Contact Lenses

Contact lenses, when used properly, are very convenient and, with the latest advancements in technology, are extremely comfortable. Most of the time, you'll hardly know you're wearing them, though you'll certainly notice how clear and accurate your vision is. Contact lenses are small lenses worn on the surface of the eye, called the cornea, to correct vision. Lenses are sometimes worn for cosmetic purposes only. We recommend having a pair of glasses as an option even if you normally wear contact lenses. This allows you to best meet your overall lifestyle needs while protecting the integrity of your overall eye health.

Young woman holding contact lens with two fingers in front of her eye

Dr Sloan will discuss the option that's best for you. Many patients choose contact lenses for their primary vision correction and back-up glasses. Many patients who wear glasses have activities and events where they'd rather not wear their glasses and choose contact lenses for these times.

We offer the latest technology in contact lense options:

Conventional soft lenses
Tinted lenses to enhance eye color
Opaque tints to change eye color or cover corneal scars
Toric lenses for astigmatism
Oxygen permeable rigid lenses
Bifocal contact lenses
Planned Replacement lenses
Disposable lenses
Clear
Tinted
Bifocal
Toric for astigmatism
One-Day Disposables
Satisfaction Guarantee

With a huge inventory or even specialty lenses, you will most likely go home with contact lenses on the day of your examination!

Contact Lens Types

The types of contact lenses available have exploded in the past few years. There are contact lenses available for almost everyone. Many of our patients were told in the past that they couldn't wear contacts, or unsuccessfully tried contact lenses. You owe it to yourself to see what's new. We carry many options, and promise to do our best in selecting contact lenses that you'll love wearing. Choose from the following list for a brief look at some of the options available.

Conventional Soft Lenses
Soft lenses are very comfortable and come in a variety of types, depending on the wearer's needs. Conventional soft lenses are worn during the day and cleaned and stored at night.

Frequent-Replacement Soft Lenses
These lenses are similar to conventional soft lenses except they are replaced more frequently. Oftentimes, they are worn for one-month periods then replaced. Other frequent-replacement soft lens types are worn two to three months before they are replaced. Like conventional soft lenses, they have to be cleaned and stored at night and cleaned once a week with an enzymatic cleaner to remove protein deposits.

Disposable Soft Lenses
Disposable soft lenses are much more popular than conventional soft lenses. These lenses are worn for a period of time then, of course, thrown away. The most well-known disposables last for two weeks. There are also one-week and one-day disposables. These are perfect for many patients who were told they couldn't wear contact lenses because of allergies or mild dry-eye conditions. They have a low cost per lens and are also popular for athletes and hobbyists who don't necessarily want to wear contact lenses every day.

Tinted Soft Lenses
Next, you have tinted soft lenses, available in conventional, disposable, or frequent-replacement types. With tinted soft lenses, you can change your eye color or enhance your eye color. Even if you don't need corrective lenses, you can use "plano" tinted lenses to change your eye color.

Bifocal Soft Lenses
Recent technology has greatly improved bifocal soft lenses. Many patients past their 40s who need bifocals can now enjoy the comfort and benefits of soft contact lenses. Dr. Sloan is an expert in fitting contact lenses for "over your eyes" Bifocal lenses are just one of the possible solutions for this vision situation.

Toric Soft Lenses
Toric lenses are used to correct astigmatism. Astigmatism is a vision condition where an irregularly shaped cornea affects the vision. In the past, if you had astigmatism, your only options were either glasses or hard gas-permeable contact lenses. But toric lenses now offer an alternative. There are several types of toric lenses to choose from.

Extended-Wear Soft Lenses
Extended-wear lenses are the result of new technology in lens materials that transmit more oxygen to the cornea of the eye. Some of these lens materials can be worn up to 30 days, day and night, without removal. Extended-wear lenses can last one week, two weeks, or one month, depending upon the lens material and the doctor's recommendations.

Rigid Gas-Permeable (RGP) Lenses
As the name implies, these lenses are hard and gas-permeable. If you've been told you can't wear soft lenses, RGP lenses are often a great alternative. RGP lenses are available in specialized designs to correct just about any vision disorder.

Solutions
There are a variety of solutions available from many different manufacturers. The important thing to remember is that not every solution is right for every type of contact lens. Some contact lenses require the use of multipurpose solutions, while others require separate solutions for the four steps in contact lens care: disinfecting, cleaning, rinsing, and enzyming. Use only the lens solutions that are recommended by your eye doctor. If you wish to change brands, check with our office first.

Luckily today with the advent of more frequent replacement lenses. All the solution, steps and frustration can be eliminated completely.

 

Call Today for an Appointment!