If you’ve switched from glasses to contact lenses, you might be curious about how these small, ingenious devices work to correct your vision.
Contact lenses work by sitting on the surface of your eye (the cornea) and bending light to focus directly onto your retina, thereby correcting refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
The Basics of Contact Lenses
Correcting Your Vision With Contact Lenses
Your eyes work somewhat like a camera—by bending light to focus images onto the retina at the back of your eye. For people with refractive errors, this light doesn’t focus properly, resulting in blurry vision.
Contact lenses can correct such errors by compensating for irregularities in the shape of your cornea or the shape of your eye itself. Contacts adjust how light enters your eyes, helping it focus directly on the retina. Whether your lenses are designed for distance, close-up vision, or even multifocal use, they can help restore sharp, clear vision by refocusing light accurately.
How Contacts Stay in Place
Contacts are designed to rest on the tear film that covers your cornea. The curvature of contact lenses and the lightweight material of their construction allow them to fit—and remain!—comfortably on the surface of the eye.
When you blink, a gentle vacuum effect created by the natural moisture in your eye keeps the lens in place while allowing it to move slightly for added comfort. This movement also helps the lens stay centred over your cornea, aligning with your line of sight to maintain consistent vision correction.
Types of Contact Lenses
Contact lenses come in various forms, depending on the wearers’ needs and preferences. Here are a few of the common types:
Soft Lenses
Soft lenses are made from flexible plastics, allowing oxygen to pass through the cornea. They’re comfortable and easier to adjust to, making them popular for most wearers.
- Daily disposables: Single-use lenses that are discarded after each wear.
- Bi-weekly or monthly lenses: Reusable lenses that require cleaning and disinfecting after each use.
Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses
RGP lenses are more durable lenses. They can offer sharper vision for some wearers, especially those with high astigmatism or specific vision needs. However, they require regular and consistent wear to adapt to.
Speciality Lenses
Specialty lenses, such as scleral or hybrid lenses, may be recommended for individuals with particular eye conditions like keratoconus or severe dry eye.
What Are the Benefits of Contact Lenses?
Are you curious why people opt for contact lenses over wearing traditional glasses? Here are a few key benefits to consider:
- Peripheral vision: Unlike glasses, contact lenses provide a more natural field of vision without obstructing frames.
- Convenience for active lifestyles: Contact lenses can be a great option for sports, exercise, and other activities where glasses might get in the way or risk breaking.
- Aesthetic preferences: Some people prefer a non-glasses look, which makes contact lenses more appealing.
With their versatility and practicality, contact lenses offer a modern solution for those seeking clear vision and a more adaptive approach to daily activities.
Tips for Proper Contact Lens Care
While contact lenses are a great option for vision correction, improper use or care of these lenses can lead to complications. Here are a few tips to follow to help keep your eyes healthy:
- Practice proper hygiene: Always wash and dry your hands before handling contact lenses.
- Replace lenses as instructed: Stick to the recommended schedule for replacing your lenses to help avoid infection.
- Clean and store carefully: Use the correct solution to clean reusable lenses and store them in a clean case.
- Avoid sleeping in lenses: Unless specifically designed for overnight wear, regular contact lenses should not be worn while sleeping.
- Schedule regular check-ups: Visit your optometrist for routine eye exams to help keep your eyes healthy.
Types of Refractive Errors
Contact lenses can help to address a wide range of vision problems, including the following:
- Nearsightedness (myopia): Blurry distance vision caused by light focusing in front of the retina.
- Farsightedness (hyperopia): Difficulty focusing on nearby objects due to light focusing behind the retina.
- Astigmatism: Uneven vision resulting from an irregularly shaped cornea or lens, corrected with toric lenses.
- Presbyopia: Age-related difficulty focusing on close objects, addressed with multifocal or bifocal lenses.
These types of refractive errors require different prescriptions, making it important to have a comprehensive eye exam to determine which lenses will fit you best.
Get Your Contacts Today
Contact lenses can be a convenient, comfortable way to correct your vision. If you’re considering making the switch or need help with your current ones, Maple Ridge Eye Care is here to help! Visit our website to book a consultation with our experienced optometrists.
