A contact lens is a transparent piece of “plastic” that sits on the front surface of the eye. It can provide access to clear vision, in addition to having various therapeutic usages. Like the idea of Cinderella being fitted with the perfect pair of glass slippers, finding the right pair of contact lenses is essential to ensure comfort throughout the duration of wear. How do we address this?
Before purchasing a pair of contact lenses, one should get their eyes checked with an eyecare professional, such as an ophthalmologist, optometrist or an optician with a Contact Lens licence. A thorough eye examination, which includes understanding your lifestyle, purpose of wear, vision and prescription check, and suitability of wear, is crucial to evaluate your suitability of wearing contact lenses. Contact lenses are great for improving your cosmetic appearance, flexibility of being glasses-free and useful for sports activities in which glasses are a hindrance.
Contact lenses are not a one-size-fits-all. The ideal best fit needs to be assessed for optimal fit and comfort. When a contact lens is fitted loosely, the lens might drop out or you may feel immediate discomfort upon insertion. Conversely, a tight contact lens may feel comfortable initially but become uncomfortable and cause eye redness after a few hours.
Contact lenses are available in a variety of lens wearing schedules, also known as modality. It refers to how long the contact lens can be worn after it is removed from its packaging and how soon it should be disposed or replaced. Replacement schedules could be daily, biweekly, monthly, 3 monthly, 6 monthly or yearly. As an example, daily disposable contact lenses should be discarded after a single day of wear and would be great for occasional wearers and perfect for a day out.
Do you know that there are various contact lens materials in the market? Depending on the material, the contact lenses may be soft, rigid or a hybrid of both. Examples of materials are hydrogel, silicone hydrogel, rigid gas permeable and many more. Each material has its own pros and cons, and therefore should be chosen based on your purpose of wear, desired duration of wear, refraction and ocular condition.
If you are considering contact lenses for yourself or your loved one, consult an experienced and licensed eye professional at OasisEye Specialists for a proper assessment as the first step into the world of being glasses-free! Those who wish to be free from glasses may also consider TransPRK. The doctors who can perform TransPRK treatment at our Nexus Bangsar South KL branch are Dr Khaw Hoon Hoon, Dr Tai Lai Yong, Dr Wong Hon Seng and Dr Wilson Wong Jun Jie.
