Contact Lens Centre

Contact Lenses are simple to wear and care for, and are almost undetectable. They are thin discs of plastic, curved on the inside to fit properly onto the surface of the eye, and shaped on the outside to correct and improve defective vision, for bandaging the eye after surgery, and cosmetic benefits e.g. to cover white scarring of the eye or to change the colour of the eye for fashion. With advancing technology Contact Lenses can correct all forms of visual defects including Astigmatism safely and comfortably. There are basically two types of contact lenses : Rigid and Soft. Both types come in varying materials with different levels of oxygen permeabilities. The higher the oxygen permeability the better it is for the eye. Contact Lens care is the most important part of contact lens wear. Good eye care also includes proper care of the lenses. All types of contact lenses should always be kept clean, disinfected and hydrated. Lens hygiene is the key to a comfortable wear. All contact lenses accumulate a variety of deposits, from the eye itself whilst wearing them, and from the environment. The tears of the eye contain proteins, lipids (oily secretions) , mucous and calcium. The environment also contributes towards building up of these deposits especially on soft lenses. The chemical pollution from cars, factories etc., dust, metal in the air get embedded onto the surface, causing harmful contamination on the lens surface, over a period of time. In order to prevent these deposits, all contact lenses should be cleaned, soaked and disinfected daily. These deposits on the contact lens surface can contaminate the lens surface causing recurrent infections, red eyes and papillae (pimples) in the inner lining of the upper eyelids. These contaminants get firmly bound on the lens surface as the lens gets older ( from three months of acquiring new contact lenses, or earlier depending on the wearers tears and environmental conditions.) and cause severe eye problems and reduced vision, inconveniencing both the wearers and the practitioners. Hence a new system of prescribing and manufacturing contact lenses has been introduced now in India - Frequent Replacement - which enables the replacement of lenses on Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Three Monthly basis. The advantages of this system of prescribing is that, frequent infections due to protein deposits and environmental pollution are almost eliminated, the eye gets more Oxygen, Vision and Comfort are greatly increased, and best of all, simple cleaning systems like multipurpose solutions can be used safely. Aftercare of contact lenses is the most important part of contact lens wear. All types of soft contact lenses get contaminated within 24 hours (when not in the eye), due to the water contained in the material. To prevent this from happening they should be disinfected daily. Hypoallergenic solutions formulated for sensitive eyes are the best and safest for the eyes. Daily cleaning by rubbing in the palm of the hand with a surfactant cleaner is important , as well as the weekly protein cleaning, to prevent infections due to lens contamination. Contaminated contact lenses are very dangerous and a serious threat to the eye. Careless handling can be sight threatening. A good contact lens specialist will spend time to properly educate the patient regarding the cleaning and disinfection of their lenses and have at their disposal proper instruments for fitting and supply of contact lenses. It is this combination of good advice and service that makes it possible to adapt to contact lenses successfully and safely. Always take advice from a properly qualified contact lens specialist to tell you which lenses are suitable for your eyes after examining them thoroughly.

TYPES OF CONTACT LENSES With major advances in materials, millions of people have discovered that contact lenses are a safe, comfortable, convenient and affordable alternative to spectacles. Contact lenses are thin, domed discs made of complex plastic materials, and are positioned in front of the transparent outer layer of the eye called the cornea, to focus images onto the retina at the back of the eye. There are basically two types of lenses :

1. Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) RGP lenses are semi-rigid lenses made usually from acrylate and fluorosilicon, a plastic which allow oxygen through to the eye. They are clinically the best as they allow maximum oxygen to reach the cornea being smaller in size. They are easy to care for, durable and give good clarity of vision. They can be prescribed for all types of vision correction, including high astigmatism, bifocals, post surgery (RK, PRK,& Lasic), therapeutic, and cosmetic for all age groups. In certain cases these lenses are also prescribed for myopia control.

2. Soft lenses Soft lenses are made from water-absorbing plastics, which make them pliable and membrane-like for maximum comfort. They are ideal for sports as they cannot be easily dislodged from the eye. New silicon based soft lenses allow maximum oxygen to the cornea, enabling overnight continuous wear safely for a month. With modern manufacturing techniques, soft lenses can be made to correct all types of refractive errors and many types of lifestyles. Soft lenses are available in toric (to correct astigmatism), bifocal, weekly disposable, monthly disposable, daily disposable, extended wear and cosmetic to cover corneal scars, as well as to change the colour of one's eyes for fashion.

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