Glasses and Contacts Specialty Contact Lenses
Bifocal Contacts Bifocal contact lenses are designed to give both distance and near vision within the same lens. People who are "Presbyopic" require some distance and near correction. A key sign that you are developing presbyopia is that you need to hold reading material further from your normal reading distance to see it clearly. This usually develops between early to mid fourties. Bifocal contacts are available in both soft and rigid gas permeable materials. Bifocal contacts are now available in disposable, frequent replacements or conventional daily wear lenses. Bifocal contacts work similarly to bifocal eye glasses. Some lenses have two distinct power zones (distance and near). Others are progressive in nature that allows the gradual transition from distance to near as in the invisible progressive bifocal eye glass design. Although bifocal contacts are very successful, they may not be for everyone. Due to an individual's distance and near vision demands, vision may not be sharp enough for their tasks. In addition, it does take some time to adjust to the bifocal lens. The amount varies from patient to patient. Bifocal contacts should not be considered the ultimate alternative to bifocal or progressive eye glasses. Depending on your visual needs, there may be times where distance or near vision may not be as sharp as your glasses. With the increasing population of "Baby Boomers" now needing bifocals, the bifocal contact provides an excellent means of maintaing distance and near correction without having to wear reading glasses with distance contacts. Astigmatism Contacts These special contact lenses are designed to correct an irregularly shaped cornea, which typically distorts normal vision. They are available in both soft and RGP (rigid) materials. Also called "Toric Contact Lenses". Corrects both nearsightedness and farsightedness. These lenses are specially fitted to match the cornea to provide maximum correction which produces sharp and crisp distance vision. Lenses may be weighted to maintain proper alignment and placement while on the eye. Lenses can be worn as a daily wear or extended wear basis. Available as a disposable replacement lens, frequent replacement lens, or quarterly replacement lens. Extended Wear Lenses Currently in the United States there are two wearing options for contact lenses; Daily wear and extended wear (overnight). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved specific brands and styles of contacts for extended wear. Not every contact lens is designed to be worn as an overnight lens. Extended wear lenses are made from materials that allow more oxygen to get to the cornea. The "Maximum" number of days the FDA has approved for overnight wear is 7 days and no more. Because a lens is approved for extended wear, that does not mean that everyone can wear the lens overnight in the same manner. Daily wear lenses on the other hand are meant to be removed on a daily basis and either cleaned or disinfected before re-insertion the next morning. The conveinience of not having to remove the lenses nightly does come at some risk to the patient. People who sleep with their lenses overnight run an increased risk of developing eye infections, conjuctivitis, to much more serious conditions such as corneal ulcers which can lead to blindness. For those wearing their lenses overnight, you can reduce the risk of developing infections and ulcers by strictly following your doctor's prescribed wear and replacement schedules as well as lens care regimen. Another simple rule to follow to avoid potential eye problems is to listen to your eyes... If you experience red or irritated eyes while wearing extended wear lenses, remove them immediately and call your eye care professional. Frequent Replacement Lenses Disposable and frequent replacement lenses are designed to be worn for a specific period of time, thrown away and replaced with a new pair. The whole concept behind the lenses are to reduce the risk of developing red, irritated eyes which can lead to infections, ulcers and blindness. This is caused by over wearing a single pair of lenses which end up being covered with oily film and deposits. By throwing them away on a regular basis, you can avoid the potential irritated red eye and enjoy the comfort and vision for which the lenses are designed. Overall, frequent replacement lenses are healthier for your eyes in the long run. Lenses are available as a daily, weekly, two week, monthly, and quarterly type lens replacement. True disposable lenses are generally replaced every two weeks or less on a regular basis. Frequent replacement lenses are lenses that are replaced monthly or quarterly. Both types come as a daily or extended wear lens program. Other types of disposable and frequent replacement lenses include astigmatism correction, colored lenses that either enhance your eye color or even change the color of your eye, and bifocal lenses. Colored Lenses Traditionally there are four types of colored lenses; Visibility tints, Opaque color tints, enhancement tints, and light filtering tints. These lenses are available in soft lens materials that correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and bifocals. Most are also available in disposable and frequent replacement.
Visibility Tints Visibility tints are usually light blue or light green, and are intended to help you see the lens during insertion and removal. Also, if you should drop a lens on the counter, it will stand out making it easier to find. Since these tints are very light they do not effect your eye color. Visibility tinted lenses are available in soft lens material, daily wear, and flexible extended wear, and can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and bifocals. Opaque Color Tints These tints are opaque in nature which can change the color of your eye. They are made to exhibit patterns or solid colors. There are currently many colors and patterns available. Opaque color tinted lenses are available in soft lens material, daily wear, and flexible extended wear, and can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and bifocals.
Enhancement Tints These tints are translucent. There are a bit darker than the visibility tint and they will effect the color of your eye. Typically they are used to enhance the existing color of your eye. They will not totally change eye color the way an opaque tint will. These lenses are best suited to light colored eyes and for those who wish to make their eye color more intense. Enhancement tinted lenses are available in soft lens material, daily wear, and flexible extended wear, and can correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and bifocals. Light Filtering Tints These lenses are designed for sport use, since they enhance certain colors (optic yellow, the color of a tennis ball, softball, and golf ball). By enhancing certain colors and muting others objects stand out against a background thus making a target easier to see. These lenses are currently being used for golfers, trap-shooters, skiers and other sports that require more contrast and definition. Myopia Control Lenses Many Children whose parents both wear glasses or contacts due to nearsightedness (myopia) will also develop more myopia as they get older. This means that their myopia will only get worse over time. Recent studies indicate that myopia can be controlled by wearing Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) contact lenses. The contact lens acts as a splint to fortify the front of the eye without affecting the corneal shape. By maintaining the corneal shape, this reduces progressive myopia from developing. Compare this to wearing glasses or soft contacts which do nothing to maintain the shape of the cornea. When to Start Wearing RGPs Your child may start wearing RGPs as soon as they exhibit signs of myopia. Depending on how involved in the care you wish to get, children as young as infants and pre-schoolers can be fitted with these contacts. As they mature, they will be able to tell their parents if they are noticing a problem with their contacts or vision. Wearing RGPs for myopia control offers no more of a risk than wearing either soft or regular RGPs for daily wear. The benefits of slowing myopia progression at an early stage out weighs any risks involved. When worn correctly and taken care of properly, all risks are minimized. When determing whether or not your child could benefit from this program, give us a call, (630)232-7112, and our doctors will be able to determine if your child can be fitted with these special lenses. Ortho-Keratology Lenses Ortho-Keratology (Ortho-K) is a procedure that uses a series of specialized rigid gas permeable lenses (RGPs) to change the curvature of the front of your eye (cornea). Ortho-K has been done since 1985. If you are nearsighted (myopia) and/or have astigmatism and wear glasses or contacts, then you may be a good candidate for Ortho-K. Ortho-K is also used as an alternative to having refractive surgery (LASIK, PRK, INTACS, etc.). By using special RGPs, we can reshape the curvature of your cornea. By flattening the cornea, nearsightedness is reduced. Usually the lenses are worn about seven or eight hours a day for a few months. Many patients wear them overnight while they sleep as a "retainer" lens so they don't have to wear them during the day. After the corneas have acheived the best shape for optimal vision, the lenses are worn less frequently (usually a few hours every two or three days). Are You a Candidate for Ortho-K? If you have low amounts of nearsightedness or astigmatism, then you are a good candidate. The goal is to bring your vision to at least 20/40 (the legal visual minimum for driving). However, many people are acheiving 20/20 vision. By using a technique called "Accelerated Ortho-K", we can change a person's vision by two to three diopters in about a month. The typical time period for regular Ortho-K is about six months. If you are looking for an alternative to refractive surgery and would like to get rid of wearing glasses or contact lenses on a full time basis, call our office, (630)232-7112, and we can deterimine together if you are a good candidate for this procedure.