, for completing make-up needs.

With so much in store, it did not take long for major manufacturers to switch over from making the durable hard lenses to the Acuvue contact lenses. Today, this product is produced and marketed by major manufacturers around the world and millions of users of contact lenses prefer to opt for the easily disposable, maintenance free Acuvue lenses instead of all other brands of contact lenses.

http://www.contactlenseclub.com/contacts/ & Acuvue Contact Lens provides detailed information on contact lens, color contact lens, acuvue contact lens and more.

Halloween Contact Lenses - Great For Halloween And Costume Parties

2008-05-28T23:26:00.000-07:00

You too can do the same on some special occasion. Halloween contact lenses could be perfect for bringing the character in your costume to life! There are various decorative contact lenses in a variety of styles. From the simple ones - that will convert you into a red eyed alien, or a green eyed reptile - to the more elaborate ones with zebra stripes or flowers, they are a great way to enhance your Halloween ensemble.

Buying Halloween Contact Lenses

Halloween contact lenses are available from a variety of sources, including online sources. However, you should know of certain things before you buy a pair.

Nearly everyone can wear special effect contact lenses. If your vision is normal, you can go for plain lenses with no corrective power. Corrective contact lenses for special effects are also available, including toric contact lenses for those suffering from astigmatism.

Even if you are going for plain costume contact lenses, it is always advisable to consult your optometrist. When ordering these special effect lenses, always ensure you have your prescription ready, especially when buying from online sources. Halloween contact lenses, like ordinary every day use contact lenses need to be 'fitted,' hence the prescription. Decorative lenses, if improperly made, can cause eye injury, which could eventually become permanent.

These costume contact lenses are not dangerous, as long as you buy them from reputable contact lens manufacturers, or from well-known and trusted online sources. However, they must not be swapped with other people, as there is a danger of picking up an infection. They need to be cleaned properly, just as you would your normal contact lenses.

Even though costume contact lenses are totally opaque, your visibility is unhampered because of the center of the lens - which is clear. The exception is in the case of white lenses for blind eye effect - which are totally opaque. Anyway, these are worn one at a time only.

However, you may notice that your peripheral vision is slightly affected when wearing these decorative contact lenses. Though Halloween contact lenses are as good as daily use contacts, it is advisable not to use them continuously for more than 8 hours.

Caring For Your Halloween Contact Lenses

Halloween contact lenses are like ordinary contact lenses that everyone uses. You need to remember one thing, though. You may be wearing such costume contact lenses for fun, and for a short time, but these are medical devices, and need to be cared for as such.

Caring for them is quite simple. A no-rub multipurpose solution, a pair of plastic tweezers, and a contact lens case, which are all available from any chemist shop, is all you need. There are no other 'special' solutions required, only make sure your multipurpose solution is labeled - 'for soft contact lenses.' If you have more than one costume contact lenses, arrange to have a separate case for each.

This is what you should do to care for your costume contact lenses:

Before handling your contact lenses, always wash your hands with soap.

Pick up your lens gently with tweezers, taking care not to tear it.

Place it on your fingertip and rinse it with a no-rub multipurpose contact lens solution.

Insert it in your eye.

Repeat the same for the lens of the other eye.

After use, take them out of your eyes, give them another rinse with the no-rub solution, and place them in the case with the fresh solution.

As is normal, you would be using your decorative contact lenses, once in a while, on special occasions. As there may be a gap of several weeks in between uses, it is advisable that you rinse the lenses, and change the solution, once a week. If you forget to do so, and your lenses have remained unattended in their cases, give them a double rinse, and soak them in a fresh solution for about a couple of hours, before wearing them.

In case you do not use corrective lenses or color contact lenses on a daily basis, the usage of costume contact lenses may cause a slight discomfort in the beginning. Do not rub your eyes, and instead use lubricant drops that are easily available from the corner chemist shops. To get used to the feeling, you can start by wearing them a couple of hours a day, every day, from a few days before the day of the party.

The Variety In Costume Contacts

There are endless varieties of decorative contact lenses available for all occasions, including Halloween. You can browse the Internet to pick up the ones that go with your costume. Some of the high quality, affordable Halloween contact lenses that are popular, and create great effects are:

Alien

Blackout and whiteout

Hypnotica

Cat eye

Ice fire

Red hot

Black, red and white spiral

Wolf

These are mass produced costume contact lenses. You can also have your contact lenses custom made, which are hand painted, and may be more expensive. Then there are the Scleral costume contact lenses, which are quite more expensive than the other costume contacts. These lenses, not only cover the pupil and the iris of the eyes, as other costume lenses, but the whole sclera - the visible area of the eyes.

Sclera Halloween contact lenses provide an absolutely magnificent effect and are quite comfortable to wear. These unique custom made contact lenses require a special prescription, as the optometrist has to measure your eye.

Make your choice of the Halloween contact lenses and have a great time at the party!

Michael Wright is a virtual authority on contact lenses. He also writes articles about color contact lenses and toric contact lenses.

The Advantages Of Buying Contact Lenses On The Internet

2008-05-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

Over 35 million people in the United States have opted for the use of contact lenses, over other means of vision correction - the main reason being the advantage in terms of vision improvement and convenience of wear. The problem, however, is where to purchase them from, as it is not very easy to do so. Of late, more and more people are turning towards online sources for their purchase of contact lenses. One of the major advantages of buying contact lenses on the Internet is the ease with which you can source your requirements from the comforts of your home.

The Convenience Of Buying Online
No more, the inconvenience of making that trip to the local pharmacy, every time you need to replace your contact lenses. With the type of busy lifestyles that many people have, they may not find it convenient to repeatedly visit the local pharmacy or a merchandiser, every time they need their contact lenses replaced, especially as most contact lenses available today are disposables, whether one day disposables, 1 to 2 week disposables, or 30 day disposable contact lenses.

With the kind of premium many place on their time, online buying saves them time, as it takes a few minutes to reorder their lenses, once they have their prescription. Through the Internet, you have the advantage of gathering price and other information from a variety of online sources, comparing the same, and taking your pick of the best offer. You can compare price, shipping costs, delivery times, and quantity discounts, in addition to rebates and special offers, if any, among other information, from the reputed online contact lenses sources.

There are many other advantages of buying contact lenses on the Internet. Let us look at some of the advantages that online purchasing offers.

Buying Less Expensive Contact Lenses
Other than the convenience of buying from the comforts of your home, through the Internet you can source contact lenses from a multitude of suppliers and buy from the least expensive source.

However, keep in mind the subtle difference between contact lenses being ?less expensive? and ?value? of the contact lenses. To get the better value, look to buy contact lenses from reputable online sources. Reputed manufacturers of contact lenses will allow reputable online websites to display their brand logo. If you are still looking for further less expensive contact lenses, go for generic options available, in place of branded products.

According to a March 2004 report from the Federal Trade Commission, their survey ? . . . indicates that there is not a significant difference in price between mass merchandisers and Internet lens sellers, online sales may have a significant convenience advantage for some consumers.?

Buying online saves you the multiple trips to a ?mass merchandiser,? if your prescription is not available on your first visit, and you may have to wait in line, too.

Discount Contact Lenses
Through the Internet, it becomes easy for you to search for contact lenses websites that supply most brands of reputed contact lenses, at highly discounted prices. When compared to the prices you can buy them at from the shops in your neighborhood, you will find that the price difference is as much as 50 percent to 70 percent. These websites can afford to sell at such discounted prices as they, on an average, sell tens of thousands of a variety of contact lenses globally, each month.

Daily disposable contact lenses, bifocal lenses, contact lenses for astigmatism, special effect contact lenses for special occasions - such as Halloween or Valentine?s Day ? and a variety of other contact lenses from a myriad of manufacturers, including reputed manufacturers, such as Acuvue, or CIBA Vision, can be purchased at heavily discounted prices.

Even after considering the shipping costs involved, buying contact lenses on the Internet is always a bargain, though in most cases shipping is free, and the delivery is efficient. The main reason why online contact lens sellers are able to offer you such unbeatable prices is that they hardly have any overhead. Every time you make a purchase on the Internet you save quite a bundle, and with the number of times you need to fill your prescription for disposable contact lenses, your savings can be tremendous.

The Choice From A Large Selection
When buying your contact lenses from conventional sources, your choice for selection is very limited. Most merchandisers will have limited stocks from limited suppliers, limiting your choice.

The Internet offers you a variety that is endless. You have the convenience of selecting from all the major manufacturers of contact lenses, and comparing their various features. If you are shopping for non-prescription, costume contact lenses with no corrective power, the choice for selection can be mind-boggling. There is never a question of your ?choice? being out of stock, as you can always find it at any of the many online stores.

If you are looking for branded color contact lenses, such as from Acuvue, or CIBA Vision, they are always available, and you can have your selection delivered to you in a matter of days.

Even with your prescription contact lenses, the selection is wide enough for you to fill your prescription with ease. Get yourself a prescription from your optometrist, go online, browse through the various websites, select the contact lenses that you like, and hit the button. That is all it takes.

A Word Of Caution
More and more wearers are seeing the advantages of buying contact lenses on the Internet. Still you need to approach the online sources with a bit of caution. Ensure that you are buying online only from reputed sources, and not from some ?fly-by-night? operation. You may be getting ?cheaper? contact lenses from some sources, but ensure that they are legal and above board.

When you visit a website selling contact lenses, look for that Verisign logo. This will ensure that your personal information -including credit card information, among other forms of payment - cannot be intercepted by any third party.

Use the same common sense you would use when buying anything from online sources for a great online shopping experience.

Michael Wright is a virtual authority on contact lenses. He also writes articles about color contact lenses and toric contact lenses.

Contact Lenses For Computer Users

2008-05-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

Most occupations today involve the use of computers. It is estimated that over 143 million Americans use computers each day, and of these around 88% suffer from computer related discomforts. It is also estimated that over 54 million children use computers every day, in schools and at home. As our eyes are not suitable for continuously staring at the computer screen, many have developed Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).

CVS is the number-one workplace disability, a collection of muscle and eye-related symptoms, with over 75% of all computer users suffering some form of this vision-related disorder. Even people who normally wear glasses or contact lenses in their routine lives find it difficult to focus for long hours on the computer screens.

Contact Lenses For Dry Eyes

People concentrate a lot while working at their computers, and blink less frequently. This can lead to severe discomfort for contact lens users, as not blinking for longer periods can cause the surface of their contact lenses to dry out. Dry eye syndrome, due to lack of blinking in contact lens wearers, can cause blurring and discomfort to them. According to studies, computer users blink around three times less than they normally should. For contact lens wearers, it is advisable that they blink once every 4 to 5 seconds to keep their lens from drying.

Other than the lack of blinking, some types of contact lenses can also cause dry eye syndrome. Generally, soft contact lenses are made of polymers and water, with up to 70% water at times. You feel comfortable as long as the lens is moist, but as the day progresses the water evaporates. The lens absorbs the tears from the eyes to remain moist, but leaves you with a feeling of dry eyes. It is known that the more water the lens contains, the more it is prone to lose its moisture.

As this is a serious problem with contact lens wearers, and more so with those spending hours in front of the computer, many manufacturers are constantly trying to produce contact lenses that will be comfortable for people with dry eyes. One way, it whas been found, is to reduce the water content of the lens. Some people have responded well to the new hydrogel contact lenses. Modern silicon hydrogel lenses are only about 30% water ? which is much less than the 50% to 60% of traditional lenses, and the 70% of soft contact lenses. In addition, the new polymers used in the contact lenses keep the lens moist.

Such contact lenses are a boon for computer users, as they will help avoid dry eye syndrome.

Computer Users And Contact Lenses

Dry eye is a common disorder, caused by the deficiency of tears in the eyes, or by excessive tear evaporation. Dry eyes are associated with a number of causes, such as drug use, inflammation, allergic reactions, and contact lens use. Dry eyes often cause contact lens intolerance. People normally suffering from mild dry eyes may not feel any discomfort until they wear contact lenses, and the discomfort increases with the hours spent in front of the computer.

Some doctors recommend switching to Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) contact lenses for those who spend hours working on the computer with their dry eye syndrome. RGP contact lenses are made from polymeric materials and do not contain any water. This is unlike soft lenses, and so water will not evaporate from their surface.

One major advantage of RGP contact lenses is that they do not block oxygen flow to your corneas, as they are gas permeable. This is healthy for your eyes as lack of oxygen can cause serious eye problems, including inflammation of the cornea. Another advantage is that as they contain no moisture, they do not dry out. Therefore, they may be ideal for those working in conditions, such as in front of their computers, where there is a chance of dry eye syndrome.

A computer user with contact lenses with an ophthalmic prescription for nearsightedness ? that is for distant viewing ? may require either a separate set, or glasses, for extended mid-range VDT use. There are lenses available with tints, to reduce the glare of the VDT screens. The tints used by the computer users can affect either the perceived brightness, or the perceived color, or both.

Let us look at what you can do with your contact lenses to combat your dry eye syndrome while working long hours on your computer:

Use Re-wetting Drops ? Though a temporary solution, it does offer relief. If you have sensitive eyes, look for preservative free drops.

Re-soak Lenses ? After working for a few hours on your computer, remove your contact lenses, soak them for a few minutes and put them back. You will experience relief from dryness symptoms, and will be able to continue for a few more hours.

Cleaning Lenses ? You need to take good care of your lenses, by cleaning them properly. This will add to your comfort, as protein deposits, and other build up such as lipids etc, can contribute to dryness. Insert new lenses as often as prescribed, or change to a better and stronger lens cleaning system.

Increase Blinking ? This is the most important thing you can do if you spend many hours in front of your computer. Blinking often, rewets the lenses and increases the comfort level. Lack of proper blinking is the main reason for the dryness of eyes of computer users. You need to make a conscious effort to blink frequently.

Switch To Different Contact Lenses ? If you wish, you can still switch to a different brand of contact lenses. It is said that effective contact lenses for computer users are those that are made of the newer, more oxygen permeable silicone hydrogel materials.

If you have dry eyes and your current contact lenses do not feel too comfortable, There is no need to live with the discomfort. You can consult your doctor and switch to ones that will give you comfort while working on your computer.

Michael Wright is a virtual authority on contact lenses. He also writes articles about color contact lenses and toric contact lenses.

Halloween Contact Lenses ? Great For Halloween And Costume Parties

2008-05-23T23:47:00.000-07:00

Halloween contact lenses are special effect contact lenses that can be worn on Halloween, or on any other special occasion, such as costume parties. Such contact lenses have been used in the movie industry for ages to create a monster, or a character. Recent movies, such as Interview With The Vampire, Bram Stoker's Dracula, X-Men, The Grinch, among others, have used special effect contact lenses to create a strong visual impact. They have also been used for years on television, theatre, and even rock concert stages.

You too can do the same on some special occasion. Halloween contact lenses could be perfect for bringing the character in your costume to life! There are various decorative contact lenses in a variety of styles. From the simple ones - that will convert you into a red eyed alien, or a green eyed reptile ? to the more elaborate ones with zebra stripes or flowers, they are a great way to enhance your Halloween ensemble.

Buying Halloween Contact Lenses

Halloween contact lenses are available from a variety of sources, including online sources. However, you should know of certain things before you buy a pair.

Nearly everyone can wear special effect contact lenses. If your vision is normal, you can go for plain lenses with no corrective power. Corrective contact lenses for special effects are also available, including toric contact lenses for those suffering from astigmatism.

Even if you are going for plain costume contact lenses, it is always advisable to consult your optometrist. When ordering these special effect lenses, always ensure you have your prescription ready, especially when buying from online sources. Halloween contact lenses, like ordinary every day use contact lenses need to be ?fitted,? hence the prescription. Decorative lenses, if improperly made, can cause eye injury, which could eventually become permanent.

These costume contact lenses are not dangerous, as long as you buy them from reputable contact lens manufacturers, or from well-known and trusted online sources. However, they must not be swapped with other people, as there is a danger of picking up an infection. They need to be cleaned properly, just as you would your normal contact lenses.

Even though costume contact lenses are totally opaque, your visibility is unhampered because of the center of the lens - which is clear. The exception is in the case of white lenses for blind eye effect ? which are totally opaque. Anyway, these are worn one at a time only.

However, you may notice that your peripheral vision is slightly affected when wearing these decorative contact lenses. Though Halloween contact lenses are as good as daily use contacts, it is advisable not to use them continuously for more than 8 hours.

Caring For Your Halloween Contact Lenses

Halloween contact lenses are like ordinary contact lenses that everyone uses. You need to remember one thing, though. You may be wearing such costume contact lenses for fun, and for a short time, but these are medical devices, and need to be cared for as such.

Caring for them is quite simple. A no-rub multipurpose solution, a pair of plastic tweezers, and a contact lens case, which are all available from any chemist shop, is all you need. There are no other ?special? solutions required, only make sure your multipurpose solution is labeled ? ?for soft contact lenses.? If you have more than one costume contact lenses, arrange to have a separate case for each.

This is what you should do to care for your costume contact lenses:

Before handling your contact lenses, always wash your hands with soap.

Pick up your lens gently with tweezers, taking care not to tear it.

Place it on your fingertip and rinse it with a no-rub multipurpose contact lens solution.

Insert it in your eye.

Repeat the same for the lens of the other eye.

After use, take them out of your eyes, give them another rinse with the no-rub solution, and place them in the case with the fresh solution.

As is normal, you would be using your decorative contact lenses, once in a while, on special occasions. As there may be a gap of several weeks in between uses, it is advisable that you rinse the lenses, and change the solution, once a week. If you forget to do so, and your lenses have remained unattended in their cases, give them a double rinse, and soak them in a fresh solution for about a couple of hours, before wearing them.

In case you do not use corrective lenses or color contact lenses on a daily basis, the usage of costume contact lenses may cause a slight discomfort in the beginning. Do not rub your eyes, and instead use lubricant drops that are easily available from the corner chemist shops. To get used to the feeling, you can start by wearing them a couple of hours a day, every day, from a few days before the day of the party.

The Variety In Costume Contacts

There are endless varieties of decorative contact lenses available for all occasions, including Halloween. You can browse the Internet to pick up the ones that go with your costume. Some of the high quality, affordable Halloween contact lenses that are popular, and create great effects are:

Alien

Blackout and whiteout

Hypnotica

Cat eye

Ice fire

Red hot

Black, red and white spiral

Wolf

These are mass produced costume contact lenses. You can also have your contact lenses custom made, which are hand painted, and may be more expensive. Then there are the Scleral costume contact lenses, which are quite more expensive than the other costume contacts. These lenses, not only cover the pupil and the iris of the eyes, as other costume lenses, but the whole sclera ? the visible area of the eyes.

Sclera Halloween contact lenses provide an absolutely magnificent effect and are quite comfortable to wear. These unique custom made contact lenses require a special prescription, as the optometrist has to measure your eye.

Make your choice of the Halloween contact lenses and have a great time at the party!

Michael Wright is a virtual authority on contact lenses. He also writes articles about color contact lenses and toric contact lenses.

The Physics Of Contact Lenses

2008-05-22T23:56:00.000-07:00

Contact lenses are used for vision correction and are placed on the cornea of the eye. They do the same corrective function that conventional spectacles, or glasses, do. However, in comparison, they are very light in weight and are, for all purposes, invisible. Contact lenses help form the image on the retina of the eye by either converging or diverging the rays of light entering the eye.

Earlier contact lenses were made of glass, and were scleral lenses. Scleral lenses are large contact lenses that cover the complete sclera - the white outer coating - of the eye. These unwieldy lenses could only be worn for a short period at a time. With the development of PPMA - polymethyl methacrylate ? in the 1930s, plastics were first used in contact lenses. These were in fact, hybrid scleral lenses, made with the combination of both, glass and plastic, in 1936.

By the 1950s, much smaller contact lenses were developed that covered only the cornea of the eye and not the whole eye.

Types of Vision Impairments

One of the major uses of contact lenses is to correct visual defects. The general impairments are Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism, and Presbyopia.

Myopia ? is a visual disability where the image of the object seen is formed in front of the retina. During this visual impairment, one can see objects that are near, and not the distant objects, which appear blurred. This defect is also known as nearsightedness. This is a very common impairment, with over 25 percent of the adults in the United States suffering from it. The defect can be corrected by the use of concave contact lenses.

Hyperopia ? It is also known as Hypermetropia, and the image of the object is formed behind the retina. Far objects can be seen clearly, and the near objects appear to be blurred. Hyperopia is more commonly known as farsightedness, and more than 13 percent of the children in the United States, in the age group 5 to 17, suffer from it. The defect can be corrected by the use of convex contact lenses.

Astigmatism ? This happens when the lens of the eye has more than one focal point, in different meridians. Astigmatic people cannot see in fine detail, and need cylindrical lenses to correct their impairment. Nearly 34 percent of American children in the age group 5 to 17 have this impairment.

Presbyopia ? This is an impairment, which comes with age, generally after the age of 40. The impairment develops as the lens of the eye loses its elasticity. Bifocal contact lenses are used to correct this vision defect.

Lenses Used For Vision Correction

In the case of normal vision, the light from the object hits the cornea and focuses on the retina. Due to some refractive error, at times the light from the object does not focus on the retina, but either in front of it, or behind it. To correct this refractive error, contact lenses are used to focus on to the retina.

The type of contact lenses used depends on the type of vision impairment, and how much refractive error is involved. How much the lens bends the light to focus on the retina is measured in diopters (D).

Myopia occurs when the light is focused in front of the retina, as the eyeball is longer than normal. To correct this impairment, which is also known as nearsightedness, a concave lens is used. This lens is thinner at the center, and helps move the focus ahead, towards the retina.

To correct this vision impairment, the curvature in the concave contact lenses is determined by the measurement in diopters. The larger the number of diopters, larger is the vision defect. In myopia, the diopter number is preceded by a minus (-) sign, denoting that the focus is short of the retina.

In the case of hyperopia, the light is focused beyond the retina. Hyperopia is also known as farsightedness, as distant objects are seen clearly in this impairment. The eyeball is shorter than normal, and a convex lens is used to correct this vision defect. The contact lens used is thicker in the center, and helps move the focus back onto the retina.

In this case, too, the curvature required in the convex contact lenses is determined by the measurement in diopters. The diopter number is preceded by the plus (+) sign, denoting that the focus is beyond the retina.

The lenses used for the correction of myopia and hyperopia are categorized as spherical contact lenses.

When the cornea is irregularly shaped, the light from the object falling on the cornea focuses on more than one point. This distortion of the image is called astigmatism. Special lenses need to be designed, based on the individual?s distortion of image. These lenses are known as toric lenses.

Though toric lenses are made of the same materials as the spherical lenses, they are specifically designed to suit individual impairments. These lenses have different curvatures, thicker in some places, and thinner in others. These lenses are designed to correct astigmatism and myopia or hyperopia, if required.

For the correction of presbyopia, special bifocal lenses are required, as the person suffering from it requires both correction for nearsightedness and farsightedness. In such lenses, either the correction for near impairment is placed in the center of the lens, with the distant correction on the outside, or vice versa.

Types Of Contact Lenses

The initial lenses were rigid lenses that did not absorb water. This kept the oxygen from passing into the cornea of the eye, causing eye irritation and other discomforts.

Then came the soft contact lenses made from hydrogel, which allowed oxygen to pass through them to the cornea. These lenses came to be known as ?breathable? contact lenses. This made it possible for contact lenses to be worn comfortably and for longer periods. Today, there are:

Daily wear lenses, which are removed at night.
Extended wear lenses that can be worn for extended periods without removing.
Disposable lenses that can be discarded after a day, a week, or a few weeks.

In addition, there are color contacts, which are for cosmetic purpose.

Michael Wright is a virtual authority on contact lenses. He also writes articles about astigmatism and colored contacts.

The Different Designs Of Contact Lenses Available

2008-05-22T00:19:00.000-07:00

Contact lenses have been a boon for people with vision disabilities. They became popular in the United States in the early 1970s, and since then, have caught the fancy of people worldwide. Today, there are prescription contact lenses, as well as contact lenses for cosmetic purposes. There are a number of contact lenses available with different designs for various vision disabilities.

Soft Contact Lens Designs

There is a particular soft contact lens design available to suit a particular vision problem. It does not matter whether you are nearsighted or farsighted, you are suffering from astigmatism, or you need a bifocal prescription for your presbyopia, your ophthalmologist can recommend the best contact lens design that fits with your specific need.

Spherical Single Vision Contact Lenses ? These are the most common and popular type of soft contact lenses available. They take care of your nearsightedness, and farsightedness (myopia, and hyperopia). Such spherical single vision contact lenses have the same power all along its curvature. The power of contact lenses is expressed in units known as diopters (D).

As the power in all the meridians of the spherical contact lenses is the same, it is expressed by a single number to describe the lens. Soft spherical single vision contact lenses are made in the power increments of 0.25 D. For example: if your current contact lens power is + 1.75 D, the next stronger power lens available will be + 2.00 D.

The power of the contact lenses that correct nearsightedness is preceded by the minus (-) sign, whereas in the case of farsightedness, the power is preceded by the plus (+) sign. The soft spherical single vision contact lenses that have the power of ? 1.50 D correct 1.50 diopters of nearsightedness. The power is at times, denoted as ? 2.50 sph, or plainly ? 2.50.

Soft Toric Single Vision Lenses ? These soft contact lenses are used for the correction of astigmatism, in combination with either farsightedness, and/or with nearsightedness. Astigmatism, quite a common condition, is caused by irregularities in the cornea or lens of the eye. Usually a hereditary condition, in astigmatism, the normal spherical shape of the cornea, or the lens, of the eye is more oblong.

To correct the irregularly shaped cornea of the eye, these soft contact lenses have different powers in different lens meridians. The soft contact lenses usually rotate in the eye. In case of the spherical single vision contact lenses, it does not matter, as the power is the same all around its meridian. In the case of soft toric single vision lenses for astigmatism, the lens has to be kept from rotating in the eye, as there are different powers for different meridians.

This is essential for a consistent clear vision, as the power of the lens must remain in front of the intended meridian. This is done by ?ballasting? ? a special system of weighting and different thicknesses in different lens meridians. This keeps the lens from rotating.

Two numbers describe the powers of the soft toric single vision lenses - a sphere power (sph), and a cylinder power (cyl). The sphere powers can be preceded by either, a minus (-) sign, or a plus (+) sign, whereas the cylinder power is always in minus (-). In a prescription, the sphere power is always written first, followed by the cylinder power.

The prescriptions for toric soft lens include a third number, known as the ?cylinder axis?. This power is always preceded by ?x? and is also the last in the prescription. This axis denotes the location of the flattest meridian of the eye ? the meridian that is for the sphere power ? and its angle is measured in degrees.

Soft Bifocal Or Multi-focal Lenses ? These soft contact lenses have been designed to correct presbyopia, in combination with farsightedness, and/or with nearsightedness. Affecting adults over the age of 40, presbyopia is the normal age-related loss of near focusing ability.

The spherical power in the soft bifocal or multi-focal lenses correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. In addition, there are one or more magnifying powers for close-up vision. This additional magnifying power, called the ?add power? is for the correction of presbyopia. The ?add powers?, just as the sphere and cylinder powers in soft contact lens prescriptions, are measured in diopters, and always preceded by the plus (+) sign. It has a range from +1.00 to +3.00 D.

The fit of the lenses and the size of the wearer's pupils are some of the factors on which the performance of the bifocal and multi-focal soft contact lenses depends. People who use bifocal or multi-focal contact lenses have a slightly reduced visual acuity as compared to when they use a normal single vision contact lenses for distance vision, and a pair of glasses over their contact lenses for near vision. Still, many are ready to overlook this slightly less clear vision for the ability to read without the need for reading glasses.

There is an alternate way by which presbyopia is corrected by using soft single vision lenses ? either spherical or toric. This technique, called monovision, has soft lenses prescribed in such a way that one eye is optimized for distance vision, and the other eye is optimized for near vision.

Contact lens wearers, uncomfortable with bifocal or multi-focal lenses, find monovision single vision lenses better as far as vision clarity is concerned. The major benefit of using single vision lenses in place of bifocal or multi-focal lenses is the affordability. The cost of single vision lenses is significantly lower than that of bifocal or multi-focal lenses.

Contact Lens Designs for Keratoconus

Keratoconus - abnormal cone-shaped protrusion of the cornea of the eye ? can be corrected by many different contact lens designs. The ophthalmologist evaluates the requirements of each individual to prescribe a lens that offers the best combination of visual acuity, comfort and corneal health. Each design has its own unique characteristics, and no one design suits all types of keratoconus.

Rigid lens designs, usually spherical, achieve the best visual results. Aspheric lens designs are used in cases of small to moderate nipple cones, where it aligns with the more normal peripheral cornea.

Michael Wright is a virtual authority on acuvue contact lenses. He also writes articles about ciba vision lenses and color contact lenses.

The Advantages Of Contact Lenses Over Glasses

2008-05-21T02:42:00.000-07:00

Contact lenses are optical medical devices, just as spectacles are, and often provide cosmetic and optical advantages over them. The more than 35 million people in the United States who have opted for contact lenses over the use of glasses have done so because of their convenience, and cosmetic value. Many people initially feel discomfort when starting to use contact lenses, but the benefits of using them far outweigh these minor discomforts.

The Short History Of Spectacles

The invention of spectacles has greatly influenced progress in the arts and sciences, yet it is not very clear who invented this instrument. In 1270, Marco Polo saw elderly Chinese using this device, which they claim to have originated in Arabia in the 11th century.

The spectacles evolved in the western world from the late 1200s onwards, with riveted spectacles used by monks and scholars, who held the lenses in front of there eyes, or balanced them on their noses. The invention of the printing press in 1452 encouraged the mass production of spectacles, along with the growing popularity of books. For the lower and middle classes, there were spectacles mounted in wood, horn, bone, etc, whereas the upper classes used hand held spectacles in gold or silver frames.

The significant advancement in frame design occurred in the 1600s, with rigid bridges that allowed the spectacles to remain in place. In the present times, there has been a tremendous progress in frames and lens acuity, with the spectacles, whether plain or prescription, becoming a fashion statement.

The Short History Of Contact Lenses

If you are of the view that contact lenses are a new invention, you are way off the mark. Leonardo Da Vinci first described and sketched his ideas of contact lenses way back in 1508! However, it took more than 300 years to fabricate and wear them.

Swiss physician A.E. Fick and Paris optician Edouard Kalt are credited with fitting the first contact lenses, in the late 1800s, for myopia and hyperopia. These heavy glass lenses could be used for a few hours of wear only.

Plastic came into use in 1936, when William Feinbloom, an optometrist in New York, made contact lenses with the central portion of glass surrounded by plastic in the periphery that covered the sclera. 1948 saw a Californian optometrist, Kevin Tuohy produce contact lenses completely made of plastic.

The same year, George Butterfield, an optometrist from Oregon, improved upon Kevin Tuohy?s design with lenses that matched the shape of the cornea, and would not easily pop off. These lenses have evolved to the present soft contact lenses, which are worn by more than 90% of the contact lens wearers in the United States.

Contact Lenses vs. Glasses

Contact lenses offer functional advantages over glasses in areas, such as sports, work ? in humid environment, and in occupations where spectacles are inconvenient and not compatible with the equipment used, such as special headgears. Let us look at some of the advantages that contact lenses offer over glasses:

Natural Vision - As they are worn right on the cornea of the eye, contact lenses provide vision that is more natural. The objects appear in the correct size and position, without any distortion. The distance between the eye and the glasses can vary, causing the objects to appear larger or smaller than they actually are.

Stable Vision ? Contact lenses are not affected by quick body movements, such as in sports and similar activities, and remain in place, providing clear and stable vision. Eyeglasses are unstable on your face when running, making your vision unstable, affecting your performance.

Peripheral Vision ? Contacts give you a wider and better peripheral vision that glasses. Contact lenses move along with your eyes and you are always looking through the clearest part of the lens ? the optic zone. On the other hand, the frames of the glasses block your peripheral vision, and when you move your eyes to the side, you are no longer looking through the optical center, causing blurred and distorted vision.

Unaffected By Weather ? Contact lenses do not fog up when you come in from the cold, and neither do they get splattered by rain. In addition, they do not steam up from body heat or perspiration.
Comfortable ? Contact lenses are quite comfortable to wear as they do not pinch your nose, or rub or press against your ears and temple, unlike glasses, which, in addition, slide down your nose when you perspire.

Contact lenses have been a boon for children in one particular sense. They do not get picked on at school by their friends. This relieves them from the psychological and physical traumas related to wearing glasses.

Glasses, at times do not work, and contact lenses are certainly superior to them:

Thick glasses are required in cases of severe short sightedness, making them very heavy, and your eyes look very small.

Glasses do not provide adequate correction when the difference between the visual acuity of your eyes is more than 2.5 diopters - a unit of measurement of the refractive power of lenses.
After cataract removal, your eyes need a special protection, which only contact lenses can provide adequately.

With improvements in technology, a wide variety of contact lenses are available, both for ophthalmic, as well as cosmetic uses. People who normally wear glasses can easily and safely shift to wearing contact lenses. People had many misgivings about using contact lenses, and opted for glasses, but these are no longer hold true.

There was a time when contact lenses used to pop out, and this was during the time when contact lenses were hard lenses. Today, there is no ?popping? out with the introduction of soft contact lenses. These soft contact lenses conform to the shape of the eye, and do not move or pop out.

Another myth of contact lenses being expensive is not correct. These are less expensive than many of the designer frames that are available today.

Follow the instructions of the manufacturers to take care of your contact lenses, to enable them to provide you with clear and healthy vision.

Michael Wright is a virtual authority on contact lenses. He also writes articles about astigmatism and colored contacts.

Contact Lenses and Computers- An Unhappy Partnership?

2008-05-20T03:43:00.000-07:00

According to studies using a PC, laptop or mobile phone for text messaging can increase eye strain and fatigue. This can cause eye and headaches and in extreme cases it can even affect your vision. As a result optometrists are treating more and more people for digital related eye problems.

A national study of optometrists revealed the worrying fact that over 14% of patients' eye problems were directly related to computer use. This figure is even higher amongst contact lens wearers.

Staring at a computer screen all day makes your eyes dry and this problem is exacerbated by contact lenses which also dry eyes. However, for most of us not using a computer for work is simply not an option. Luckily there are some things that can be done to alleviate the problem.

One of the reasons that working at a computer dries your eyes out is that you blink less often than normal. About three times less than normal in fact. In the case of contact lens wearers this can make the surface of the contact lens dry out which can be very uncomfortable.

You could try blinking more but chances are when you are concentrating hard on your work you will forget to do this. An alternative might be to use lubricating eye drops during the day to keep your eyes moist.

If you find that your vision is impaired by working at a computer and you wear contact lenses, it might be advisable to speak to your optometrist about the problem. He or she will examine your eyes and might be able to recommend a different make of contact lenses that might suit you better.

Optometrists advise those using computers for work to look away from their computer screens for 20 seconds every twenty minutes. This should reduce eye strain and soreness.

You might also try and adjust your computer to help alleviate your discomfort. The glare from computer screens can cause eye strain. You can combat this by using an anti-glare screen. You can also try and sit further away from your computer screen. According to optometrists, the ideal distance is between five and nine inches away from your face.

Finally, if you are really suffering from computer provoked eye problems, you could try wearing glasses instead of contact lenses as they will not dry your eyes out so much. However, if problems persist make an appointment to see your optometrist for help and advice.

Say Good Bye To Your Old Glasses And Switch To Contact Lenses

2008-05-19T02:15:00.000-07:00

If you are a long time user of contact lenses you are already well aware of its many benefits. If you are considering a switch over from your old spectacles to contact lenses, let us inform you, you are going in the right direction. Over 30 million people in the USA are believed to use contact lenses, either as an alternative of the traditional spectacle or for some cosmetic purposes. If you too are thinking of stepping into their shoes, then try to equip yourself with as much information about the contact lenses as possible; it will help you to find out the right product suitable for your needs and take the informed decision at the time of purchase.

First of all, you may want to know about the actual definition of the contact lens. According to FDA definition, a contact lens is a prescribed medical device, which is usually placed on the cornea of the eye and used either for corrective or cosmetic or therapeutic purposes.

There are countless benefits of contact lenses. Contact lenses perform the same corrective functions as the conventional glasses, but as opposed to the glasses, contact lenses are virtually weightless and most importantly they are invisible. So they are regarded to be more comfortable than the traditional spectacles.

Then consider the contact lenses from an ophthalmologic point of view: As contact lenses move with your eyes they provide a better field of view. Like the glasses, there are no frames to obstruct your vision and thus they reduce distortions to a considerable point. Sometimes your vision is obstructed as the lenses of your glass get blurred by moisture, rain or dirt; you will find no such faults with your contact lenses.

Do you follow an active lifestyle and every time your spects come into the way of your active lifestyle? Then contact lens can be the only solution for you. If you are in any kind of sports including swimming, diving or athletics, a contact lens can offer you a distortion free clear vision at the time of your movements, without any kind of side effects. It is properly fitted inside your eyes so that it does not affect your concentration in any way.

There are many people, particularly the women who find the glasses to be great hindrance for showing off the natural beauty of their faces. On the other hand, contact lens provides utter ease and comfort and they do not come into the way you look.

You can get modern contact lenses with UV protection built into the material, so if you want protection for your eyes, you can opt for these lenses instead of wearing goggles.

There are people with eternal dissatisfaction over the color of their eyes and they find in the contact lens the golden opportunity to mend the nature to get the color of their dreams.

Part II

So you have almost taken the decision in favor of buying contact lenses after reading about the many benefits of contact lenses! But wait; let?s inform you about the many types of contact lenses you might come across in the market.

In these days contact lenses are made of variety of plastic materials-- but at the core they are of two main types: soft or rigid gas permeable.

Soft Lenses: These contact lenses contain some 25% to 79% water. They are easily to adaptable to your eyes and hence are quite comfortable. With a soft contact lens in your eyes you will barely feel that there is something foreign in your eyes. However, you should be more careful in handling them and they have to be replaced more frequently.

Rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses: These lenses take time to adapt to your eyes. But they have much greater resistance power against deposit buildup. With RGP you are supposed to get sharper vision. They are more durable too. Thus, at the beginning RGP may appear to be costlier, but because of its longer lifespan, RGP gives you better value for your money.

Daily Disposable Lenses: If you want the ultimate convenience, you must go for disposable contact lenses. The cleaning and disinfection procedures with disposable contact lenses are extremely simplified. They are better for your eye health because they are more frequently replaced. Also you always have some spare lenses with you. These days you get the disposable contact lenses in all toric, bifocal, and colored versions. Only you have to be cautious in your handling of these lenses. And for all these benefits you should be ready to pay some extra bucks.

Toric Soft Lenses: These lenses are claimed to correct astigmatism. You can get these types both in daily wear as well as planned replacement versions. You may be required to visit the doctor?s clinic more than once to get a perfect fitting.

Color contact lenses: Then there are those colored lenses that are mainly used for cosmetic purposes. You can get mainly four different types of cored contact lenses, namely, visibility tints, enhancement tints, opaque color tints and light-filtering tints. If you have no vision problem, you can take the ?Plano? form of colored contact lenses that do not make any visual correction. You can also get them as disposable or frequent replacement lens.

However there is no hard and fast rule for buying the contact lenses from your eye specialist. You can buy them from any reliable optical stores. You can also try out in the online stores where you can avail the scope of wide comparison. But one important thing to consider, no matter wherever you buy the contact lenses from, your decision should be guided by the value of the product and not only the price.

Barney Garcia writes about various contact lense topics. Visit: http://www.thebest-contact-lenses.info/ and http://www.thebest-contact-lenses.info/sitemap.html

Buying Halloween Special Effects Contact Lenses

2008-05-16T23:33:00.000-07:00

In less than a couple of months the ghosts and goblins will be out for Halloween. It is the time of the year when we don costumes and act out our alter ego. To enhance your Halloween look you should consider special effects contact lenses. Special Effects contact lenses give you eyes that mesmerize. They are an excellent compliment to any costume.

With Special Effects contact lenses you can become animalistic, dazed, exotic, freaky, ghoulish, mystical and otherworldly. There are numerous styles to choose from, including manson, psycho, rock star, flame, creepers, shamrock, red cat eyes, banshee, vampire red, darth, and vader. Halloween is about standing out in the crowd, and with Special Effects contact lenses you will leave an eerie impression.

So where do you purchase Special Effects contacts? It is important to buy your contacts from a legitimate business. This could be from a local eye center, but you may find their selection limited.

You can purchase your Special Effects contacts from several popular online contact lens retailers. They will have the most extensive selection, and their contacts are of the highest quality. These are the same contacts your eye doctor would prescribe. When you buy online you will save significant money and in most cases you avoid paying state taxes. Best of all you can shop from your computer and have them delivered to your door.

Get a prescription from a licensed eye care professional. The FDA has issued a consumer alert in regards to Special Effects contact lenses, they state that they "present significant risks of blindness and other eye injury if they are distributed without a prescription or without proper fitting by a qualified eye care professional." Once you have your prescription it is easy to order online.

Do not share Special Effect contact lenses. Sharing contact lenses may spread micro-organisms that may result in serious eye health problems

Use care when using Special Effects contact lenses. Just like regular contacts, Special Effects lenses require the same hygienic care and maintenance. They need to be stored in saline solution and should be handled properly. Discard your lenses as prescribed by your eye care provider.

So make you appointment now so you can have your Special Effects contacts in plenty of time for Halloween. And don't just think that your contacts should only be worn at Halloween. Once you have them you can wear them anywhere you want to make an impact.

Fred Waters is author of the 888-contact-lens.com site, where you get the best deals on Halloween Special Effects Contact Lenses.

Tips For Choosing And Using Novelty Contact Lens

2008-05-16T03:19:00.000-07:00

The novelty contact lens that change your eyes to funky shapes and colors have turned to be quite popular nowadays, but not many people have heard about these unique types of lenses. If you are considering buying them, you should be aware of all the ramifications.

You probably you didn't even know that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows only novelty contact lenses made here. Do your homework about these contact lenses and be aware of the dangers, then in case you decide to wear them, you should certainly purchase them from a qualified eye care specialist.

When choosing these eye accessories you should know that they come in lots of different designs, like flags and bears. Novelty contact lenses were first used at Halloween parties but later on they were utilized for many other occasions. Maybe you are not aware of the fact that up until now just about anyone could sell them. You can find them on the Internet, at open novelty markets and even in beauty salons. They can be sold to anyone over 18 years of age. One size of the novelty contact lenses of the past was said to fit anyone, but this was far from the truth.

Actually there are quite some many people who lost eyesight because of them. If you are planning to buy novelty contact lenses, visit an ophthalmologist and get such lenses made in extended wear for you. If you follow my advice, your lenses will fit your eye and this is how you will avoid corneal infections. Such affections are also possible when the novelty contact lenses are stored in a solution for a long period of time.

When having novelty contact lenses you should take good care of them, just as if they were vision corrective type of lens or coloured contacts. If you don't know the proper cleaning procedures, consult any qualified eye doctor. He will also tell you how long you should wear them.

In case you want to be different and have novelty contact lenses, you can use them but you should do it the right way. Be careful not to get any infections in your eyes. Such infections are often contagious, so you must be very careful. Apart from that, having eye problems will cost you medical bills and treatment that you probably cannot afford. Of course, you should never give your contact lenses to any other person. Novelty contact lenses are really fun to use and with the right handling they are no different than the other types of lenses.

Enjoy wearing your novelty contact lenses and show your creativeness when you have them designed. Don't forget to follow the instructions of your eye doctor and in case of need seek additional medical advice. As far as your eyes are concerned, its better to be safe than sorry. To end with, novelty contact lenses show your creativeness and individuality, so use them but follow the instructions.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning kids and teens. Learn more at Novelty Contact Lens

Important Things to Consider Before Buying Contact Lenses

2008-05-15T04:08:00.000-07:00

Some people out there wonder why people pay out money on expensive contact lenses or expensive glasses. If you've never worn glasses or contact lenses, then chances are that you have good eyesight. In contrast, those that don't have good vision will need to get either contact lenses or glasses in order to have near perfect vision.

In most cases, contact lenses will considerably improve your vision without having to get glasses, which is reason enough to invest in a pair of contacts. They are very lightweight, and they provide you a full range of sight and mobility.

Cheap contact lenses can be found on the Internet, or at your local optician's office. They won't set you a back a lot of money, yet they will give you the vision you need. Contacts are a great alternative to glasses, particularly for those who need glasses but hate to wear them. In you buy cheap contact lenses, it is an ideal solution to glasses, - at a price, anyone can afford.

In several different ways, you can buy contact lenses. You can order them online, which is what the majority people tend to do. Companies such as contacts.com offer hundreds of contact lenses and prescriptions, which they transport right to your door. When you order online you can get a great price, and then have the contact lenses brought right to you - with no travel or waiting in line required to get your contact lenses when you need them.

The best thing about buying contacts online is the fact that there is a lot more to choose from. There are a lot of different brands and manufacturers online, many of which aren't offered from your local store. Directly you can buy from a manufacturer's website, or choose a third party dealer that offers a wide selection of brands and models.

With several different brands of contact lenses out there, it can be very difficult when you select your pair. Often times, your optician will suggest a brand to you, although sometimes they won't. Different brands are coming out all the time, which can make it very difficult for first time contact lens users to select the best brand for their eyes and their needs. A few examples of some of the best contact lenses manufacturers include Acuvue, Bausch and Lomb, and Progressive. These are all great choices, offering you a variety models to choose from.

Also, you can also purchase your contacts at your optician's office. If you don't have access to the internet, buying this way is a great decision. You can also purchase at a local store that sells contact lenses and glasses, such as Wal-Mart. Since they offer a variety of different contacts for those who need them, the prices are great here as well. You can also buy solution here as well, making it well worth the trip to get your contact lenses.

If you shop around, you can usually find some great deals for your lenses. The prices of the contact lenses will vary depending on the brand and type your optician prescribed. If you are buying the latest and greatest brands of contact lenses, you can obviously count on the price to be a bit higher. This is to be anticipated, as contacts cost the most when they first come out and are available for purchase.

In order to buy contact lenses, you'll require a prescription. When you go to an optician for the fitting process, he will observe your eyes and let you know if you can wear contacts. There are a few types, such as soft contact lenses and hard contact lenses. Depending on your eyes, you may have to get a unique type of contact lens. The optician will give you his recommendation, and tell you everything you need to know and do for the contacts that he will give you a prescription for.

Summary:

If your vision is bad, or if you just want to dump the glasses, you should look into a pair of contact lenses. They are very reasonably priced, easy to take care of, and easy to use. Here are some things to consider before buying contact lenses.

Nishanth Reddy is an author and publisher of many health related websites. For more information on contact lenses, types of contact lenses and contact lens care visit his website: http://www.contactlens-guide.info/

Contact Lenses ? Which Style Is Right For You

2008-05-13T00:21:00.000-07:00

A contact lens is used either for therapeutic reasons, corrective purposes or as a cosmetic tool. With the recent advances in the manufacturing process of contact lenses, anybody can wear them, whether it is a bifocal, daily disposable or astigmatism-correcting lens.

For millions of people, contact lenses have proven to be a healthy vision option. However, it should be decided only after checking with an eye care professional. If the steps prescribed to removing, inserting and caring for them are rigidly followed the contact lens can be used without any trouble. To check the effectiveness or lack of it from the lens, check periodically with an eye care professional.

If a vision problem is identified and needs a vision correction, one of the viable options is wearing a contact lens. Right from infants who have vision problems at birth, young children, teenagers and all adults can wear contact lenses.

According to doctors, contact lenses are the best option for vision correction for athletes. Contact lenses can improve the vision skills such as perception of depth, awareness of the peripheral area, co-ordination of eye-foot/eye-hand. Since the contact lens stays in place under dynamic conditions, they offer a total advantage to the athletes. They also free them from the risk of glasses-related injuries.

According to many eye specialists, contact lenses, which are made of a firm plastic lens, may slow or control the progression of myopia or near sightedness. In contrast, conventional spectacles or soft contact lenses do not offer such advantages.

In 1971, when contact lenses were introduced it was an advanced technology and offered comfort not provided by the old-style spectacles. With the latest technology, it is now possible to get better corneal health, sharper vision and a longer life for the lens.

Contact lenses need cleaning and disinfecting every day. Due to the slick surface offering no scope for building up of deposits, there is no need for frequent enzyming, which is a type of extra-strength cleaner, used weekly, for the removal of stubborn deposits from contact lenses.

Daily disposal lenses are worn everyday and discarded without any need for maintenance. Weekly disposal contact lens should be cleaned during the night, soaked in a solution containing disinfectants, until they are removed for usage again.

Color of the eyes also can be changed by using soft contact lenses even if vision correction is not needed. However they are also a prescribed medical device and should be used under the guidance of an eyecare professional. These types of contact lenses are used mostly by theatre and film personalities to get a closer resemblance to the character portrayed by them.

Anastasia Phocas is a proud contributing author. Find more articles at http://financeandlegalportal.info/ For more info visit http://eyeheaven.info/sitemap.html or http://eyeheaven.info/colored-contact-lenses.html

The Truth About Toric Contact Lenses

2008-05-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

Regular contact lenses and Toric contact lenses are made from the same materials. The most significant difference is that Toric lenses are designed for people with astigmatism, one of the most commonly treated eye conditions. What's remarkable is that modern toric contact lenses offer astigmatism sufferers a selection and freedom that was unavailable in the past.

Toric contact lenses are created with two focal powers in them, as opposed to regular contacts, which only have one. Torics are designed to include different angled curves: one of them is for the astigmatism, and the other is for the nearsightedness or farsightedness of the user.

Because the astigmatism curves must be aligned with the eye in a specific orientation, toric contact lenses also come with a mechanism that helps the contact lens stay relatively stable on the eye. This allows the wearer blink or move their eyes without concern for the lenses shifting around, guaranteeing the torics will provide the clearest and most comfortable vision correction possible. If this measure was not taken and the lenses could move around when the wearer blinked or moved their eyes, the lenses would rotate and prevent the wearer from seeing as crisply as possible.

With this added clarity and comfort comes increased complexity, causing toric contact lenses to cost a bit more than their standard spherical lens counterparts. The main cause for the bigger price tag is the time intensive prescription process. In order to properly fit a toric lens, an eye doctor must invest more time. The requisite added curves require more expertise from both the eye doctor (to get the fitting correct) and the manufacturer (to produce the lens properly). This means that not only will the exam and fitting fees run slightly higher, but that the lenses themselves will sport a steeper price as well.

Fortunately for people with mild astigmatism, such as between zero and 1.00 diopter (either +1.00 or -1.00), it is usually recommended to simply wear a regular spherical RGP or even a spherical soft lens rather than the more complex toric contact lenses. The standard spherical lenses are rigid enough that the wearer's cornea will actually conform to them more than they conform to it, effectively hiding the effect of the mild irregularity of the cornea (astigmatism). When using regular soft contact lenses, optometrists will often compensate for mild astigmatism by prescribing a slightly stronger prescription. Of course this may not work for everyone, so the doctor may need to use trial and error to find the right prescription and fitting for a specific patient.

Patricia Brown writes for several web sites, on consumer choices and shopping topics.

Buying Contact Lenses: Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing the Right Type of Lenses

2008-05-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

Contact lenses will considerably improve your vision without you having to wear glasses. They are extremely lightweight, and they offer you a full range of sight and mobility.

You can buy contact lenses in a number of different ways. You can purchase them online, which is what most people are doing. Companies usually offer hundreds of contact lenses, which they deliver right to your house. When you order online you can get an excellent price.

You can also buy your contact lenses at your optician's office. Or you can buy them at a local store, for example Wal-Mart.

If you shop around, you can usually uncover some fantastic deals for your contacts. The prices vary depending on the brand and type. The latest brands of lenses are usually expensive.

You must have a prescription in order to buy contacts. Your optician will let you know if you can wear contacts. Different contact lenses suit different people.

Here are few things to keep in mind when choosing the right type of lenses for you.

1. What is your lifestyle? For example, if you use a computer all day then you might consider wearing glasses because computer use can dry your eyes out. On the other hand, daily disposable contacts will be easier to play sport in than glasses.

2. Dry eyes problem. Get contact lenses that mainly contain silicone. You can also use contact lens comfort drops.

3. What about allergies? Allergies can make your eyes very sensitive. In this case, you should choose daily disposable lenses.

4. What about your job? If you have a job which means that you have to stay up all night, get extended wear lenses. These lenses can be worn continuously for a certain period of time.

5. Think about hygiene. If your fingernails get dirty at your work or if you smoke then daily disposable lenses are the way to go.

Alex Fir shares a wealth of information on his website Contact Lenses Center. To read more about buying contact lenses visit his site now.

Contact Lens Care - Avoid Long-Term Eye Problems

2008-05-09T02:03:00.000-07:00

Buying a pair of contacts is easy. Anyone who has a tiny income can buy himself or herself a pair. Actually, teenagers today find the contacts a great way of expressing themselves, sometimes having some 10-15 pairs to keep changing. How much do you know about contact lens care?

What Actually is Contact Lens Care?

The process by which the product is maintained and kept functional is called maintenance, or as in our context here, care. The steps you need to cover the minimum and most basic contact lens care is outlined below:

* Be sure you understand the instructions list and do exactly as you are told. Any deviation from the instruction, however small it may look to you, may be extremely harmful to you and your eyes in the long run.

* Always touch your lenses only after you washed your hands with soap. Be careful while changing or using them, that the lenses are not exposed to anything that is dirty.

* Always use a good brand of cleaning solution; do not just go for anything that the shop keeper offers you, or whatever it is available in the shop. Identify a brand that is good, and then stick to it.

* Never put your lenses in the mouth; this can capture sufficient bacteria to damage your eyes forever.

* If you wear makeup, put your lenses on last; sometimes particles from makeup will get into the eye. It?s best to put them on last.

* Check with your doctor at least once in 6-12 months to ensure that your eye sight and the use of the eye-lens have not changed.

* Follow all the cleaning procedures mentioned in the instructions to the T; any negligence here may introduce a number of infections to your eyes which can not only be very painful, but also very dangerous.

* In case you use eyes drops, have a time gap of about 30 minutes before replacing your lenses in your eyes; otherwise the contacts may absorb some of the eye drops which are not good for you or for the lenses.

* Be careful what brand you are using and what is recommended for your lens. Many times, people ignore the instructions using whatever solutions they can lies their hands on, only to find that they have actually damaged not only their lenses but also their eyes by it.

Contact lens care is one of the most critical factors in maintaining your eye sight, and keeping your eyes beautiful and healthy.

Burt Cotton http://www.colored-contact.org

The Dangers Of Decorative Contact Lenses

2008-05-08T02:16:00.000-07:00

So, you?ve been thinking about getting non-corrective, decorative contact lenses to turn your eyes from a brown to blue ? before you spend your hard-earned money, do you know the risks associated with those cool lenses? Did you know that contact lenses are part of a product line that must be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prior to distribution? You may be wondering why non-corrective, decorative contact lenses need to be approved by the FDA? The answer to that question lies in the nature of contact lenses.

A contact lens is a thin, convex plastic covering that is placed directly over your cornea. If fitted improperly, the contact lens can damage your eye ? resulting in discomfort, temporary or even permanent vision loss. Contact lenses can be purchased from eye-care professionals licensed by the FDA, yet decorative lenses are often purchased in beauty salons, record and video stores, flea markets, convenience stores, beach shops, and various other retail locations. Dr. Victor Crosby, an ophthalmologist located in Athens, Ga. sees cases on a regular basis involving teenage patients who obtain decorative lenses from local flea markets. In one such case, a teenage female patient ended up in the emergency room after wearing the lenses for a few days. ?She suffered from a burning, redness, and sensitivity to light in both eyes.? Dr. Crosby states, ?The main problem was a poor lens fit. Contac lenses that are too tight can damage the cornea.? The patient was treated by a topical steroid antibiotic over six days, recovering completely.

Yet, not everyone is as lucky. Thomas Steinemann, director of the Metro-Health Eye Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio tells us of one of worst cases involving non-corrective, decorative contact lenses ever reported to the FDA. In September 2001, a 14-year-old female suffered from an aggressive infection caused by the Pseudomonas bacteria in one of her eyes. ?She wanted to turn brown eyes green to match an outfit,? Steinemann says. ?The result was a lot of pain and suffering. Not only could the teenager lose vision from this infection, but they could lose the eye. ?The patient needed to be hospitalized and treated with antibiotic drops every thirty minutes over four days. Though the infection was eradicated through aggressive topical therapy, the eye remained inflamed for a long time.? As a result of her use of unapproved decorative contact lens, the patient lost vision in the infected eye for two months. After that period of time, just when it seemed like her vision had returned, scar tissue formed ? resulting in further vision loss. In June 2002, Dr. Steinemann performed a corneal transplant, removing the diseased cornea and replacing it with a donated cornea. Recovery from this type of transplant takes about a year, yet there is no guarantee that her vision will ever be fully restored.

While non-corrective, decorative contact lenses may be fashionable, a certain amount of responsibility must be exercised when being purchased. Getting an eye-exam, a valid prescription, and purchasing any contact lenses from an eye-care licensed professional are just a few things that can be done to protect your eyes while still looking fashionable. Finally, properly maintaining and cleaning your lenses will prevent any bacterial infections. Whether you need corrective contact lenses or simply want to change your look to remain fashionable, if you take care of your eyes, they will take care of you.

About The Author

Linda Polansky writes about http://www.bestcontactlenscoupons.com/, EyeCare products Coupons and http://www.LatestCouponCodes.com

When Contact Lenses Become Dangerous: Acanthamoeba Keratitis

2008-05-07T03:55:00.000-07:00

Copyright 2006 Daryl Glenn

Some wearers of contact lenses may be tempted to save money by taking hygienic shortcuts when it comes to keeping their contacts clean. Instead of buying cleansing solution for their lenses, they may decide to rinse them with plain water or even attempt to use a homemade solution. While a few dollars may be saved by taking this nonchalant approach to cleaning the contacts lenses, the possible harmful consequences far outweigh the financial benefits of adopting a do-it-yourself mentality.

The problem with homemade concoctions is that these will lack anti-bacterial efficacy ? harmful bacteria will continue run rampant on contact lenses and can cause serious medical complications if the eyes become infected.

A corneal ulcer is an open sore or non-penetrating erosion in the transparent area at the front of the eyeball ? the cornea ? and is associated with infections caused by bacteria. This is exactly the kind of bacteria that freely grows on contact lenses when homemade solutions are substituted for commercial cleansing solutions. Corneal ulcers can also be precipitated by wearing soft contact lenses overnight.

Those who attempt to use their own homemade cleaning solutions also run the risk of contracting Acanthamoeba keratitis. Acanthamoeba is a water-borne, microscopic parasite that can wreck havoc in the form of an infection when it invades the cornea. While using homemade solutions are often the cause, swimming in lakes and swimming pools while wearing contacts can also trigger the condition.

The symptoms that accompany this infection are intense pain and redness, and those afflicted with the infection are often hospitalized. If corneal scarring results, a cornea transplant may be necessary. Treatment and therapy may last a year or more, and sometimes severe vision lost can be the outcome of a bout with Acanthamoeba keratitis.

It?s crucial to remember that accessories like the lens cases for contact lenses must also be kept clean in accordance with the manufacturer?s instructions. These instructions will specify what cleansing solution to use or may even specify that the use of hot tap water to clean the lens case is permissible. A case that isn?t properly cleaned can be a breeding ground for bacteria in the same way that improperly cleansed contact lenses can be. Eyecare professionals suggest discarding cases every three months or so and replacing them with new ones.

The good news is that the risk of contracting Acanthamoeba keratitis can be minimized by adopting these simple measures:

*Avoid the use of homemade cleansing solutions

*Make sure you use commercial cleansing solutions

*Make sure you clean the cases for your contacts; discard and replace the cases every three or four months

*Be aware that sometimes wearing soft contact lenses overnight can cause infections for some people

*Be aware of all factors that may cause infections and medical complications, such as wearing contacts while swimming in lakes, pools or the ocean

Don?t allow destructive bacterial to build up on your contact lenses and in your cases. Eye-damaging conditions like A keratitis can be held at bay by following a simple set of hygienic procedures that will help to ensure that your eyes stay healthy and infection free.

The author, besides having worn contact and corrective lenses all his life, is a researcher and writer with a number of publications in university journals. His website, http://www.ContactLensesAtoZ.com , provides information, resources and tips on eyecare and contact lenses for consumers.

Contact Lens Discount Coupons

2008-05-06T01:26:00.000-07:00

Discount coupons are tickets offered by retailers or manufacturers to be used in their retail stores for a particular product which can be purchased at a special discounted rate. This is a marketing technique used by retailers and manufacturers. These coupons are widely found in mailings, newspapers and magazines. However, the trend today is to obtain coupons from the Internet. Practically every online contact lens manufacturer or seller will offer discount coupons to its buyers.

Online discount coupon codes are similar to the print version of the coupons, and provide similar benefits and deals. The major difference is that the purchases are done online, and instead of heading down to the store to redeem your discount, you redeem your discount online using coupon code, which will also indicate if the discount coupon includes free shipping and other goodies. Online discount coupons also come with expiration dates.

There are some things to keep in mind before you use discount coupons to purchase contact lenses, especially the online discount coupons. When entering the discount contact lens coupon code, make sure that you enter it exactly the way it is written on the webpage, because most coupons are case-sensitive. Some discount contact lens coupons do not specify the brand or the specified item on sale; therefore, it is wise to check if the brand on sale is what you are looking for. Before confirming your purchase, make sure the discount is reflected in your total amount payable.

There are lots of discount coupons available for most of the contact lens brands that are popular, so choose wisely and enjoy the great deals.

Discount Color Contact Lens provides detailed information on Discount Contact Lenses, Discount Color Contact Lens, Contact Lens Discount Coupons, Contact Lens Discount Stores and more. Discount Color Contact Lens is affiliated with Eye Contact Exams.

Say Good Bye To Your Old Glasses And Switch To Contact Lenses

2008-05-06T01:24:00.000-07:00

Barney Garcia writes about various contact lense topics. Visit: contact lense reviews and contact lenses.

Doctor Recommend Reading Glasses Combination With Contact lenses Correct Distance Vision

2008-05-03T02:56:00.000-07:00

They correct vision with no distortion, but they are the least comfortable type of contact lens. In other cases, your doctor may recommend using reading glasses in combination with contact lenses that correct for distance vision. For those who are short-sighted a number of contact lens products are now available to restore sharp, clear distance vision. Patients who require correction to improve vision may wish or even need to wear contact lenses to maximize their vision.

Apart from cosmetic lenses, contact lenses allow normal vision for people with a wide range of medical conditions. Infants and young children often have various visual conditions that require a contact lens so that their vision system can develop normally. The main concern with implantable contact lenses is the risk of infection, a potentially serious condition that can lead to loss of vision. Soft contact lenses are available that will change the color of your eyes, even if you don't require vision correction. Correcting vision is not the only use for contact lenses.

Colored contact lenses are available with no vision correction, and an even more stylised version, called Halloween contact lenses, goes one step further. Nowadays almost all those who need vision correction and want to wear contact lenses can do so. Crazy Eyes novelty contact lenses are available both for those who need vision correction, and those who don%u2019t! High Myopia Patients with a high degree of nearsightedness are known to attain better vision with the use of contact lenses. The Contact Lens specialist will determine what your fee will be based on the type of lenses desired and your particular vision needs.

People who have chronic or recurrent infections or sores on the cornea cannot wear contact lenses. 1982: Bifocal daily wear soft contact lenses became available for commercial distribution. Unless you have been instructed otherwise, remove your contacts at night, even if you wear disposable lenses. Almost anyone with astigmatism can now wear contact lenses. But he isn't keen on forking out over Rs 1,000 for a pair of contact lens he may wear only once.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert to health-care professionals and patients who wear soft contact lenses of the risk. Following a thorough ophthalmic examination, a patient's potential for successful contact lens wear is objectively evaluated. editor Neil Fowler said: "Many people who wear long-life contact lenses may be paying over the odds. For some people who haven't been able to wear contacts and want to, implantable lenses may be an option.

Wear your contact lenses according to the schedule prescribed by your doctor. Toric lenses correct this problem just as well as wearing glasses does, and come as disposabls, extended wear and even colored contact lenses. Safe contact lens wear For most people, contact lens wear is safe and completely trouble free. There are also many practical advantages to contact lens wear for sports and recreational use.

http://www.laser-vision.info/contact-lens/

Suwat Munpan is The Webmaster Of Doctor Recommend Reading Glasses Combination With Contact lens Correct Distance Vision - Quickly and Easily! http://www.laser-vision.info/contact-lens/

Learn more about RGP contact lenses and their best uses

2008-05-01T01:54:00.000-07:00

If you are curious about RGP contact lenses, you are on the right track to finding out about the cutting edge of corrective eyewear. That's because gas permeable (GP) contact lenses, also known as rigid gas permeable (RGPs) or oxygen permeable lenses, are light years ahead of the original hard contact lenses of yesteryear. When you get down to the truth about RGP contact lenses of today, you get down to serious medicine for people with vision difficulties.
The old-style hard contact lenses, which originally came out after World War II, were made of a material known as PMMA. Almost all contact lenses were made of PMMA before soft contact lenses came out in the 1970s. That's too bad for contact lens wearers back then. PMMA lenses were uncomfortable. Plus, when it comes down to it, PMMA lenses weren't too healthy for eyes because they didn't let too much oxygen in. That's one of the reasons scientists invented soft lenses and looked into the future about RGP contact lenses.
Speaking about RGP contact lenses, these gas permeable lenses first came on the scene in the 1980s. Instead of PMMA, RGPs are made from silicone, which is more flexible than PMMA. Silicone also allows oxygen to pass through the lenses. This means that RGP lenses are far more comfortable to and healthier for your eyes. RGPs even allow more oxygen to get through than many soft contact lenses. This makes your eyes happy on all counts.
What also excites doctors and users about RGP contact lenses is that overall they are more durable and resistant to protein deposits than soft lenses. Plus, they can actually help you see better. You'll find them easier to cleanse, cheaper to buy, and last longer. Still, RGPs aren't for everyone. They're best for people who have trouble getting great results from regular soft lenses. These could include people who are just very picky when it comes to their vision, or people whose eyes have certain disorders that makes vision correction more difficult. This includes sufferers of astigmatism, who often find soft contacts lacking when it comes to vision correction.

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Special Effect Contact Lenses - Straight Into Your Cornea

2008-04-11T04:46:00.001-07:00

Instead of purchasing lenses through your doctor, shop around online! Not only is it more convenient to buy contacts online, but it also allows you to easily research the brands that your optometrist has recommended. But most of all, you can sometimes save up to 70% on lenses buy purchasing them over the internet. Pay attention to consumer reviews and shipping costs.

And be careful on the World Wide Web. Your eyes are delicate and important - do not order contact lenses online if you are not well researched about the web-based company selling them to you. As long as you are familiar with the brand and quality of the contacts you order however, you should be fine.

Also, cosmetic contact lenses are not typically purchased but when they are, they are much cheaper than prescribed lenses and even go at bargain prices sometimes. When someone buys these lenses, it is for mere decorative purposes though.

Decorative color contact lenses and special effect contact lenses are available without prescription and a wide variety of options and prices exist - but anyone interested in these prescription free contact lenses should be especially concerned about the reputation of the company selling them. More anonymous internet companies sporting prescription free contact lenses may not be as reliable as a local eye care professional. Make sure the lenses are FDA-approved before purchase.

Jocelyn Meadows surfs the net to find out about the latest developments on a variety of subjects including contact lenses. Learn more about colored contacts and colored contacts no prescription.

Acuvue Contact Lenses - Bringing Out The Best In Your Eyes!

2008-04-11T04:45:00.001-07:00

Contact lenses are small, optical, often soft, and remarkably thin lenses placed in the cornea of one's eye. They improve the vision, and sometimes the physical appearance, of eyes. Contact lenses are usually an alternative to traditional eyeglasses, correcting a person's vision without requiring them to wear ugly, awkward bifocals. However some people with naturally good eyesight still wear contacts, solely for cosmetic reasons - to enhance or change the color of their eye.

Unlike eyeglasses, contact lenses are not easily affected by weather, are not especially fragile, and actually (in most cases) do a better job at improving a person's eyesight. Not to mention, a glasses' framing immediately hinders a person's field of vision! This is not so with contact lenses that fit directly onto the eyeball and are practically invisible.

For those ready to scrap conventional, unfashionable eyeglasses, local eye care professionals will prescribe a brand of contact lenses to vision care patients and direct them to the appropriate retailer. Acuvue Contact Lenses is the most popular brand around. Acuvue Contact Lenses provides general vision lenses, color contact lenses (with 10 different shades), and astigmatism and multifocal lenses. Acuvue Contact Lenses has also followed a recent trend of extended wear lenses. Generally, lenses are removed from the eye and set in a cleansing solution overnight, but other kinds of lenses are safe to wear for longer than 12 hours. Extended wear lenses are literally discarded after a certain length of time and replaced by another set.

Jocelyn Meadows researches the net for information on various topics, including contact lenses. Read more of her articles on this topic including: colored contacts and special effect colored contacts.

Crazy Contact Lenses - Making Them Look Deep Into Your Eyes

2008-04-11T04:44:00.000-07:00

But if you do have prescribed contact lenses, why not experiment a little? Remember when you were younger and wore orange and black wired braces for the month of Halloween? Well, how about on October 31st you wear a really spooky pair of contact lenses?

They say eyes are windows to the soul. So if you are creatively stylish with your makeup, clothes, shoes, or hairdo, why not do the same with your eyes? Even if you have 20/20 vision, you can still be a part of the fashion trend of crazy contact lenses. Don't just change the color of your eye, change the design! You don't even need a prescription.

The possibilities are endless. Get wild, weird, or simply beautiful lenses for whatever occasion you attend or impression you want to make.

There are all sorts of crazy contact lenses out there. You can make your eyeballs look entirely green or you can appear to have cat eyes. Maybe you want to wear crazy contact lenses for Halloween, a night out on the town, or perhaps you prefer a subtler, but equally awesome look for your daily life.

But because decorative lenses do not always require a prescription and because there are so many ways to buy them, it's important that consumers research companies selling them, especially those based online. Do not put your eyesight at risk!

Jocelyn Meadows is a freelance author who's written multiple articles about contact lenses. Satisfy your curiosity about free colored contacts and crazy colored contacts.

Colour Contact Lenses - Corrective, Therapeutic and Cosmetic

2008-03-30T23:00:00.002-07:00

Two types of cosmetic lenses are colour contact lenses and special effects contact lenses. While these lenses occasionally correct vision when needed (they are basically spherical lenses), they also can blur vision because of their design. Colour contact lenses essentially change the appearance of the eye.

It is important that a person finds colour contact lenses that suit their natural features though; otherwise their eyes may look strange.

Some people may require colour contact lenses for less superficial reasons (perhaps they have a physical deformity on their iris) while others may simply want to ditch their natural brown eye color for a more appealing blue. Natural shades like hazel or blue are available but so are wilder colors like purple. A subtler colour contact lens is the tinted lens, which enhances one's natural eye color, as opposed to drastically changing it.

Contact lenses are classified as corrective, therapeutic, and cosmetic. For those who are short sighted, near sighted, or who have astigmatism (all refractive defects of the eye) corrective contact lenses are in order. In these cases, an eye patient will mostly likely be prescribed spherical lenses. Therapeutic contact lenses cure other problems that are non refractive, like dry eye, and some types of therapeutic lenses even deliver medicine to the eye.

Prescribed, corrective colour contact lenses are actually more popular than lenses that are purely cosmetic though; sometimes people prefer certain tints to help them see their environment better (colorblind people have had mild success with tinted lenses that make it easier for them to discern colors), others like to have tinted lenses that can be found easily when they are dropped on the ground or in the sink, while still others simply want a new eye color.

Jocelyn Meadows is a net writer who has written articles on a variety of subjects. These include colored contacts and non prescription colored contacts

The Convenience of Contact Lenses

2008-03-30T23:00:00.001-07:00

The contact lens has come a long way from its beginnings as an unwieldy hard piece of plastic, hard to put in and hard to take out. Now there is a variety of contact lens types, doing different things and offering different advantages. For most people, the days of scratchy, hard lenses, and tiny plungers to pull them off the eye have disappeared. Today's contact lens is easier to put in, easier to wear, and easier to take out.

The increasing ease of use is part of the reason that the contact lens is so convenient these days. You do not have to worry about your glasses falling off while you are playing sports, and you do not have to worry about a contact lens falling off. Additionally, when you are wearing a pair of glasses, your peripheral vision can suffer. It is hard to see things very clearly out of the corner of your eye, and it can be a dizzying experience since you see so well looking forward. Wearing contact lenses gets rid of the problem of uneven peripheral vision.

And the increases in technology make the contact lens convenient for other reasons. There are many contact lenses now that are made so that you do not have to take them out every day. These lenses are designed to be left in for a week at a time. Some of them can even be left in your eye for as long as two weeks, or even a month. This means that you do not have to mess with putting them in or out, and you are ready to go nearly every morning. These types of contact lenses are made so that oxygen goes through them, making it possible for your eye to "breathe."

But if you are wary of having something in your eyes even while you sleep, it is possible to get disposable daily contact lenses. This is a great way to have the benefits of associated with the contact lens, without having to go through all of the care that contact lenses need. Daily contact lenses are meant to be thrown away at the end of the day. You put them in when you wake up, and before you go to bed, you take them out and throw them away. You do not have to think of them beyond that.

Even if you have more traditional views on wearing contact lenses, like taking care of one pair for a month, taking them out every night and soaking them in solution, there are still options. Some contacts are made to let more oxygen in, so that they are better for your eyes, even if you wear them 12 or 14 hours per day. Additionally, some contacts are made for sensitive eyes, so that even people whose eyes might not be able to handle a regular contact lens have no trouble wearing the special lenses in comfort. There are even soft lenses made now for astigmatism.

No matter your requirements, chances are that you can comfortable enjoy the convenience of contact lenses.

Learn more about contact lenses, and where you can purchase them, by visiting the Contact Lens Directory

Ordering Contact Lenses

2008-03-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

Contact lenses, like regular glasses, can only be bought by prescription from a qualified ophthalmologist, optometrist, or optician. Now even these physicians can directly supply the contact lens packages at the hospital or through a private practice instead of making the patients go to an optician. Also, most optical shops have an optician in the store for patients who wish to get their eyes checked before buying the proper contact lenses.

Now patients have the option of getting their eyes checked and buying the contact lenses at an optical shop or from the physician himself. Also, ordering the contact lenses via mail is a popular option. Although most people order online without the hassles of visiting an optician, it might not be a good option for first time users.

It is a good decision to shop around for the best deals being provided by the manufacturers of contact lenses. Most leading contact lens manufacturers tend to give some discounts on their products to keep up with the growing competition in the market. Visiting their websites would give insight of all the current offers made by these companies. Also, some companies offer some discount if the customer places an order online by a specified date. Many websites provide comparison charts so that the customers can compare the prices and various deals presently available.

Although most online opticians are reliable when it comes to delivering their products on time, it is important to find the most reliable ones. Faulty contact lenses might result in complication later on and may injure the eye severely in certain cases. It is important to buy the lens online from leading optician chain stores. The product being bought must be 100% reliable, especially when dealing with a sensitive organ like an eye.

In the event the right website cannot be found, the yellow pages are another option for placing a mail order. Many companies provide shipping and delivery of contact lenses of various brands.

The best option is almost always visiting the shops personally. This gives an idea about the price range as well as the variety of contact lenses available in the present market

Soft Contact Lenses

2008-03-27T22:34:00.000-07:00

There are three kinds of contact lenses including soft contact lenses, rigid glass permeable contact lenses, and hard glass contact lenses. Most physicians suggest the soft or the rigid glass permeable contact lenses and in very rare cases prescribe the hard glass contact lenses. Bifocal, astigmatic, colored and other contact lenses are all available in these three kinds.

Soft contact lenses are made of hydrophilic plastic. As soon as they are applied, they absorb the water in the eyes and become soft and pliable. This allows them to fit perfectly in the eye. They are very popular as vision correction lenses and comfortably contour to most eyeballs without any complications.

As mentioned, lenses for people with astigmatism either due to near or far sightedness, bifocals problems, color contacts, and practically every other kind of vision correcting lenses can be found in soft contact lenses varieties. A specialized variety of soft contact lenses are also used these days to reshape the cornea during nights. This helps in giving clear vision even without the contacts during the day, but is not a permanent solution to the problem and the specialized lenses need to be worn every night for good vision the next day. Cornea reshaping helps to encounter myopia during the day.

Since most eyes can adjust to the soft contact lenses, they are definitely more popular than other types of contacts. Also, since they mold well to the eyeball, chances of dust particles getting caught and causing irritation is considerably lesser. Patients who use them find it easier to handle them while inserting and removing as they stick to the finger due to their softness.

Soft contact lenses require much care. The best option would be to use the disposable kind if the patient can afford them since they are the expensive kind in contact lenses. They must be cleaned in a sterilizing solution if they are not the disposable kind. After the soft lenses are cleaned, they must be stored in storing solution and must not be allowed to dry. In the event the lenses are not clean, they are liable to cause eye infections, irritation, and itchiness. It is suggested to choose disposable contact lenses. If the daily disposable ones are too expensive, the next option would be to change the lens at least once a week or once a month at the latest.

Negligence in taking good care of soft contact lenses can result in the lenses causing severe damage to the eyes and wreaking further havoc with the eyesight in the future.

How to choose your Acuvue contact lenses

2008-03-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

Why wear Acuvue contact lenses?

Acuvue contact lenses are the main substitute for glasses (another method would be surgery). They are easy to wear and easy to take care of. Children as well as elders use them without problems. They don?t hurt, they don?t get lost or stuck (as some might think) and they can?t pop out of your eyes (as the rigid contact lenses used to do years ago). With the proper care, they cause neither eye irritations, nor other ocular problems.

So you can see how easy it is for people to wear them. Just follow the next steps and you will obtain your Acuvue contact lenses in no time. When it comes to health, Acuvue is one of the top trademarks in the contact lenses industry. So the quality is guaranteed. With the Acuvue contact lenses, you will feel comfortable while seeing better or looking gorgeous (depending on the choice you make regarding corrective Acuvue contact lenses or cosmetic ones). But what are the steps that you have to follow?

1. First, you have to get a medical opinion on you eyes? condition. Depending on the region that you live in, you will have to pay a visit to an optometrist, an ophthalmologist or an optician. He will analyze your eyes and give you a prescription which you will use to buy your Acuvue contact lenses.

2. If you are not sure what type of Acuvue contact lenses you want, choose one of the brands that the doctor recommends being the best. Think about your eyes as they are the ones that will be affected by poor quality contact lenses. Further on (because there are many types of Acuvue contact lenses), you have to decide if you want correctional contact lenses, cosmetic ones or even a combination between the two. You can even take a short test on the Acuvue web-site, which will help you decide what type of Acuvue contact lenses fit you best.

3. Buy your contact lenses from a store in your city or by using the Internet. The Internet stores offer different promotions and sometimes it might even be cheaper for you.

4. Enjoy your improved vision or the wonderful look that the Acuvue contact lenses give you. Wear the contact lenses as prescribed. Never use your Acuvue contact lenses or the cleaning solution more than indicated (or after the expiring date). Clean the lenses as recommended and, if you accidentally damage them, don?t hesitate to throw them away. Damaged contact lenses can do more harm then good. Your health is at stake.

Which Acuvue contact lenses are better?

Knowing what type of contact lenses Acuvue produces will help you decide which ones fit you. The spherical contact lenses are the regular ones. They are correction contact lenses for short-sightedness, far-sightedness and similar problems. These Acuvue contact lenses include Acuvue, Acuvue Advance with Hydraclear, Acuvue 2, 1-Day Acuvue and Acuvue 2 Colours. For the persons that suffer of astigmatism, Acuvue produces Acuvue advance contact lenses for Astigmatism and, for the ones that have presbyopia, there are Acuvue Bifocal Contact Lenses. There are also colour Acuvue contact lenses. They are called Acuvue 2 Colours and they offer you the choice between ten different shades, for light eyes as well as for dark eyes. You also have to consider the wearing and replacement period. The daily wear Acuvue contact lenses (that you have to take off at night), the extended wear Acuvue contact lenses (that can be worn a week without taking them off) and the type of one day-use Acuvue contact lenses - they all offer various possibilities of wear for any client?s taste.

The best advice one can receive is to take care of your lenses properly. This should not be very difficult to do, but, if you neglect this aspect, your health might be at risk. Don?t forget to clean your Acuvue contact lenses every time you use them, before and after you put them on. Handle each contact lens in turn, so you won?t get them mixed up. Replace the cleaning solution after each use. Make-up should be applied after putting the Acuvue contact lenses on. When applying deodorant or hair spray, try to avoid eye contact, as the contact lenses are very sensitive to these. Even if you don?t like it, you should always try to have a spare pair of glasses because it is not recommended to wear Acuvue contact lenses while having a cold or while going in a smoky or dusty environment. Germs or dust particles can get into your very sensitive eyes

Getting familiar with Acuvue contact lenses

2008-03-26T23:43:00.001-07:00

Acuvue contact lenses are one of the best and most popular brands of contact lenses known today. The Acuvue contact lenses series include a lot of different types of contacts like Acuvue, Acuvue Advanced, Acuvue 2 Colors. The Acuvue contact lenses are available in a lot of areas being recognized throughout the world. An exception is the Acuvue Oasys which is more difficult to find because it?s a relatively new type of contact lenses and isn?t as widely known as the other contacts in the brand.

Like any other contact lenses the Acuvue contact lenses are designed to correct vision problems like far sight, near sight, astigmatism or the inability to change focus from far to near. They are soft lenses and are made from plastic polymers like etafilcon A, galyfilcon A or senofilcon A. Some of the Acuvue contact lenses even have a cosmetic purpose: they are designed to change the color of the eye to what you?ve always desired.

The Acuvue contact lenses have different wearing periods. Some are designed to be worn for two weeks and after 14 or 15 days you?ll have to replace them. Some of them are made for only one day use so, you put them on when you wake up and throw them away at the end of the day. Usually all the contacts are made for day-time usage so when you sleep you must take them off for you?re personal health, but there are a few Acuvue contact lenses which have been approved for over night use.

Even though they are probably the best type of contact lenses, you shouldn?t get Acuvue contact lenses just because this reason without checking with your ophthalmologist first. Your eye care professional can show you what fits your problem best. This professional can teach you everything about cleaning, disinfecting, storing and replacing your contacts. Taking good care of your contact lenses should develop as a habit. If you chose the 1 Day Acuvue contact lenses you don?t have to worry about any cleaning and storing because you?ll be throwing them away after every use.

Here are a few tips on wearing and replacing your Acuvue contact lenses, a guide on how to take the best care of your eyes and lenses. If you have daily wear lenses you should know that they have to be removed and disinfected every time you take them of, probably at the end of the day. This type of Acuvue contact lenses have to be replaced every couple of weeks. The continuous wear lenses are less demanding then daily wear lenses. You can sleep with them on and taking them off at the end of the day isn?t necessary. That saves a lot of your time because you don?t have to clean them every day. This type of lenses has to be discarded after one week. There is a whole different story with the daily disposable Acuvue contact lenses because they are the easiest to use: you just put them on in the morning, take them off in the evening and throw them away. You can replace them with a fresh pair every day.

Looking good is a common goal for women and one of the purposes of the Acuvue contact lenses is making them have a nice appearance. So, if you are a woman and wear contact lenses here are a few things you should look at before starting to wear them. Never apply your makeup after you put your contacts on. Some of the substances found in the make up might damage the lens. When taking off your eye make-up you should remember to remove your Acuvue contact lenses first. Every time you put your contacts on you should wash your hands before that because simple things like moisturizer can cause different problems to the eye or damage the lens. You shouldn?t wear your Acuvue contact lenses when you go to the hair salon because all the sprays and fumes can be dangerous. Mascara with lash-building fiber and fake eye-lashes can be harmful to the Acuvue contact lenses. And now a general tip, for all those who wear contacts: when you take a bath you have to be sure to remove your contacts first because of the water and vapors.

If you plan on getting contact lenses, either to correct eye problems or just for cosmetic use, you should first check with your ophthalmologist. If you haven?t made up your mind on what brand you want think of choosing Acuvue. The Acuvue contact lenses are one of the best contacts out there and in the end quality makes the difference.

A Guide To Discount Contact Lenses

2008-03-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

Contact lenses are more expensive than regular glasses. Even when the lenses are available on sale, the solutions to keep them clean and the eye drops would make up for the rest. Despite the high price, many people prefer contacts to glasses.

When it comes to contact lenses, it pays to shop around to find the best deal. Buying contact lenses usually involves paying for a whole package that might include the eye exam, contact lens, the solution, and eye drops. Some eye clinics keep a store of contacts that can be bought from their pharmacies. However, almost all the shops that deal with contact lenses usually have a doctor on board who can do a checkup in the shop itself before recommending the right pair of lenses.

Price checks can be conducted online where many websites provide comparison charts for easier decision making. Another alternative would be to visit a few shops and get a good knowledge of various types, models, and packages available and the wide range of discounts being offered for each. Comparison-shopping helps in getting the best bargain. Any optical shop would be able do a checkup on the premises, so the best option is to compare the prices on the whole deal instead of looking at the price of only one pair of contacts.

Optical shops provide the best deals since they are always trying to make money and increase their market share. It is wise to invest in a well-established contact lens package than in cheaper ones because there might be a possibility of eye problems later on with the cheaper brands. Some online optical shops offer mail-in rebates. They can be ordered online and are sent by a mail order, which can prove to be very convenient. Some websites specialize in taking mail orders and can be very reliable as well.

Free Contact Lenses - How You Can Get Them At Insane Prices

2008-03-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, contact lenses are way more expensive than eyeglasses. Even though a pair of lenses is significantly cheaper than a pair of glasses, contact lenses must be replaced time and time again and they require cleansing solution too. Occasionally hospitals and charity organizations will offer eye checkups and give out free contact lenses but there is a way you can save money on contacts regularly.

Instead of purchasing lenses through your doctor, shop around online! Not only is it more convenient to buy contacts online, but it also allows you to easily research the brands that your optometrist has recommended. But most of all, you can sometimes save up to 70% on lenses buy purchasing them over the internet. Pay attention to consumer reviews and shipping costs.

And be careful on the World Wide Web. Your eyes are delicate and important - do not order contact lenses online if you are not well researched about the web-based company selling them to you. As long as you are familiar with the brand and quality of the contacts you order however, you should be fine.

Also, cosmetic contact lenses are not typically purchased but when they are, they are much cheaper than prescribed lenses and even go at bargain prices sometimes. When someone buys these lenses, it is for mere decorative purposes though.

Decorative color contact lenses and special effect contact lenses are available without prescription and a wide variety of options and prices exist - but anyone interested in these prescription free contact lenses should be especially concerned about the reputation of the company selling them. More anonymous internet companies sporting prescription free contact lenses may not be as reliable as a local eye care professional. Make sure the lenses are FDA-approved before purchase.

A Guide to Buying Contact Lenses Online

2008-03-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

There are few things we cannot purchase online these days. From groceries to furniture, you can simply click, order and receive your purchase in the comfort of your home. This rule also applies to buying contact lenses. Once you have a current prescription, you can bypass the trip to the optician's office for your renewals. You can get your new stock of contact lenses at home with as much ease as you get your Amazon.com purchases. That said, just like any other purchase you make online, you need to be cautious and wise. All online stores are not created equally. Most of these merchants are of good faith and have an impeccable reputation, but there are a few bad apples out there in the cyber world. The ideal scenario is for you to get a referral from a doctor or a friend, because at least you'll have a point of reference and you'll also be able to rely on the experience (good or bad) of someone else.

The following points should help you take simple precautions to make your Internet, phone or mail purchase safe and effective for you and your family.

Before buying your contact lenses...

§ Make sure that your prescription is ALWAYS current and correct.

§ Your last complete check up should be less than 24 months (2 years). Longer than that and you may not be aware of problems with your eyes. This means that your contact lenses won't correct your vision.

§ Check your prescription's expiration date. Did you know that an expiration date for prescriptions is set by your state (for US residents)? For some states it's 12 months others 24 months, and some states leave it up to your optometrist.

§ If you're prescription has expired, go see your doctor for a check-up and new prescription, don't order new lenses until that's done.

§ If the merchant doesn't carry the contact lens brand prescribed by your doctor, don't (EVER) accept a substitute. Your doctor prescribed a specific brand for a specific reason.

§ If you didn't get an order you paid for or if you're being given the run around or if an online merchant refuses to respond to your emails and phone calls, it's time for you to take some serious action. You should immediately report any problems that arise from your purchase from a US supplier to the FDA's MedWatch reporting form. You'll find more information by visiting their site at: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch .

There is little doubt that convenience is an incredible commodity, but you need to make sure you're not being tricked or duped when purchasing contact lenses online. Be vigilant, ask for referrals, ask questions and report any problems as soon as they arise. You might also want to contact your credit card company to ensure they freeze debits to unscrupulous merchants.

Gisele Brosnan is an Editor for www.contact-lenses.youthful-body.com. Our site it dedicated to provided information on Contact Lenses. www.contact-lenses.youthful-body.com also provides information on Lasik Eye Surgery. You can also get more information on alternatives to eyeglasses by visiting our blog www.contact-lens.youthful-body.com

Contact Lens - See The World In A Different Way

2008-03-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

Who wears contact lenses?

Contact lenses are medical devices that need to be properly fitted by an eye care practitioner. So you should visit an optician before you want to wear a contact lens. Contact lenses are wonderful items that are used to correct eye conditions like:

§ Myopia [nearsightedness] § Astigmatism [distorted vision] § Hyperopia [farsightedness] § Presbyopia [need for bifocals]

Contact lenses are also used in therapeutic cases where an uneven cornea blurs vision, such as scarring or keratoconus.

Types of contact lenses

Many types of contact lenses are available to suit particular occasions. Whether you want to wear contact lenses for fashionable purposes or for medical purposes, you can wear any of the following types:

§ Gas-permeable lenses - are lenses made of silicone and fluoropolymers that allow oxygen in the air to pass through the lens. § Soft contact lenses - are plastic materials that incorporate water. The water makes the lenses soft and flexible, which allows the oxygen to reach the cornea. o Extended wear contact lenses - last for continuous 2-4 weeks. o Daily disposable lenses - carry a very low amount of infection risk o Toric contact lenses - available in soft and rigid materials, they correct moderate astigmatism. § PMMA lenses - one of the old lenses that are very durable and allow oxygen from air to directly reach the cornea.

You should remove contact lenses at bedtime due to risk of infection.

Benefits of contact lenses

For those who lead an active style, contact lenses promise complete convenience and durability. Following are the benefits of using contact lenses:

§ Provides close to natural vision with no side effects § Provides excellent peripheral vision for driving, and sports § Contact lenses provide complete ease, comfort and convenience to eyes § Contact lenses change the eye color to baby blues, heavenly hazels, gorgeous green and other different colors. § Contact lenses make your eye power stable and prevent it further from increasing. § Contact lenses are perfect for those who want to avoid laser surgery and its risks.

How to care for your contact lenses?

You should take proper care of your contact lenses to enjoy their best uses. Following are the ways you can care for your lenses:

§ Contact lenses must be cleaned, rinsed and disinfected to remove dust and dirt. § Contact lenses should never be dissolved in homemade saline solutions. § Do not sterilize your contact lenses; just throw them away when they become useless. § Do not take your lenses in and out repeatedly for the whole day.

In case of any inflammations or irritations you should always consult your optician for best results.

Sharon Albright is the owner of Contact Lens Site. Read more articles on Contact Lens and visit her recommended resources

Contact Lens ? See The World In A Different Way

2008-03-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of wearing those rose-tinted spectacles on your nose all the time? Then you should start wearing the contact lens to see the world in a different way. Contact lenses are thin, curved plastic disks that are designed to cover the cornea, the clear front covering of the eyes. These delicate objects cling to the film of tears over the cornea because of the surface tensions. So try out contact lenses as a great alternative to those monotonous eyeglasses.

Who wears contact lenses?

Contact lenses are medical devices that need to be properly fitted by an eye care practitioner. So you should visit an optician before you want to wear a contact lens. Contact lenses are wonderful items that are used to correct eye conditions like:

§ Myopia [nearsightedness]
§ Astigmatism [distorted vision]
§ Hyperopia [farsightedness]
§ Presbyopia [need for bifocals]

Contact lenses are also used in therapeutic cases where an uneven cornea blurs vision, such as scarring or keratoconus.

Types of contact lenses

Many types of contact lenses are available to suit particular occasions. Whether you want to wear contact lenses for fashionable purposes or for medical purposes, you can wear any of the following types:

§ Gas-permeable lenses ? are lenses made of silicone and fluoropolymers that allow oxygen in the air to pass through the lens.
§ Soft contact lenses ? are plastic materials that incorporate water. The water makes the lenses soft and flexible, which allows the oxygen to reach the cornea.
o Extended wear contact lenses ? last for continuous 2-4 weeks.
o Daily disposable lenses ? carry a very low amount of infection risk
o Toric contact lenses ? available in soft and rigid materials, they correct moderate astigmatism.
§ PMMA lenses ? one of the old lenses that are very durable and allow oxygen from air to directly reach the cornea.

You should remove contact lenses at bedtime due to risk of infection.

Benefits of contact lenses

For those who lead an active style, contact lenses promise complete convenience and durability.
Following are the benefits of using contact lenses:

§ Provides close to natural vision with no side effects
§ Provides excellent peripheral vision for driving, and sports
§ Contact lenses provide complete ease, comfort and convenience to eyes
§ Contact lenses change the eye color to baby blues, heavenly hazels, gorgeous green and other different colors.
§ Contact lenses make your eye power stable and prevent it further from increasing.
§ Contact lenses are perfect for those who want to avoid laser surgery and its risks.

How to care for your contact lenses?

You should take proper care of your contact lenses to enjoy their best uses.
Following are the ways you can care for your lenses:

§ Contact lenses must be cleaned, rinsed and disinfected to remove dust and dirt.
§ Contact lenses should never be dissolved in homemade saline solutions.
§ Do not sterilize your contact lenses; just throw them away when they become useless.
§ Do not take your lenses in and out repeatedly for the whole day.

In case of any inflammations or irritations you should always consult your optician for best results.

Sharon Albright is the owner of Contact Lens Site. Read more articles on Contact Lens and visit her recommended resources

Not Comfortable in Your Contact Lenses? Clear Care Solution is a Great Alternative

2008-03-20T00:01:00.001-07:00

What is Clear Care?

Clear Care contact lens solution by Cibavision is an excellent product that is temporarily unavailable but can be replaced with Ultracare. Clear Care will be back on the shelves by June 2006. What makes Clear Care special? Two things: (1) it cleans better and (2) no preservatives come in contact with your eyes. How does it work? Your lenses are soaked in a buffered 3% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution. H2O2 is a very powerful disinfectant and it also cleans off surface deposits. In fact, it disinfects and cleans better than all-in-one soaking solutions such as Optifree, Complete, Solocare or B & L Renu.

A word of CAUTION! H2O2 can never come in contact with your eyes. This is why Clear Care has a red tip to indicate to you to not use it for rinsing. You should keep a separate bottle of saline for rinsing purposes. The contacts are stored in a case with a disc at the bottom that neutralizes the H2O2 and turns it into neutral unpreserved saline within six hours. If H2O2 does accidentally get into your eye, your eye will be red and burning. Rinse copiously with saline or tap water. A short time of contact will not cause permanent damage.

Why is Clear Care Not in Stores Lately and What is the Alternative?

Why is Clear Care impossible to find these days? There was human error on the assembly line; someone applied some lubricant to a machine incorrectly. The product was subsequently tested and met safety standards but was not up to Novartis (Cibavision solution division) standards. Several months worth of product was hence destroyed. This is an inconvenience for consumers but a comfort to know that Novartis will not compromise on quality.

What can be used until Clear Care comes back on the shelves?

Ultracare is an excellent alternative. It is also a 3% buffered H2O2 solution but a tablet is added to neutralize instead of the disc. The solution turns pink (with a special vitamin B indicator) to indicate when the H2O2 is neutralized and safe for the eyes.

What are the Real Benefits?

What can Clear Care really do for you, the contact lens wearer? In some cases it can make a huge difference in contact lens comfort. Solution intolerance is a hugely overlooked cause of lens discomfort. Anybody with sensitivity to contacts, discomfort or inability to wear them for sufficient hours should give it a try. Of course, if you do have symptoms, be sure that you have had a check up with your eye doc as well as an assessment to be sure that you are in the best contacts for your eyes. Many patients swear by Clear Care. For a huge number of people it has relieved their discomfort and been the only thing that enabled them to continue wearing contacts.

Dr. Kaayla T. Garner has been an optometrist for 25 years in various settings from prisons to laser centers. She is well versed in vision therapy, laser surgery and contact lenses.

Dr. Garner is the owner of http://www.contactlenses-on-line.com, a website offering free contact lens fitting info

Cheap Color Contact Lenses - How to Get the Best Price

2008-03-19T23:57:00.001-07:00

Color contacts are hot now - everybody wants to have beautiful bright eyes. And the best news is you don't have to pay a fortune for these eyes. Follow these tips to get cheap color contact lenses online and enjoy a new look without hurting your budget.

Tip 1: Select color contacts that don't cost a fortune

Color contact lenses are not as expensive as they were five years ago and prices can vary dramatically from brand to brand. Of course, you don't want to go for the cheapest color lenses (their look will only disappoint you), but it is still possible to find good color contacts that don't cost a fortune.

First of all, colored lenses can be divided into two major groups - disposable color contacts and annual replacement color lenses. Usually a box of disposable color contacts costs less than a single annual replacement lens. However, it is cheaper to buy a pair of annual replacement lenses than a year's supply of disposal color contacts.

Disposable color lenses which you usually replace every month or 2 weeks are typically sold in boxes of six lenses. Good examples of disposable color contacts are Freshlook Colorblends (monthly lenses), Acuvue 2 Colors (2 weeks disposable) and Expressions (monthly replacement). Annual replacement (which are good for a year) lenses like Durasoft 2 Colors or Illusions come in vials and the price is usually indicated per vial (one lens).

However, be careful. Some sites offer cheap, 'no brand' color contacts. You don't want to get those - not only do they look obviously fake, but they are not comfortable in your eyes.

Tip 2: Look at comparison and review sites to find the cheapest price

After you select the brand you want and have obtained your prescription, it is time to find the best deal. Online prices are generally much lower than those offered by an optometrist's office. Also, from time to time online contact lens retailers put selected lenses on sale, which can get you an even better discount. There are plenty of sites that sell discount color contacts online - you can visit several of them and compare the prices.

But there is an easier way. There are many review sites that help consumers compare online deals. Visit a review site that compares prices at several online contact lens stores and gives reviews of color contact lens merchants. This way you can be sure that the company you want to buy your lens from is reputable and honest.

Tip 3: You can get cheaper color lenses if you buy large quantities.

Most online contact lens retailers give you additional discounts and free shipping on large orders. Even if you order different colors, you can usually get lower prices. For certain color lenses you can also get rebates, if you order a year's supply.

Tip 4: Get free trial color contacts before you order

Few people know about it, but you can try popular color contacts for free. Color contact lens manufacturers are happy to give you a chance to try their color contacts. They can't just send you a pair, however, because you need a prescription for color contacts the same as you do for any contact lenses. But you can get a trial certificate from manufacturer's site, and with this certificate you can get a trial pair at your doctor's office.

Tatyana Turner publishes Contact Lenses Consumer Guide where you can find tips on safe contact lens shopping, lens price comparison and reviews of cheap color contact lenses

Contact Lenses Online - Good But Don't Forget the Bad!

2008-03-19T01:35:00.000-07:00

We all know that the internet has changed all our lives in many different ways, not least for the consumer of virtually any product. A classic example of this is the ability to order contact lenses online. At one time, a customer with a sight defect was generally known as a patient, and therefore the method of 'treatment' was exclusively in the hands of the professional, i.e Ophththalmologist, Optometrist or Optician. In the progressively impatient world where speed, convenience and costs are major factors in our lives this is no longer the case. While it may be a good thing for some it is not without it's pitfalls. Although it is law in many countries to be able to make a supply of contact lenses only when a valid dated prescription is produced, it seems that this aspect of the law can often be overlooked due to the international nature of the internet.

Maybe the role of Optician is no longer valued to the consumer, customer or patient whichever you wish to call them, but it is essential that the protection of their eyesight is maintained. It is the duty of suppliers to make it clear to their 'customers' the importance of regular check-ups and aftercare.

Many of the products nowadays are exceptionally good and the onset of disposable lenses in recent years has definately helped reduce a lot of contact lens related eye problems. However there are still complications that do occur from time to time. These range from mild irritation or symptoms of dryness, to major corneal disease.

When buying contact lenses online it is important to remember the implications this can have on ocular health. Often contact lens related eye problems can go unnoticed and sometimes have no symptoms at all.

If a subjects eyes ever go red or sore they should remove their lenses immediately. If the symptoms don't recede very quickly they should consult an eyecare professional straight away.

Some common reactions that need professional help are as follows:

Superior Epithelial Arcuate Lesions (SEALS) is a mechanical injury to the corneal cells, which is characterised by an arc-like lesion at the superior corneal periphery. Symptoms range from none to foreign body sensation or lens edge awareness.

Infiltrative Keratitis is an inflammatory reaction of the cornea, which has symptoms of mild to moderate irritation, redness and occasional discharge.

Contact Lens Acute Red Eye (CLARE) is an inflammatory reaction of the cornea and conjunctiva, which is characterised by a small, focal and diffuse peripheral corneal infiltration. Often there is no symptoms prior to eye closure but patients are often awoken from sleep by symptoms or soon after waking. The symptoms are irritation to moderate pain, redness,tearing and photophobia (light sensitivity).

Contact Lens Induced Peripheral Ulcer (CLPU) is another inflammatory reaction of the cornea which is characterised by a lesion in the corneal epithelium (surface cells) and infiltration of the anterior stroma (the middle layer of the cornea). The symptoms range from none to severe to moderate pain, irritation or foreign body sensation. Also there will usually be redness and tearing.

Contact Lens Papillary Conjunctivitis(CLPC) is a mechanical / inflammatory reaction of the upper eyelid characterised by localised papillae and hyperaemia (a cobblestone appearance) with fine mucous strands on the cornea. Symptoms are itching, lens awareness, increased mucous and intermittant blurring. The lens will also not appear to be fitting very well due to pressure from the papillae.

There are many other contact lens related conditions and if there is any doubt an eyecare professional must be consulted immediately. Also despite the convenience of online ordering it is imperative that a customers visit their optician for routine scheduled aftercare visits.

Online contact lens ordering is here to stay, but always remember prevention is better than cure.

James Oliver is an Optician in the UK. He writes for http://www.buy-contact-lenses-online.info and also http://www.about-lasik-surgery.com

Costume Contact Lenses - It's ALL in the Eyes

2008-03-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes making your costume that much more outstanding requires an extra effort! Whether for Halloween or for a fun dress-up party, costume contact lenses can add a special touch to your outfit. They are inexpensive and easy to use and come in more varieties that you can think of. What type of lenses will make your costume a winner?

So you have the perfect costume ready to go, and you think special contact lenses would heighten the dramatic effect, but you have a few questions. Can you get costume contact lenses without a prescription? The answer is yes. Costume contact lenses come in a prescription and non-prescription order and will fit all eyes. However, it is not advisable to wear contacts when you do not have a doctor's consent. You may also be wondering how long your contacts will last. Amazingly, even though costume contact lenses are made for fun, if you take care of them, they can last up to one year. This means that your costume is good for more than one night!

Now that you feel more comfortable with the practicalities of costume lenses, you can start to think about what lenses will suit your costume best. There exists a wide variety of special lenses to choose from. You can select a recognizable look such as the cat's eye, alien, wolf, jaguar, zebra or devil. Some of the most famous costumes in Hollywood history, such as Michael Jackson's zombie from the video Thriller, can be emulated with special white-out eyes. Or, if you are looking for a more subtle change in eye colour to suit your costume, you can choose black, white, red or bloodshot. When a funky design would add a certain flare to your costume, you can find psychedelic, zigzag or starry lenses to complement your look. If you are dressing up as a particular celebrity but you do not have their eye colour, you can choose very natural contact lenses that will give you their recognizable look, such as 'Old Blue Eyes' for example. Natural coloured contact lenses come in blue, brown, green, hazel, turquoise, aqua and grey, just to name a few. The natural look can certainly complement a special costume, but these lenses look real enough to be worn with daily wear. If you are seeking a change in your appearance, but want nothing drastic, changing your eye colour is a good way to do it.

Special effects contact lenses can completely change your look. These specialty lenses can turn a good costume into a great costume. If you are looking to set yourself apart and have your costume stand out, special effects costume contact lenses will help you achieve your goal.

Johnny Valentine is avid special effect contact lens user and connoisseur. He is the proud author of the website Special Effect Contact Lenses, and has always been intrigued by cinema's art of deception

How to Care for Color Contact Lenses

2008-03-17T01:15:00.000-07:00

Caring for color contact lenses is not at all difficult. However, it is very important to take proper care of your color contacts, otherwise your eyes can become irritated or even infected. Discover how to care for your colored contacts simple and fast.

Whether you wear Freshlook color contacts, Acuvue 2 Colors, Expressions Colors, or custom-made color or special effect lenses, caring for them is exactly the same. All you need is a good contact lens solution, a contact lens case, a pair of soft plastic tweezers and a couple of minutes.

First of all, you should use a proper contact lens solution for cleaning your colored lenses and storing them at night. Never use ordinary water - it is full of bacteria and won't clean your lenses properly anyway.

The best solution to use is a no-rub multipurpose solution, like Opti-Free Express No-Rub. Most solutions require you to rub your lenses on the palm of your hand to clean them; however, rubbing can damage the color, which is why you need a no-rub solution. It is also a good idea to get a solution marked "for sensitive eyes" - even if your eyes are not sensitive, it can't hurt. Get a large bottle of solution, if you wear your color contact lenses every day. If you only wear them for special ocasions, though, you are better of with a smaller bottle because, once contact lens solution is opened, it is only good for six months.

The days when you needed a saline solution for storing your lenses and a cleaner for cleaning them are long gone - multipurpose solutions have taken their place. A multipurpose solution can disinfect your color lenses and remove protein build-ups, so all you need to do is to put your lenses in a case with fresh solution overnight. Be sure that you buy solution for soft contact lenses, though: solutions for rigid lenses have a different formulation.

If you use disposable contact lenses like Freshlook Colorblends or Acuvue 2 Colors, multipurpose solution is enough. If you wear more expensive hand-painted lenses that supposed to last for a year, though, you should also use protein removing tablets, to prolong the life of your lenses. This is especially recommended if you wear your color lenses every day. The pills are called enzyme or enzymatic cleaner. Soaking your lenses in this type of cleaner, once a month, will keep the color vivid and bright for many months.

For storing your color contacts you will need a contact lens case. It is best to use a case with screw-down lids, so the solution doesn't leak. If you have several color lenses, you can label each case, or get colored cases. You should wash your case with soap at least once a week and let it sit for a few minutes in boiled water, to kill bacteria, then let it dry before putting your lenses back in. It might be a good idea to carry an extra lens case, filled with solution, with you all the time - just in case your color lens folds in your eye or dust gets under it. If this happens, you can just pop out your lenses out anytime you want.

Color contact lens care step-by-step

1. Wash your hands with soap and dry them 2. Take your color lens out and thoroughly rinse each side of it with multipurpose solution, by putting some solution on it 3. Fill your contact lens case with fresh solution, place your lenses in, screw the lid on and leave your lenses to soak for at least 6 hours, or overnight. It is important to use fresh solution every time you place your lenses in it; recycling is not a good idea, in this case. 4. When you are ready to wear your contacts, rinse each side again and pop them into your eyes

Simple, isn't it? Enjoy your beautiful color contact lenses - with a bit of practice caring for them will become your second nature.

Tatyana Turner provides you with information about Halloween contact lenses, and colored contacts with reviews and pictures

Information About Contact Lenses

2008-03-17T01:14:00.001-07:00

Contact lenses are optical accessories which rest directly on the cornea (the transparent, dome-shaped window covering the front of the eye.). Their task is to provide a better and natural vision than present-day spectacles.

Distortion caused by side vision and eye-lens distance is eliminated in using contact lenses. With spectacles the eye-lens distance makes the size of the objects appear smaller or bigger than actual depending upon whether you are near sighted or far sighted.

Spectacles block the peripheral vision because of the frame. When you look downwards, upwards or sideways you are looking outside the perimeter of the lens which makes you look at object without the eye glasses resulting in distorted or blurred vision because you are not looking through the optic zone.

This is more so because of the smaller frames fashionable these days. When you wear contact lenses, regardless of which way you look, you are always looking through the optic zone resulting in perfect vision. Contact lenses are resistant to scratches and easy breakage. They are also resistant to fogging and will provide clear vision even on a rainy day.

There are basically two kinds of contact lenses: Soft contact lenses and Rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses. Both types can be used to correct all kinds of vision problems - hyperopia, myopia, presbyopia and astigmatism.

Soft lenses are easier to wear and more comfortable. This is the reason why they are selected by more than 80 percent of users. RGP lenses are used only when you must wear them constantly over a long period of time.

Selecting a contact lens depends upon the result of your optical examination. It is a smart idea to tell your ophthalmologist that you desire to use contact lenses and not glasses, so that he/she can test your eyes in view of that. A number of ophthalmologists do not advise contact lenses unless you ask them for a set.

Wearing contact lenses is appropriate to certain people like sports persons, acrobats, riders, etc., because they do not get in the way of their professional life. If you are in any of these professions and have a preference to wear spectacles, you can wear contact lenses on the job and swap them for glasses in your free time.

Are you planning to wear contact lenses? Visit Contact Lenses Center for the information about colour contact lenses. You will also find a lot of information on cheap contact lenses. http://www.contactlensesreviews.info/alerts/

Contact Lenses And You

2008-03-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

Contact lenses are practically a new concept for most people. A lot of people still prefer to wear glasses in order to correct their own visual problems. But sometimes, using eyeglasses present some disadvantages that need to be addressed. If a person is regularly wearing eyeglasses of the ordinary sort, he is likely more susceptible to glare and the occasional reflective properties of glass that can greatly affect his clear vision. Varying weather conditions might also affect eyeglass wearers in a lot of ways. When it?s raining, one?s eyeglasses can easily get hazy from the raindrops and can render it useless in an instant.

On cold days, eyeglasses tend to fog up more often especially when going inside warmer quarters. One will need to wipe it frequently just to get rid of the moisture and get a clearer vision on everything as well as to avoid being laughed at for having fogged up eyeglasses. And one of the most despised things about wearing eyeglasses is that it can make one look unattractive. This is actually the frequent complaint of a lot of many people out there. Such disadvantages may have persuaded inventors to look for other alternatives in correcting vision problems.

These disadvantages may have spurred the invention of the contact lenses of late. With contact lenses, there is finally an alternative which can do away with the drawbacks experienced with wearing eyeglasses. Contact lenses make it possible for one to finally improve one?s vision without having to wear eyeglasses. It can be such a welcome answer to people with vision problems but do not want to wear prescription eyeglasses. With contact lenses, it would be difficult for others to recognize a person?s vision problems unlike prescription eyeglasses which is a plain giveaway in itself.

There are two types of contact lenses available for people. They can choose either from soft contact lenses or the rigid gas permeable types. Soft contact lenses can contain from 25 percent to as much as 79 percent water which makes them soft and more comfortable to wear.The rigid gas permeable contact lenses meanwhile can take longer to get accustomed to. Its one advantage is that it is made of a more durable material than soft contact lenses and can offer crisper vision as compared to contact lenses of the softer varieties. Rigid gas permeable lenses are also more resistant to deposit buildup and tend to be less expensive over the life of the lens when compared to the softer versions which may even require frequent replacements.

The life of a rigid gas permeable contact lens can usually last for a couple of years except when in need of a new prescription pair. But with soft contact lenses, there is a need for regular replacement of new lenses. There are soft contact lenses that can be worn for a year before needing a replacement. There is also the frequent replacement type of contact lenses which may require you only one month of wearing before needing a new replacement.

There are also contact lenses available that can be worn only for short periods for convenience. These are the disposable types of contact lenses. They are further divided into different types depending on the level of convenience that you wish for. There are daily and extended wear disposable contact lenses which offer you a week or two of use before of disposing. For the ultimate in convenience, there is the one day wear only disposable contact lens which has virtually eliminated the need for cleaning the lenses which can sometimes be a chore. But disposable contact lenses can be very expensive for most to use regularly except, that is, if you have money to burn and you look for comfort and convenience more than the cost.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides contact lens resources on www.all-contact-lenses.info

Weird And Crazy Contact Lenses

2008-03-12T23:56:00.000-07:00

Crazy Contact Lenses - Offers You With The Weirdest Look

Crazy contact lenses give you the weirdest kind of look that you can ever think of. Hitherto, actors and actresses of horror movies and serials used these contact lenses to give a nightmarish experience to the audiences. But these days the crazy contact lenses are popularly used by laymen to give themselves the spookiest look.

Why wear crazy contact lenses?

The crazy contact lenses are used solely for the purpose of style. They are zero powered contact lenses and are mainly designed to provide fun and entertainment. So you do not need any prescription from opticians to get these lenses. You can simply visit the contact lenses stores and choose the best crazy contact lenses for yourself. However, if you suffer from any type of eye irritation or eye inflammation after you wear the crazy contact lenses, immediately consult an optician to avoid further eye damages.

Varieties of crazy contact lenses

The crazy contact lenses are available in various designs. This type of contact lenses range from designs of yellow cat eyes, striped zebra style, flags/ cross designs, colorful spirals to sunshine lenses. However, you can easily choose the contact lenses from the following two types: * Monthly crazy contact lenses - these lenses are flexible and you can wear them for a period of one month or 30 wearing times. * Standard crazy contact lenses - these lenses ensure maximum comfort as you can wear them for an extended period of 18 months.

When you choose any of these crazy contact lenses and start wearing them, you should regularly cleanse and rinse them in disinfecting lens-cleaning solutions.

Tips to experience the best of crazy contact lenses

The opticians and contact lenses manufacturers always specify on perfect caring of contact lenses. So when you wear a pair of crazy contact lenses, you should also abide by the following tips to experience the comfort of the best contact lenses: * Do not apply make-ups and perfumes, lotions and sprays to avoid any damage to the crazy contact lenses. * Use prescribed solutions for cleaning your crazy contact lenses. Do not use tap water, saliva or homemade solutions. * Before handling your crazy contact lenses, wash your hands with soap water to ensure maximum safety.

Use the cleaning solutions particularly as prescribed by your doctor, for it helps to retain the spooky color of the crazy contact lenses.

So wear the crazy contact lenses to feel different, look unique and give a go-crazy shock to others around you.

Halloween Contact Lenses - Go Crazy With These Special Lenses

Make your Halloween festival on 31st October a special one by using some crazy Halloween contact lenses. Since a long time, your children had been aspiring to go insane with spooky dresses during Halloween! Right? So now is the time you give them a pleasant surprise with some go-crazy Halloween contact lenses. Watch how the insane color of their eyes match the eerie dress they are wearing. It's even time for you parents, to treat yourself with these Halloween contact lenses.

Correct your vision and enhance your style with Halloween contact lenses

Here is good news for people who possess eye power yet desperately wants to wear Halloween contact lenses. In this case, you should consult a doctor for a proper prescription. Depending on prescribed advice, you can now buy those Halloween contact lenses, which not only help in visual correction but also give a surprising look to your eyes. If you do not possess eye power, and simply want to wear Halloween contact lenses to honor the occasion, then visit the contact lenses stores and choose some special mind- boggling Halloween contact lenses to get the spookiest look!

Different Halloween contact lenses in vogue

The Halloween contact lenses are much in vogue now. Not only do they enhance the jack o' lantern look of the Halloween Eve's Day, the lenses are also elaborately used by performers of horror movies and eerie television serials to give the audience a blood-chilling feel. Ranging from yellow tiger's eye lenses, Banshee lenses, dollar sign eyes, spider web sprayed lenses, fearfully striped lenses to those of vampire red lenses, Halloween contact lenses will give you the best feel of the occasion.

Tips to use your special Halloween contact lenses

Whether you are wearing the Halloween contact lenses or your children are wearing them, you must be aware of the following tips to enjoy the best use of the lenses: * You should get the correct contact lenses cleaning solution so that the colors do not get washed off. Rinse and disinfect the lenses regularly in these cleaning solutions. * Never use the Halloween contact lenses of some other people. It can even cause blindness. * Do not wear the contact lenses for more than 8 hours to avoid eye problems. * Do not sleep, bathe or swim with Halloween contact lenses. Avoid wearing the lenses specially when you are cooking.

So next time when you choose some real crazy dresses for your Halloween special party, also buy a spooky pair of Halloween contact lenses to give a complete eerie look to yourself or your excited children.

Author is marketer for sites such as :

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Contact Lenses Information

Contact Lenses-How To Get The Most Out Of Them

2008-03-12T23:55:00.000-07:00

Contactlenses and why we wear them.

We wear contact lenses mainly because we are vain.

But, they come in handy for any kind of sports, people even wear them while swimming although you have to watch they don't float out.

The Inventor of the contact lens concept was Leonardo da Vinci in 1508,who sketched and described several forms of contact lenses.

Hard contact lenses

Hard contact lenses are manufactured from a rigid material, PolyMethylMethacrylate (PMMA). This substance is also combined with other plastics to increase the oxygen permeability. Visual acuity is perfect.

In 1632 Rene Descartes of France suggests the first hard contact lens, which idea was actually developed in 1801 by Thomas Young; resulting in a quarter-inch-long, water-filled glass tube, the outer end having a microscopic lens,and he is the first user. In 1887 a German Glassblower, F.E. Muller of Wiesbaden,fabricates the first piece of glass acting as a contact lens which could be seen through seen through and tolerated.

Soft daily wear lenses have the main advantage that they allow the eyes to be oxygenated through the lens. They're also easy to adapt to and difficult to lose. You can get them in all kinds of colours. Fantastic for wearing in sport activities. Not a panacea for all vision problems and they have to be thoroughly cleaned. Maximum lifespan 1 year.

In 1936 William Feinbloom, a New York optometrist, manufactures the first American- made plastic contact lenses. These were still hard lenses.

The first soft, water-absorbing plastic lenses were developed in 1960 by Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim .

Disposable lenses 1.Extended-wear disposable

Soft lenses that you are able to wear for an extended period of time, up to six nights, and then you can throw them away. They hardly require any cleaning and have virtually no chance of causing eye infection if user instructions are followed...

You can get them tinted and as bifocals. Your Vision may not be as sharp as with other lenses and they do not correct all vision problems. More difficult to handle.

2. Planned soft daily replacement lenses

Soft daily wear lenses that you replace on a planned schedule, either every two weeks, monthly or quarterly. Require thorough cleaning and disinfection. all vision problems. Not easy to handle.

Colored lenses

There are 4 types of colored contact lenses: visible tints, tints to enhance, color opaque tints and tints that filter light Most of these colored contact lenses are available in plano form (without visual correction), as well as for astigmatism, who need bifocal correction, or who want a disposable or frequent replacement lens.

Astigmatic lenses (toric) were first introduced in 1978 and approved for distribution in the United States.

These lenses contain both a spherical and cylinder component to correct prescriptions which have astigmatism. Lenses may be thicker in one meridian or have modified thickness profiles to enable the lens to maintain the correct orientation on the eye.

Bifocal contacts became available in 1982 for commercial distribution.

There are a variety of designs in bifocals, essentially all trying to provide a transition or reading zone for use at near distances. The different designs include; + aspheric multifocal - + simultaneous vision concentric - has either a central near or distance zone with surrounding zone of opposite type to centre (eg, centre near,distance surround) + diffraction/holographic - based on diffraction grating principles.

Eye exercises There seems to be a natural alternative to eyeglasses, contacts, intacs, and even Lasik surgery, which is a series of eye muscle exercises over a period of 30 days that supposedly corrects your vision to quite an extent.

The validity of this method of vision correction has not been fully proven.

Frank Hague is very interested in Contact Lenses http://www.contactlens-now.info http://www.cataract-eye-surgery-bonita-springs.info http://www.eye-surgery-now.info

Proper Care Of Contact Lenses For Better Vision And Healthy Eyes

2008-03-12T00:15:00.001-07:00

Contact lenses can give you better vision than glasses but if you don't care for them properly you may not only impair the way you see through them but you could also harm the health of your eyes. That's why it is critical that you develop proper care habits when it comes to your contact lenses.

First and foremost, you should follow the guidelines for the type of contacts you wear. Different makes of contacts have different procedures for cleaning and storing and you need to care for them per the manufacturers instruction. Improper care can result in uncomfortable contacts and could also ruin your contact lenses or harm your eye.

When it comes to your eyesight you need to take every precaution to protect them but many contact lens wearers are lax in this area. Proper cleaning is important and you should use the solutions suggested by the manufacturer and not plain water. Water and homemade saline solutions can contain micro-organisms, chlorine and other minerals that can damage the lens and harm your eyes.

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.

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.

Do you try to extend the wearing of your contacts? You should refrain from doing this as it can cause discomfort. 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.

Removing your contacts can be a chore at the end of the day but it is important to remove them properly. 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 your eyes do become irritated when wearing your contacts do not rub them! This can be very harmful to the lens or your eye. If it is not comfortable to wear them, simply remove them and clean them in cleaning solution before putting them in again. Sometimes it is best to wait a day or two before trying to put them back in. Make sure you store them properly during this time.

Your vision is pretty important so you want to take care to protect it from harm. This means seeing your eye doctor regularly and following his directions for care. 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.

Lee Dobbins writes for Body Care Zone where you can find out more about taking care of yourself as well as read more articles on eye care and contact lenses

What You Might Not Know About Color Contact Lenses

2008-03-10T23:03:00.002-07:00

Do you want to be noticed in a crowd, but don't know how? You want to change something about how you look, but are afraid to do anything that is permanent, right? If so, colored contact lenses might be what you have been searching for. Even if you do not use contact lenses as a way to correct vision, you can still use them to provide a change in your appearance.

Color tints however, are the contacts that are used to change eye color; these are what most people think of when color contacts come to mind. The color tint lenses have a deeper color added to the lens that allows the natural color of the eye to be completely hidden. These are the types of lenses that are available to transform the eye into something that is truly unusual.

The most important tip, do not, under any circumstances share your contacts with anyone. This is mentioned because most people that use color contact lenses don't intend for them to be permanent and the desire to try them might over rule common sense. This is said strictly for your safety.

The visibility tint is a lens with a light green or light blue tint that has been added for ease of contact use, this is also very helpful if one is dropped, but does not affect eye color at all. The enhancement tint lenses feature a solid and translucent tint of color that does affect eye color, but only slightly. These color contact lenses are not meant to change the eye color, but rather to enhance it, to make it more intense.

Color contact lenses come in a variety of colors and shades. They are available in blue, green, brown, violet, hazel and grey with new colors emerging all the time. These are great for someone who is tired of how they look and want a temporary change. Color contact lenses are available in three basic tints, the visibility tint, enhancement tint and the color tints. Each of these types of contacts serves a specific purpose for contact lens wearers.

John Mancini has been writing about Contact Lenses online and offline for a long time. Visit http://ez-contact-lenses.net or http://ez-contact-lenses.info to read more about matters like contact lens online and bifocal contact lenses.

How To Find Cheap Contact Lenses

2008-03-10T23:03:00.001-07:00

Contact lenses are a popular alternative to glasses for many people. They offer a less noticeable alternative to corrective vision, however, they can be expensive to purchase. The contacts and the supplies that are needed to care for them can far out weigh the price of a pair of glasses. Therefore, many people are interested in where to get cheap contact lenses and supplies. Follow these tips to help you in your search.

A fairly new way to purchase cheap contact lenses is through mail order centers. These companies are generally wholesalers that are able to secure a good price on the contacts because of the amount they promise to purchase from the manufacturer. As with purchasing on the internet, it is important to make sure that you are dealing with a trustworthy company, even if they do have cheap contact lenses.

Another way to get good quality, cheap contact lenses is to ask about pricing between private label and generic label contact lenses. Many contact manufacturers make lenses for private companies as well as for generic pricing. These are exactly the same lens, but differ on pricing alone.

Looking online may be a good source of cheap contact lenses, but it is a buyer beware world. When purchasing anything on the internet can be risky, this is especially true when you want to buy medical equipment. This is not to suggest, however, that the internet is a bad place to get contact lenses, just be sure that you are dealing with a reputable supplier.

If you have optical insurance available to you, this is also a way to get cheap contact lenses. Many insurance companies cover not only glasses but also contact lenses as long as they are used for a vision correction issue. Be sure to check with your contact lens supplier to be sure that they participate in your insurance plan.

Most people tend to think that buying their contact lenses from the eye doctors' inventory is the most expensive way to get them. This isn't always the case; often times your doctor will have special pricing for a large supply of contact lenses. If you are willing to buy your lenses a year at a time, your doctor will probably, be able to match the prices of other suppliers.

If you find that, you can get cheap contact lenses by ordering them either online or through some other mail order company, ask about services such as shipping times, shipping rates and return policies. The answers to these specific questions will help you to determine if the company you are thinking of buying from is legitimate.

John Mancini has been writing about Contact Lenses online and offline for a long time. Visit http://find-contact-lenses.net or http://contact-lenses-web.com to read more about matters like color contact lenses and contact lens online.

Bifocal Contact Lenses - A Babyboomer's Experience

2008-03-10T01:22:00.000-07:00

I wore contact lenses all the time when I was younger. I preferred them to glasses, they gave me superior vision to glasses and they were comfortable to wear.

I was prescribed my first pair of contact lenses when I was around 20-years-old (a long time ago - I'm one of Australia's four million babyboomers). They were the old-fashioned hard lenses, they required little care and provided great vision for many years.

My next pair of contact lenses were the newer soft lenses six or seven years later. The soft lenses were revolutionary at the time and didn't cause the cornea distortion that was an issue with the earlier hard lenses. However, the new soft lenses required a lot of maintenance. They had to be boiled and soaked and were more trouble than they were worth so after a year or so I went back to wearing glasses.

More recently I moved from single focus glasses to correct my myopia to multifocal lenses to deal with my presbyopia (the syndrome that many people experience as they age when they find that their arms aren't long enough to read a book or a menu!). I've been very happy with the multifocal glasses, I wear them all the time as I can't see a great deal without them and I stayed with glasses until quite recently.

I like to surf and swim when I'm on holidays and we were planning a trip to Tonga and I wanted to be able to go snorkelling and to see the coral and the tropical fish so I thought I'd try bifocal contact lenses with a view to being able to swim and see at the same time!

So off I went to the optometrist. He was very helpful and explained that due to a combination of my myopia, astigmatism and presbyopia that I was unlikely to achieve the sort of vision I received from my glasses with bifocal contact lenses. However, since I mostly wanted the lenses for distance vision I was prepared to give them a go.

He ordered in some disposable contacts and I went back the next day to try them out.

With bifocal contact lenses one lens is designed for distance viewing and the other lens is designed for reading.

It was a little uncomfortable at first to put contact lenses into my eyes again after so many years but I achieved it without too much difficulty. The weird thing was trying to get used to one eye seeing distant objects and one eye seeing close up.

My optometrist sent me away for half an hour to see how I managed. I made it to my local cafe where I enjoyed a cappuccino and even managed to read the paper without covering up one eye! My optometrist was happy with that result so I wore the one pair of disposables (they last two weeks) and drove home wearing my new contacts...

I didn't wear the new contact lenses the next day, however the day after I thought I'd better try them again and start to get used to them. I needed to build up my wearing time. I had little difficulty the second time although - as predicted by the optometrist - I didn't have great close-up vision with them. Although, that said, I could manage to read quite well. Perhaps it's not that I couldn't see close-up ... I think I was still trying to get used to the idea of one eye having distant vision and one eye having close-up vision. The lenses themselves were quite comfortable.

I wore the contacts most days while I was on holidays - I wasn't completely happy with the level of vision that I achieved with them but they served their purpose of allowing me to swim, snorkel and see at the same time. Most of the time the lenses were quite comfortable. One lens irritated my eye slightly but I think that was only from long wear. The longest time I wore the lenses was for about nine hours one day when I was sailing.

Once the holidays were over and there was no more snorkeling, it was back to work in front of a computer.

I gave the bifocal contacts a go while using the computer - but it just didn't work for me. The distance wasn't right. I can read a book okay with the lenses but when I use the computer I'm too far from the screen to focus and I can't sit any closer to overcome the problem as I have a large monitor.

I've seen the optometrist again but there is no other bifocal contact lens solution available for me. I tried them for about a month before abandoning the project. I ordered a new pair of glasses instead!

I'd use the contacts again if I was going on holidays and wasn't going to be using a computer all the time but I just don't find them practical for everyday use. I think the issue for me is the inability to focus both eyes at once on any object.

About the only time when I found them useful was when I was reading and that wasn't the purpose of them - I wanted the bifocal contacts more for distance than for reading. Still, they served the purpose when I was snorkeling and swimming!

Alison Stevens in an online author and publisher, an offline editor and an enthusiastic and fit babyboomer. Visit her website http://www.choose-bifocal-contacts.com to find out if bifocal contact lenses will suit you!

Disposable Contact Lens

2008-03-07T21:57:00.000-08:00

Lens that are used temporally and replaced after a specified period of time are termed as disposable contact lenses. A doctor advises to replace the contact lenses to maintain the smooth functioning of the eye.

There are different terminologies regarding the types of contact lenses. 'Disposable contact lenses' are those that are replaced after every two weeks or even earlier. 'Frequent contact lenses' are exchanged after a month or even quarterly. 'Traditional or reusable contact lenses' are replaced in six months or in a year.

People commonly face two kinds of confusion i.e. about the replacement schedule and wearing schedule intervals. Replacement schedule refers to the frequency of replacing the lens. Wearing schedule means just removing the lens for a shorter time and wearing them again. They fail to understand the true nature of the lenses whether it is disposable, frequent contact type or traditional type. They are not even able to decide if they should remove them while sleeping or to wear them during sleep.

It is really beneficial to change your lenses as often as possible, because protein, calcium, lipids etc get collected day by day thus causing uneasiness in the eye and increasing the risk factor of infection.

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://www.askaquery.com/Answers/qn1539.html

You are welcome to republish the above article only if you add our hyperlinked URL which is mentioned above

Secrets to Know Before You Buy Contact Lens

2008-03-05T23:06:00.001-08:00

Do you wear contacts, but only buy them from your eye doctor? Are you looking for a better alternative to buy contact lenses? If you have thought about buying your contacts from a source other than your eye care professional, you are not alone. The amount of people with a contact lens prescription that buy their contacts online or from warehouses is growing. What do you need to know before you buy contact lenses?

When you buy contact lenses, you need to focus on value and not on price alone. The overall value includes the availability of the contacts that you use, if they accept your insurance (and if you need to do paperwork or if they do it for you), ease of getting the contacts (do they deliver), their customer service department and price. Taking all of these points into consideration will help you to find the absolute best value for you.

The best places to start your search are, of course, your eye doctor, the internet and wholesale retailers as well as mail order houses. Be sure that you know exactly what type of contact lens you need to purchase before you agree to anything. Ask about their return policy if you receive a contact lens other than what you ordered.

You may be starting your search for contacts with preconceived notions as to which are the best source to buy contact lenses, throw those out! Do not discount any place that sells contacts, look into what they have to offer and what their prices are; you might be surprised at where you will find the best quality and price.

Did you know that you have the right to have your contact (and glasses) prescription copied so that you can shop around for eyewear? The legislation, in Feb. 2004 gave that right to consumers in all 50 states. This means that you do not have to buy contact lenses only from your eye care practitioner. You can shop around anywhere that contacts are sold. Doing this gives you a better selection at a better price.

John Mancini has been writing about Contact Lenses online and offline for a long time. Visit http://contact-lenses-web.com or http://contact-lenses-now.net to read more about matters like contact lens online and cheap contact lenses

Contact Lenses And Why We Wear Them

2008-03-05T23:03:00.000-08:00

We wear contact lenses mainly because we are vain.

But, they come in handy for any kind of sports, people even wear them while swimming although you have to watch they don't float out.

The Inventor of the contact lens concept was Leonardo da Vinci in 1508,who sketched and described several forms of contact lenses.

Hard contact lenses

Hard contact lenses are manufactured from a rigid material, PolyMethylMethacrylate (PMMA). This substance is also combined with other plastics to increase the oxygen permeability.
Visual acuity is perfect.

In 1632 Rene Descartes of France suggests the first hard contact lens, which idea was actually developed in 1801 by Thomas Young; resulting in a quarter-inch-long, water-filled glass tube, the outer end having a microscopic lens,and he is the first user.

In 1887 a German Glassblower, F.E. Muller of Wiesbaden,fabricates the first piece of glass acting as a contact lens which could be seen through seen through and tolerated.

Soft daily wear lenses have the main advantage that they allow the eyes to be oxygenated through the lens.

They're also easy to adapt to and difficult to lose. You can get them in all kinds of colours. Fantastic for wearing in sport activities.

Not a panacea for all vision problems and they have to be thoroughly cleaned. Maximum lifespan 1 year.

In 1936 William Feinbloom, a New York optometrist, manufactures the first American- made plastic contact lenses. These were still hard lenses.

The first soft, water-absorbing plastic lenses were developed in 1960 by Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim .

Disposable lenses

1.Extended-wear disposable

Soft lenses that you are able to wear for an extended period of time, up to six nights, and then you can throw them away. They hardly require any cleaning and have virtually no chance of causing eye infection if user instructions are followed...

You can get them tinted and as bifocals. Your Vision may not be as sharp as with other lenses and they do not correct all vision problems. More difficult to handle.

2. Planned soft daily replacement lenses

Soft daily wear lenses that you replace on a planned schedule, either every two weeks, monthly or
quarterly. Require thorough cleaning and disinfection. all vision problems. Not easy to handle.

Colored lenses

There are 4 types of colored contact lenses:

visible tints,
tints to enhance,
color opaque tints and tints that filter light
Most of these colored contact lenses are available in plano form (without visual correction), as well as for astigmatism, who need bifocal correction, or who want a disposable or frequent replacement lens.

Astigmatic lenses (toric) were first introduced in 1978 and approved for distribution in the United States.

These lenses contain both a spherical and cylinder component to correct prescriptions which have astigmatism. Lenses may be thicker in one meridian or have modified thickness profiles to enable the lens to maintain the correct orientation on the eye.

Bifocal contacts became available in 1982 for commercial distribution.

There are a variety of designs in bifocals, essentially all trying to provide a transition or reading zone for use at near distances. The different designs include; + aspheric multifocal - + simultaneous vision concentric - has either a central near or distance zone with surrounding zone of opposite type to centre (eg, centre near,distance surround) + diffraction/holographic - based on diffraction grating principles.

Eye exercises
There seems to be a natural alternative to eyeglasses, contacts, intacs, and even Lasik surgery, which is a series of eye muscle exercises over a period of 30 days that supposedly corrects your vision to quite an extent.

The validity of this method of vision correction has not been fully proven.

About Cataracts by J Schipper Contact Lenses by J Schipper

Fight Back Age With Bifocal Contact Lenses

2008-03-04T22:39:00.000-08:00

If you are lucky enough to wear contact lenses without problems, you probably do not like the idea of having to switch back to glasses, let alone bifocals as you age. However, your eyes are not able to focus on what you are looking at with just the contacts anymore. Now, you have the option of using bifocal contact lenses to improve your vision as you age. Use these tips to know when to think about getting the bifocal contacts.

Finally, you will begin to notice that none of the glasses from the drug store are helping your vision. The time is right to start looking into whether or not bifocal contact lenses are the right choice for you.

Mono Vision lenses accomplish much the same thing as the bifocal contact lenses, but at a fraction of the cost. The way Mono Vision works is to fit one eye with a near vision contact and the other with a far vision contact. You will automatically adjust to the eye that is right for the viewing that you want to do, although it will take some getting use to. The price of Mono Vision contact lenses is roughly $200.00.

As you get tired, if you are in poor lighting, reading poor quality material or if you have many tasks that are performed near you, you will notice that you are not seeing as well as you expect to. At this point, you may want to get some reading glasses that are commonly available in a drug store. These will act as a magnifying glass and help to rest your eyes.

Be sure to ask your doctor if it is possible for you to have a trial period when switching to bifocal contact lenses. This type of lenses is not right for every person and may not be right for you either; it is nice to know that you will not be locked into anything that you do not like.

The first thing that you will notice is that the smaller reading material becomes harder to read. You might feel as if you want a magnifying glass. As the eye aging progresses you will find that performing tasks that are near you will become more difficult, you may even need help.

Because the use of bifocal contact lenses is fairly new, check with your optical insurance provider to see if they are covered under your plan. If they are not, you may be able to take advantage of your employers flex spending plan.

John Mancini has been writing about Contact Lenses online and offline for a long time. Visit http://contact-lenses-web.com or http://ez-contact-lenses.info to read more about matters like contact lens online and color contact lenses.

Facts About Colored Contact Lenses

2008-03-03T22:15:00.001-08:00

Colored Contact Lenses are the fashion statement of the day. They are available in shades of green, blue, and sometimes lavender. Colored contacts need to be matched to your skin tone for best results.

There are four main types of colored contacts, although there is little difference them. Visibility tint lenses have a slight tint that will help you locate the lens when it is in your eye easily. This is particularly helpful if the lens should slip out of place.

Enhancement lenses have an obvious tint to change the eye color of the wearer. Change is generally more effective for people with light colored eyes such as blue, hazel, or green. These lenses are a great way to initiate subtle changes to your eye color.

Opaque color tint lenses are generally used for those who have dark colored eyes such as such as brown eyes. Opaque color tint contacts have very distinct and very obvious color pattern designs. They look like real irises. The drawback to these lenses is that they affect the vision of individuals with large pupils because the opaqueness can block parts of the field of vision.

Light filter lenses are relatively new in the marketplace. These lenses are great for tennis players and golfers because they enhance colors. The changes are coming from the lenses. An example would be a golfer who loses a ball in the grass might ordinarily ??miss?? the ball and deem it lost or with the enhancement of light filter lenses might be able to find it because the white will be whiter and the green greener thus making the ball stand out more. The green-yellow of a tennis ball is enhance thus improving its visibility and increasing the chances of it being seen even in bright sunlight.

The light filtering lenses could be disposable or not. They are generally soft lenses and the eyes tend to adjust to them easily. Within this type of lenses there are many options. Talk to your eye care professional-they will help you figure out the best contacts for you.

Though these lenses are safe you should contact your eye care professional especially if you have problems like itching or redness in the eye or any uncomfortable feelings. You need to take care of the lenses in a way similar to how the original lenses were taken care of. They are reasonably priced and can be purchased online with a prescription of course. There are an abundance of deals and discounts available.

Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of products which includes Bifocal Contact Lenses and Contact Lenses and more. http://www.2020-contact-lenses.com

Are contact lenses better than eyeglasses?

2008-03-03T22:14:00.000-08:00

Contact lenses float on the surface of eye. There are two types of contact lenses. Soft lenses are made of very soft water soluble materials, which take the shape of the eye when worn. We can change these disposable lenses daily, after two weeks or once in a month depending on the brand and material.

Hard lenses are produced from hard gas-permeable plastic and it covers only part of the cornea. Today colored lenses are also available.

Contact lenses are better than eyeglasses for certain vision disorders like shortsightedness, long-sightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. In the field of sports people prefer it because eyeglasses are hard to handle. Some prefer it for its wider view. Eyeglasses don't cover the sides. Temperature, rain or perspiration does not affect contact lenses. And lastly people for the look factor buy contact lenses. It is a fact that eyeglasses do not look good on many faces.

But contact lenses also have disadvantages such as:

1. The eye becomes drier than normal

2. Risks of eye allergy increase if the contact lenses are not handled properly.

3. It is not good for people with conditions such as diabetes.

Hence we can safely say that it is the condition that decides whether eyeglasses or contact lenses are better. It also depends on the user's personal choice.

Bifocal Contact Lenses for Presbyopia

2008-03-02T22:33:00.000-08:00

Developments in the field of contact lens technology are producing ever better contact lenses that are increasingly convenient to wear throughout the whole gamut of vision conditions and lifestyles. Bifocal contact lenses are today available to correct presbyopia, a common problem in the over-40 age group.

Presbyopia is a vision condition in which they eyes are not able to focus clearly on near objects. It usually begins after the age of about forty when the lenses in the eye start reducing in flexibility. Presbyopia affects around 90 million adults in the USA alone and about one in four patients passing through an optometrist's door will suffer from it.

Symptoms of presbyopia include difficulty in reading, difficulty in seeing in low lighting conditions and, occasionally, headaches.

Traditionally these vision problems were addressed with the old-fashioned reading glasses. Or existing eyeglass wearers could opt for bifocal eyeglasses. However the use of modern contact lenses for use with presbyopia has some distinct advantages beyond their cosmetic appeal. For example they can be well suited to other aspects of a wearer's lifestyle such as sporting activities, exercising or using a computer.

Recently, contact lenses for correcting presbyopia have become available in more convenient types such as disposable or frequent replacement varieties. Today these are very popular lens types providing obvious benefits for the wearer.

HOW CONTACT LENSES CORRECT PRESBYOPIA

From a technical perspective, there are three distinct ways by which contact lenses can be used to correct presbyopia, each with advantages and disadvantages for particular types of patient. But the important thing here is that there is a choice and each wearer is likely to find one method best suited to their unique situation. The different contact lens methods are as follows:

MONOVISION

The monovision technique involves using in one eye a lens for seeing near objects and in the other eye a lens for seeing distant objects. Many people find that monovision works very well for them. It relies on the brain's ability to selectively process and combine information from the best available sources in order to provide the clearest possible vision. In some instances, the optometrist might employ a bifocal lens in one eye and a normal distance lens in the other. The main problem associated with monovision is the apparent loss of depth of vision for some patients.

BIFOCAL CONTACT LENSES

As with traditional bifocal eyeglasses, each lens in bifocal contact lenses possesses two powers - one for seeing near objects, the other for distant objects. Some types of bifocal lenses when magnified look a little like a bull's eye with an central inner zone surrounded by the outer zone. The drawback to this type of lens is that in certain conditions of reduced lighting, the vision might not always be as sharp in certain areas.

MULTIFOCAL CONTACT LENSES

Multifocal contact lenses work very much like the progressive lenses for eyeglasses. These lenses possess several zones of differing power in order to assist the eye gradually as it changes its focus on different objects at different distances. Therefore these lenses are designed to function well for seeing near, intermediate and distant objects. Their drawbacks are typically the same as for bifocal contact lenses, with occasional loss of visual acuity.

Bifocal lenses are available in two basic design types, 'Translating' and 'Simultaneous', the essential characteristics of which are as follows:

TRANSLATING BIFOCAL LENSES

Another name for the translating lens type is an 'alternating lens'. Gas Permeable bifocal lenses are regularly of this type. Their usage is very much like that of traditional bifocal eyeglasses. The wearer will look through one zone for distance vision then 'translate' to look through the other zone for near vision. Both zones aren't looked through at the same time.

SIMULTANEOUS BIFOCAL LENSES

The majority of soft bifocal contact lenses on the market are of the 'simultaneous' type. As the name implies, with simultaneous lenses the wearer actually looks through the various powers of the lenses at the same time. What happens is that the brain steps in and 'suppresses' the power or powers, which aren't needed at that particular time in order to see clearly. There exist further subdivisions of this lens type, but we won't go into the details in this brief overview.

As with all contact lens selection and wear, choosing the right type of bifocal lens depends equally as much upon the wearer's unique lifestyle as his unique vision characteristics. For example a patient who regularly undertakes sporting activities will have different needs from one who only needs to wear them socially or for use at work.

However, the success of adopting bifocal contact lenses relies very much on the expectations of the wearer who should realize that, almost by definition, bifocal lenses are very much a compromise and that he or she is never going to regain the acuity of vision in all environments that they had when younger. In most cases this is perfectly acceptable and bifocal lenses have now earned their place in the optometrist's ever-expanding repertoire.

BY DR. BIANCA TAVARES

This article about eye health and bifocal contact lenses is copyright by Dr Bianca Tavares. It can be reprinted freely online as long as the entire article and this resource box are included.

Dr Tavares' writing about eye health and bifocal contact lenses can be found regularly at Contact Lens Advisor

Proper Care of Contact Lenses Will Protect Your Vision

2008-02-29T22:22:00.001-08:00

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 WITH WATER IS NOT A GOOD IDEA...

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 CONTACTS 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 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

contact lenses 101

2008-02-29T22:21:00.000-08:00

Contact lenses are a great alternative to glasses. Many people who live an active lifestyle have enjoyed the ease and convenience of contacts now for many years. Today, there is an extensive choice to best fit your need.

Contacts now have so many options; it may seem a bit overwhelming to find the right pair for you. In truth, there are a few things you should know when shopping for contacts. But when done right, you will find much better prices and varieties than your optometrist could provide.

After a visit to your eye doctor, you can ask for a prescription of your eyes. This little sheet of paper will tell you everything you want to know about the shape, size, and power of your eyes. First, you will need to decipher the abbreviations on your prescription

PWR: this is the strength in diopters your new lenses must have in order to sharpen your sight to an acceptable level.

BC: Known as back curvature, this number indicates the shape of your cornea and helps with overall fit and comfort.

DIA: The distance in milliliters across your contact lenses

CYL: For those of you with astigmatism, this measures how advanced it is.

AXIS: Also for astigmatism patients, this helps the contacts correct the oval shape of your cornea.

ADD: For bifocal users, this will show the additional strength in the section of your contacts used for reading or close viewing.

COLOR: If you have chosen contacts that will enhance or change your eye color, your desired color will be shown here.

BRAND: If your doctor has prescribed a certain brand for you, in most cases, retailers are required to sell you only that brand.

Now that you know what your prescription means, you can now shop for the best contacts for you, there are some things to note though. After talking to your doctor, you should be aware if you need soft or gas permeable contacts.

Soft contacts are quite common and take less time for your eyes to adjust to. Because they contain anywhere from 25% to 79% water, they are more comfortable but less durable. Some also allow you to sleep in them. Soft contacts are generally replaced more often than gas permeable lenses. The life expectancy of soft contacts vary from once a day to once every few months. This factor depends on upkeep and how sensitive your eyes are.

Gas permeable lenses are made from a rigid silicone which is considerably more durable and longer lasting. In the long run, gas permeables are slightly more expensive up front but less expensive over time since one pair will last a couple of years compared to soft contacts lasting an average of around a month.

A new craze today is color changing or enhancing contacts. Some people add this feature to their already existing prescription and some even buy them simply for decoration. Color can come in a variety of intensities.

Tinted contacts have a visible tint meant to enhance the natural color of your eyes. this type looks best on light colored eyes.

Color tints have an opaque solid color pattern around the center of the lens which can dramatically change eye color. The color pattern is based off of natural color occurrences in the iris. The center is clear so you can see. These lenses come in colors such as blue, hazel, green, and even violet.

Costume tints have been used in movies for special eye effects and are now available to the general public. Options include white-out, spiral, cheetah, and alien. These are obviously not for everyone.

With this information, shopping for the best contacts can be a fun and rewarding experience. You are almost guaranteed a better price and more ease than conventional ordering from your optometrist. The best way to find the best prices is to browse around and compare prices. Be careful of scammers and stay with reliable companies.

Briana is an original writer for www.youseekit.com. You can see the original article by going to http://www.youseekit.com/contact-lenses.htm

30-Day Wear Contact Lenses - Are They Safe

2008-02-28T21:10:00.000-08:00

Contact lenses that you can put in and wear continuously for many days are the dream of many contact lens wearers. No fuss about cleaning, storing , inserting or removing them -sounds convenient, doesn't it? But is it safe? Find out if extended wear contacts are right for you.

How do extended wear contact lenses work?

Most contact lenses are daily wear - you wear them during the day and take them out for the night. Lenses have to be taken out because they partially block the flow of oxygen to your cornea. In other words, your eyes need a rest without contacts.

However, many contact lens wearers wish that they didn't have to remove their lenses every evening. Knowing this, contact lens manufacturers have worked really hard to develop a contact lens material that doesn't block oxygen and would allow you to wear your lenses for several days - or even weeks - without risk to your health.

Modern technology allows the production of contact lenses that let through approximately six times more oxygen than ordinary soft contact lenses. Lenses intended for extended wear are made of extra-permeable silicone hydrogel materials and ?breathe? so well that oxygen deprivation is no longer a problem, even if you wear your lenses for several days.

Are extended wear contact lenses safe?

Lenses that are FDA approved for extended wear, like Focus Night and Day or Acuvue 2, are safe if you follow your doctor's instructions. They feel quite comfortable for many days, unless you have very sensitive eyes.

The only problem with extended wear contact lenses is that since you don't clean them every day, tiny particles of dust can accumulate on them.

To prevent this keep to the following rules:

- Avoid dusty rooms
- Stay away from cigarette smoke
- Try to keep the water away from your eyes when showering and wear tight goggles while swimming
- Never wear your contact lenses longer than your doctor recommends. Remember weekly disposable extended wear lenses should be thrown away once a week and 30 day wear lenses can only last a month, not a day longer.

Also to minimize the risk of eye infection it is very important to pay attention to how your eyes feel and not to ignore any unpleasant symptoms. If your eyes feel irritated or simply uncomfortable, take the lens out immediately and give your eye 6-8 hours rest. Rinse the lens well before putting it back in. And if discomfort continues, don't ignore it, see your doctor. Maybe extended wear lenses are not for you after all.

Which extended wear contacts are available on the market?

Two brands of extended wear contact lenses are FDA approved for 30 day continuous wear - Focus Night and Day by Ciba Vision and PureVision by Bausch & Lomb. Other lenses can be worn for a week without removal. The most popular of these is Acuvue by Johnson and Johnson

Are extended wear contact lenses more expensive than the regular contacts?

Surprisingly, the price difference isn't that big. Extended wear contact lenses are slightly more expensive that the usual weekly or monthly disposable contacts, and they are cheaper than daily disposables. Also, since you will wear your contacts for a week or a month and then discard them, you save on cleaning and storing solution. So cost is not an issue when it comes to extended wear contacts.

If the idea of wearing contact lenses continuously for several days appeals to you, ask your doctor if extended wear contacts will work for you.

Tanya Turner publishes http://www.1-contact-lenses-consumer-guide.com/ where you can find tips on safe contact lens shopping, lens price comparison and reviews healthy contact lenses. The Guide also helps you select best color contact lenses providing you with photos and reviews of color contacts

Non Prescription Color Contact Lenses - It?s Time To Change Your Eye Color

2008-02-26T22:26:00.001-08:00

Many people who need contact lenses recently switched to color contacts with corrective powers. But you don't have to be shortsighted or longsighted to enjoy a new eye color. Find out how you can get non-prescription color lenses and what you need to know to make the right choice.

What non-prescription color contacts are available?

If you are looking for non-prescription (also called plano) color lenses, the choices are great - all well-known brands offer color contacts with no prescription as well as corrective lenses. Freshlook, Acuvue 2 Colors and Durasoft Colors are the leaders in the color lens market. When making your order, you just need to specify ?0? where it says power. Also you can find hundreds of no-brand non-prescription color contact lenses online.

However, it is recommended to go for a well-known brand produced by established contact lens manufacturer. The reason is that while most color contacts look great in your eyes, not all of them feel comfortable. Brand-name lenses are made from quality materials and are designed to be comfortable as well as gorgeous. On the other hand unknown color contacts can not only be uncomfortable, but plain dangerous. As you can imagine, some paints are quite toxic, so it is important to use a paint that is safe for your eyes.

Do you want to change or to enhance your natural color?

All non-prescription color contacts fall into two major groups - opaque and enhancement contact lenses. If you have light eyes, enhancement color lenses will add brightness to your natural color, making your eyes appear more interesting and stunning. To change your natural color, use opaque color lenses even if you have light eyes. For people with dark eyes, opaque color lenses are the only option.

To determine whether the lens is enhancement or opaque, look at its name. The name of the lens usually suggests whether it is opaque or enhancement contacts. Also opaque lenses might say ?for dark eyes? while enhancers are often labeled ?for light eyes?.

The most popular color contacts, Acuvue 2 Colors Enhancers and Acuvue 2 Colors Opaques, leave you in no doubt as to which is which. From Freshlook collections, Freshlook Colors and Freshlook Colorblends are opaque lenses, while Freshlook Dimensions and Freshlook Radiance are enhancers.

Be careful not to buy lightly tinted lenses. It is difficult to see a clear contact lens in the solution, so for your convenience most corrective lenses have a light blue tint. This tint doesn't affect your eye color at all, its only purpose is to make the lens easier to find in its case.

For non prescription color lenses you need a doctor's prescription

If you never had vision problems, you might be surprised to find out that to buy plano color lenses a person needs a doctor's prescription. The reason is that contact lenses (including colored lenses) have more characteristics than just corrective power. It isn't a ?one size fits all? proposition - you also have to know the base curve of your eye and the recommended diameter of the lens. Only a qualified eye care practitioner can measure your eyes.

Often, people ignore the need for a prescription and order color lenses they like from the Internet. This is really not a good idea. Of course, if you intend to wear your lenses for one special occasion, probably nothing horrible will happen. But continuous wear of contact lenses that are not properly fitted can damage your eyes, even if you never had vision problems before.

However, you should check what is sold online before visiting your eye doctor for a prescription. Find several brands that offer the right colors and suit your budget. This way, you can ask your doctor to recommend lenses from your list, rather than fully rely on his or her judgment.

Buy Contact Lenses Online?

2008-02-26T22:19:00.000-08:00

Trying to find the simplest way to order your contact lenses may have been a difficult feat in the past, but not anymore. With the world wide web so easily accessible to many, the availability of ordering the perfect contact lens online is great. The following paragraphs will give some valuable tips for locating contact lens online retailers and purchasing them from your computer.

There are many contact lens online retailers, that offer their contact lenses for purchase via the internet. These contact lens online retailers have their own web pages, where there are descriptions of the different contact lens types available for purchase and the different contact lens styles. Most contact lens online retailers will also offer contact lens cases, cleaning solution, and other contact lens supplies for purchase.

Generating a list of contact lens online retailers is a simple procedure that can be done by utilizing any search engine. By entering "contact lens online retailer" into the search engine of choice, and hitting the search button, a list of links will appear for contact lens online retailers. Clicking the different links in this list will lead to individual web pages for contact lens online retailers. From there, browsing the contact lens online retailer web page should be simple.

Most contact lens online retailers have web pages that are easy to maneuver. Most of the vital information will be found on the home page, and the other information will be just as easy to view. A majority of contact lens online retailers will provide simple instructions to follow for purchasing contact lenses online, and credit card information is almost always a requirement for payment, although some contact lens online retailers will be willing to send a bill with the shipment.

Ordering contact lenses has never been simpler. The World Wide Web has made it possible to purchase contact lenses through the computer. By searching the internet for contact lens online retailers, it is possible to order new contact lenses without even leaving home. With, and sometimes without a credit card, contact lens online retailers are eager to provide their services to make purchasing contact lenses a more convenient task.

If you are ready to get started, click the first link to a contact lens site you find and see what they offer!

Mansi gupta recommends that you visit http://www.Discount-Lenses.com for more information on contact lenses.

Contact Lenses In Silicone Hydrogel ? The Vision Of The Future?

2008-02-25T23:11:00.000-08:00

Contact lenses manufactured from silicone hydrogel represent the most important advance in soft contact lens technology in recent years. Wearers would obviouly prefer lenses they can sleep in with total safety, so it was only a matter of time before the industry developed a safe product for continuous wear. After years of ongoing development and testing, such lenses are now readilly available for everone to wear at an affordable price. This article looks at what?s so special about silicone hydrogel lenses and why they might be just the right choice for you.

YEARS IN DEVELOPMENT

The concept of lenses made from silicone hydrogel was first proposed over 20 years ago. The potential benefits were clear but the technological challenge was as difficult as needing to combine oil and water to produce an optically clear product. Researcher organizations have to date invested considerable academic and financial resources to achieve the high performance soft lenses of today. They have done this quite simply because they see this material as the way forward and the ultimate standard of the future.

At the time of writing, silicone hydrogel lenses are available in the USA from four manufacturers: "Night & Day" and "O2OPTIX" from CIBA Vision, "Pure Vision" from Bausch & Lomb, and "Acuvue OASYS" and "Advance" from J&J Vision Care.

OXYGEN TRANSPORT

So what?s so special about silicone hydrogel as a lens material? Essentially, the great benefit of this material is it?s ability to transport oxygen to the eye and thus maintain proper eye health. Modern contact lens technology is all to do with oxygen permability, which is measured using the "Dk" index. And for optimal oxygen transmission, this must be as high as possible.

The Dk of traditional, non-silicone based hydrogel lenses is directly related to the amount of water that the material can hold, since oxygen dissolves into the water-component of the material and thus diffuses through the lens. The Dk in fact increases logarithmically with increasing water content. Water itself has a Dk of only 80, thus placing a ceiling on the Dk of convential materials, and the original soft contact lens material, polyHEMA, possesses a Dk of only around 10 (with a water content of about 38%).

However, in silicone hydrogels, the relationship between Dk and water content is the opposite. Here higher water content implies lower Dk. With these lenses Dk increases significantly as the silicone content - not water content - of the lens increases. The Dk values of silicone hydrogel contact lenses are much higher than those of older soft lens materials.

SLEEPING IN CONTACT LENSES

According to market data from CIBA Vision, 84% of soft contact lens wearers occasionally sleep with their lenses in, and one-third admit to doing this regularly. 25% of wearers of one to two-week disposable lenses with low oxygen transmissibility occasionally or routinely sleep in their lenses overnight. And 72% of soft contact lens wearers said they would prefer to be allowed to wear their lenses overnight provided it was safe.

Thus the demand for lenses with the capablities of silicone hydrogels is evidently very high with almost three-quarters of soft lens wearers wanting to be able to sleep in their lenses.

LENS HANDLING

Silicone hydrogel lenses are significantly more rigid than their conventional counterparts, due to the presence of silicone. This increased rigidity does possess some advantages, making the lenses markedly easier to handle and thus the ideal choice for wearers with a less delicate touch. There is a downside to this however in that the rigidity makes the lenses less prone to adopting the shape of the eye so readily, resulting in the possibility for some of reduced comfort.

REDUCED DEPOSITIONS

Historically, the deposition of proteins and lipids has been a problem with contact lenses. The amount of depositions is essentially linked to the duration of wear, the lens material and the tear composition of each individual wearer. With traditional lenses, a frequent replacement schedule greatly reduces the buildup of harmful deposits.

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses have been proven to offer major benefits in the reduction of protein and lysozyme deposition. Indeed, combined with the correct replacement schedule and appropriate care system, problems associated with protein deposition have become almost a thing of the past.

DRY EYES

A problem frequently encountered by wearers of traditional soft contact lenses is one of a feeling of discomfort and "grittiness" in the eyes towards the end of the day. It has been reported that after one week wearing silicone hydrogel lenses, the quantity of regular soft lens wearers in a particular study group who previously suffered significantly from end-of-day dryness, was reduced dramatically to only 13% of the sample.

LIFESTYLE BENEFITS

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses also provide some benefits that conventional lenses don't. Continuous wear contact lenses can be particularly beneficial for use by members of certain professions, such as medical workers, police, the armed forces and firefighters who frequently work unpredictable and long hours.

Furthermore, an increasing numbers of contact lens wearers can now enjoy active outdoor lifestyles, enjoying pursuits such as camping and hiking where it is often difficult to handle and disinfect the lenses with the appropriate level of hygiene.

THE FUTURE FOR CONTACT LENSES

There is much evidence to suggest that, owing to their significant benefits over conventional soft lenses, silicone hydrogel lenses will ultimately, and sooner rather than later, displace other types of contact lens as the prefferred choice for both daily and overnight wear for the majority of contact lens wearers. Silicone hydrogel lenses provide a much improved physical performance, excellent handling properties and greater comfort. They might be considered as the ideal lens for general purpose use that exists today and are likely to become the new everyday standard.

Dr. Tavares is a medical consultant with wide-ranging experience and interests in both traditional and complementary medicine and health care. Her writing about eye health and contact lenses can be found at http://www.contact-lens-advisor.info

Will Contact Lenses Fit Your Lifestyle?

2008-02-14T01:36:00.000-08:00

If you need to wear corrective vision lenses due to an eyesight problem, you may be considering the option of wearing contact lenses. These small, lightweight plastic lenses float on the fluid surrounding the eye to improve vision without being seen by others. This option allows lens wearers to eliminate the need for wearing eyeglass frames on their faces, which some people believe adds to their physical appearance. There is also the convenience factor of managing small lenses instead of bulkier framed lenses, which can be dropped, lost, or broken.

Contact lenses work well for those who don't mind taking a few seconds morning and night to insert and remove the floating lenses. You will need to rinse each lens with cleaning solution every time you put them in or take them out of your eye. You also need to rinse out the contact lens case and let it dry before adding new fluid whenever you return the lenses to their case. Daily care, then, is a little more time-consuming than merely putting on or taking off eyeglasses. But many people don't mind a little extra effort to be able to avoid wearing facial frames, which can be difficult to fit, steam up, and change someone's look.

Another aspect of contact lenses is the need for more in-depth cleaning every few days or so. This requires the use of special enzymes purchased for this care. The case and lenses will need to soak for a short period of time in order to remove all eye fluid buildup. Then the lenses and case are rinsed and ready to use.

Nowadays, though, many contact lens wearers are opting for the disposable lenses that you wear a few days and then throw away. This helps to reduce the number of hours overall any lens will spend in your eye, thus cutting back on the amount of bacteria that can grow over a period of time and lead to eye irritations, inflammation, or infection. Some people used to buy extended wear contact lenses, which they would leave in for long periods of time. When these began causing problems, manufacturers came up with the disposable lens.

Contact lenses work great for professional people on the go or active people who are involved with sports, children, or other activities where eyeglasses could slip off their nose or be yanked off accidentally by kids or competitors. Unlike eyeglasses, contact lenses won't steam up, although one could pop out if your eye becomes dry or you play around with it. Finding a lost contact lens is challenging, to say the least. Fortunately, this doesn't happen very often.

If you have never worn contacts before, talk to your eye doctor about the pros and cons of using this vision correction approach, or browse online websites for discussion groups on this topic. Millions of people wear them and love them, so you may be one of those who will benefit from the convenience and comfort of contact lens usage.

For more information on contact lenses, Visit The Contact Lens Directory