How to choose lenses?

To date, contact lenses have become,perhaps, the most popular means for vision correction, and now the buyer is offered a huge choice of lenses for every taste. In the article we will tell you how to choose lenses from the options offered in the specialized centers, as well as on the selection criteria and recommendations so that you are not mistaken when buying lenses.

Contact lenses: how to choose

First of all, let's say that before an independentthe choice of contact lenses should always consult with an ophthalmologist. It is the ophthalmologist who will tell you about the degree of visual impairment and what kind of lenses you will use, taking into account the structure and shape of your eyes, and the tolerability of certain materials from which modern contact lenses are made. When choosing lenses, the patient's eyes are examined with the help of so-called slit lamps - this is how their landing is determined, which primarily affects the tolerability of one or another type of lens.

Types of contact lenses

The basic division adopted in this field,is the separation of contact lenses into two large groups: soft and hard. Soft lenses are used to correct myopia and astigmatism. Hard contact lenses are used less often, since they are primarily designed to correct the irregular shape of the cornea, since soft lenses are useless in this case - they practically do not stick and very poorly adhere to the cornea. In addition, hard lenses are used for some other eye diseases - for example, with keratoconus. This disease, in which there is degeneration or deformation of the cornea of the eye. Recently there were contact lenses and one more, the third group, which was called orthokeratological. True, these lenses can be attributed to a subtype of hard lenses - they are put on before going to bed and taken off in the morning. During sleep, they act on the cornea in such a way that during the next day the person no longer needs to wear lenses or glasses. If we talk about the fabrication of lenses, the bulk of the lens is made of silicone hydrogels. They are breathable and do not require much moisture. In addition, when choosing lenses, consider the degree of their hydrophilicity - that is, how much water they can absorb.

How to choose lenses for the eyes

Here we have come to another division of lenses into types - this time by time sign. Contact lenses, depending on the time of wearing, are divided into:

one-day - are convenient because they do not require care, and are also safe for the eyes;
two-week and monthly - the most popular species. Do not wash off with water, you can use them during sleep. These lenses are stored in special solutions, which can be selected in order to provide nutrition to the eyes and to remove allergic reactions;
traditional (wearing for half a year) - notthe best option, but the cheapest. Of the minuses, we note their dryness and thickness, which does not contribute to providing the cornea with oxygen in sufficient quantities. In addition, these lenses are not too comfortable to wear.

Useful tips when choosing lenses

Before buying contact lenses, ask the ophthalmologist to teach you how to use them, so as not to damage the mucous membrane of the eye.
Get used to lenses gradually. On the first day, wear them for an hour or two, then you can wear them for 3-4 hours for two days, and then for 6 or more hours.
If getting used to it is difficult, use special moisturizing drops that will greatly facilitate the process of getting used to the lenses.
Do not forget to visit an ophthalmologist after a month of using the lenses for a follow-up visit, and then visit the doctor at least once a year.
Do not wear contact lenses if the expiration date has expired - to avoid inflammation of the cornea of the eye.
Use other means to correct vision,if you have such diseases as a subluxation of the lens, allergies, glaucoma, strabismus. Also, you can not wear contact lenses in diseases of the lacrimal apparatus and inflammatory diseases of the eyes.

And a few words about how to choose a colored lens. Here everything is simple: follow the rules for selecting contact lenses and choose the shade that you prefer. Be healthy!