Contact Lenses
Contact lenses have come a long way in the last few years so that even for people who may have tried contact lenses some years ago when they were difficult to insert, required a complicated hygiene regime and could cause irritation, it is well worth looking at them again.
There are many different combinations of hard and soft materials, plus frequency of replacement - daily, fortnightly, monthly, extended wear, yearly, Gas Permeable.
They are available in single vision, single vision toric lenses which correct astigmatism, Bifocal and Multifocal lenses for presbyopes.
In addition to these types there are fashion lenses - either straight colours or "crazy" giving the patient an exciting set of options.
So if you decide to use contact lenses for every day or just for occasional wear we can help you.
If you are already wearing spectacles, and have an up to date prescription, there is no need for an eye examination. However if you are just considering cosmetic lenses anyone without a current prescription will need an eye examination.
We will discuss with you why you want to wear contact lenses. Your general health and any medication you are taking will be checked at this time as they can affect your ability to wear contact lenses.
You will have an ocular examination where special equipment such as a "slit lamp" and "keratometer" are used to check the condition and measurements of your eye.
Then together the practitioner and the patient go through all the different lens options before selecting what is the best fit for a particular case.
A trial lens will either be taken from stock or ordered specially. We will place the lens onto the surface of your eye. This is not painful as modern lens materials are very soft and flexible - the lenses will be left to settle for about 15-20 minutes. After this time the fit will again be checked along with your levels of vision whilst wearing the lenses.
Your vision and the fit of the lens will then be checked in case any alterations need to be made and you will be asked if you want to proceed.
Lenses will be ordered for you. And will normally be with us in a few days. When you collect your lenses we will want you to attend the practice where we will recheck that the lenses fit correctly, ensure you know how to handle the lenses and use any solutions recommended for the care of both the lenses and your eyes.
This is a very important part of the process as any problems you may have could well be caused by mishandling and lack of care.
Your first aftercare appointment will be about one month later when a thorough examination of the eyes will take place and the fitting checked again. Any problems will be discussed and your next batch of lenses ordered.
Regular aftercare appointments are needed throughout the time you wear lenses.
There are many manufacturers of contact lenses and as Independant Opticians we are able to choose lenses based on requirements rather than any other reason