Contact Lenses

What are contact lenses?

There are times when spectacles are not the best option: when you’re playing sport, when you’re going out for the night, or when you simply want to change your look and don’t want a pair of glasses to distract from your face. In some cases, glasses won’t give you the best vision.

Contact lenses are small lenses worn directly on the eye. They come in a variety of types of material depending on the purpose of the lenses; some are soft and vary their shape to mould onto the eye, others are rigid and can compensate for an irregular eye shape, or are even worn overnight to reshape the eye and make the vision clearer.

What benefits do contact lenses have?

Contact lenses are not visible when you wear them, and many people choose them simply for the appearance of not wearing glasses. They also provide a larger field of view than what is possible with spectacles, making them an ideal choice for sports and other situations when you need to be aware of your surroundings as much as possible. They do not have a frame that can get in the way or be knocked off, and so are a great choice if your work or leisure requires you to be in rough situations.

Additionally, there are contact lenses which can help slow down the progression of short-sightedness, and others options which are suitable if you need different prescriptions for reading and for distance (multifocal lenses).

What happens in a contact lens exam?

During an assessment for contact lenses, our optometrist will take measurements of the shape of your eye and other factors that affect contact lens fit, such as moisture levels and lid pressure. Well have a chat with you about what you want to be able to do with your contact lenses, and make sure that the best option for your lifestyle and your eyes is selected.

In some cases, trial lenses will be put in to see how they perform and to assess the fit. Other times, particularly for custom made contact lenses, the lenses will be ordered based on the measurements taken. With some designs, trial lenses to wear home will be provided to ensure that the lenses perform as expected at the times that you want to use them.

As part of the process, you’ll also be taught how to insert and remove your new contact lenses, and how to care for them. This is particularly important, as the majority of problems encountered with contact lenses are due to improper use and care. If you don’t get it first visit, don’t worry well get you back again to do some more practice with you, and you won’t pay extra for these visits; We want you to be comfortable when taking your contact lenses home, as it can be daunting for first time wearers, and so we don’t want you to feel any extra pressure.