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“Quality Eye Care for Four Generations!”
461 West Street, Keene NH 03431
Phone: (603) 357-2990 Fax: 357-4481
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How long does it take to get used to new contact lenses if you have never worn them before?
Depending on your eye sensitivity and whether you have soft or rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses, your eyes could adjust to wearing contact lenses from a day to two weeks. Some people find that their eyes never adjust, but that's quite rare.
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Which Way Is the Right Way?
A question many new wearers have is, "How will I know if my contact lens is inside out?" The trick is to place the lens on your finger so it's forming a cup, then hold it up directly in front of your eyes so you're looking at the side of the cup. If it's forming a "U" with the top edges flared out, it's inside out; if it's forming just a "U," it's correct.
Some contact lenses also have a laser marking, such as the brand name, on the edge to help you (if you can read it properly, the lens is not inside out). Don't worry if you place a contact lens in your eye inside out: it will probably feel uncomfortable, but it can't do any damage.
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Contact Lenses should not hurt! If you are experiencing lasting pain and discomfort take your lens out and check it for any tears and that it is right side in! If the problem persists take it out and visit your eye doctor.
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The difference can be subtle, but before placing a contact lens on your eye, make sure it looks more like half a ball than a soup bowl.
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How do I care for my lenses?
There are certain steps you need to take in order to ensure that your eyes stay healthy and your contacts last as long as possible. Check out these articles from the ALL ABOUT VISION WEBSITE.
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Can a contact get lost behind my eye?
No. This is a myth that causes thousands of people a year to go to emergency rooms all over the country. At worst, you might have trouble finding it under the lid; if need be, you can have your eye doctor help you get it out.
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Am I too old to wear contact lenses?
With the newest advances in multifocal contact lenses, most people, regardless of age can be comfortably fit with lenses.
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What kinds of contacts are available?
Contact lenses come in different material types, replacement schedules and wear schedules. Plus, many special kinds are available.
Material Types: soft, RGP and hard (very rarely prescribed).
Replacement Schedules:
Conventional soft contacts last about a year; conventional RGPs last several years. Frequent or planned replacement contact lenses last one to several months. Disposable contacts last from one day to two weeks.
Wear Schedules: daily wear (the ones you take out at night) and extended wear (the ones you can sleep in).
Special Contact Lenses: bifocals, colored contacts, special-effect contact lenses, toric lenses for astigmatism, UV-blocking contacts and ortho-k contacts (correct your vision even when you're not wearing them).
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Why should I choose Disposable lenses?
Many doctors highly recommend both disposable and frequent replacement contact lenses: they are an excellent choice health-wise, because there is less opportunity for protein and bacteria to build up on them. Also, if you wear daily disposable contact lenses, which are discarded at the end of the day, you might not need to buy cleaning solutions for them.
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What’s the difference between daily and extended wear contact lenses?
Extended wear contacts are made of materials that allow more oxygen to reach your eye, which means it's safer to sleep in them than in daily wear contact lenses. You can wear extended wear lenses without removal for up to seven days, or 30 days for Night & Day and Purevision lenses.
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Can I wear contacts if I have an Astigmatism?
There are now many soft contact lens designs available dealing with astigmatism
Toric contact lenses are made from the same materials as regular ("spherical") contact lenses, so they can be either soft or RGP. The difference is in the design of the lens.
Toric lenses have two powers in them, created with curvatures at different angles (one for astigmatism, the other for either myopia or hyperopia). There's also a mechanism to keep the contact lens relatively stable on the eye when you blink or look around. To provide crisp vision, toric contact lenses cannot rotate on your eye. Properly fitting a toric lens takes more of your eyecare practitioner's time and requires more expertise due to the higher number of variables. Consequently you can expect that a fitting for toric lenses will be more expensive than a regular contact lens fitting and could require more than one follow-up appointment. The lenses themselves also cost more than spherical lenses.
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Can I wear contacts if I have bifocal eyeglasses?
Bifocal contacts are available in both soft and rigid gas permeable materials. Today's bifocal contact lenses are even available in a disposable or frequent replacement wear regimen, and were recently released in the new hydrogel silicon material.
Bifocal/Multifocal contacts work much like bifocal eyeglasses:
They have two powers on one lens: one to correct distance vision, if that's needed, and the other to correct near vision. Some contact lens designs feature two "obvious" prescriptions, with the distance vision on the top of the lens and the near vision at the bottom, similar to a bifocal eyeglass with a line separating the powers. Other designs work more like progressive eyeglass lenses, where the different prescriptive powers are blended on different parts of the lens. Your eye learns to differentiate the proper power for the correct distance. Properly fitting a bifocal (multifocal) lens takes more of your eyecare practitioner's time and requires more expertise than regular contacts. Consequently you can expect that a fitting for bifocal (multifocal) lenses will be more expensive than a regular contact lens fitting and could require more than one follow-up visit. The lenses themselves also cost more than spherical lenses. Bifocal contact lenses may not be for everyone. Because the eye needs time to adjust to sorting out the different powers, it takes some time to adjust to the lenses. The amount of time it takes will vary from person to person. Likewise, some people will have visual needs that are not satisfied by the current variety of bifocal contacts.
Monovision: Contacts for Presbyopia That Aren't Bifocals
With monovision, you wear one contact lens with one power to correct distance vision and the other contact lens with one power to correct near vision. The distance vision lens is usually worn in your dominant eye. Most people accommodate well to it, and eventually don't even notice that each eye is responsible for a different part of their vision. Because each lens has only one power, we can prescribe any of the currently available spherical lenses for monovision, including all of the current disposable lens options. The downside is that each eye works more or less alone with monovision rather than binocularly, meaning you may have to adjust your head position more often to see. You also may lose some depth perception
To determine if bifocals or monovision make sense for your eyecare needs and to identify the best lens design for you, schedule an appointment with one of our optometrists. We have a free-trial lens/pair that you can try to see if either will work for you.
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Why do I need to come back after I have already been fitted with my contacts?
In order to ensure that you are not having any problems, such as an improper fit or too much bacteria or protein building up on the lenses, we require that all patients return for a follow-up visit between 1 week to 1 month after their initial fit. The appointment lasts for roughly 15 minutes and is covered in the cost of the initial fitting fees.
Additionally, according to Federal Law, all contact lens wearers must return annually, as opposed to biannually with a glasses prescription. This is required because contacts, unlike glasses sit right on the eye and can lead to complications. We are required to check for prescription changes and any eye diseases, which are best treated in their early stages before any vision loss can occur.
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Where is the best place to buy contact lenses?
You can order contact lenses from your eye doctor, over the phone or off the Internet. When buying contacts over the phone or internet, it is important to make sure you have a valid prescription, because major retailers are required to verify your prescription with your eye care professional.
If you buy a years supply online or at our West St. location, you can save 10%. And remember when you buy your lenses online at Dr. Dexter’s Vision Center Web Site, you can save up to an additional 15%. Click here to buy contact lenses online!
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