The best way to determine whether contact lenses are suitable for you, is to have an eye examination with our Crystal Vision Optometrist. He will check your prescription and assess your general eye health before discussing your eye care needs and outlining your options.

Technology is constantly improving, which means contact lenses are now suitable for most people. Whether you have dry eyes, a unique prescription, or complex visual needs, contact lenses could be an ideal solution.

Yes! Contact lenses have come a long way in recent years and can now correct short-sightedness (myopia), long-sightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism and presbyopia (difficulty with near focus after the age of 40).

The latest lens materials also offer exceptional comfort, many patients report that they can’t feel the lenses in their eyes! If you’ve felt uncomfortable wearing contact lenses in the past, please have a chat with our Crystal Vision Optometrist who will recommend the best lenses for your needs.

Our eyes are constantly changing, which means both spectacle and contact lens prescriptions need to change. A contact lens prescription not only includes details about the optical power but also the brand and dimensions of the contact lenses, including curvature and diameter, which affects the comfort and fit of the lenses.

It is recommended that contact lens wearers have 12-month reviews to ensure all aspects of the prescription are correct.

Daily disposable lenses are the safest and most hygienic contact lens modality since they are worn for only one day upon which they are replaced with a new clean pair of lenses

The risk of eye infections with daily disposable lenses has been shown to be significantly lower that monthly or 2-weekly lenses. One of the other advantages of daily disposables is that they do not need to be cleaned, which saves time and cost since contact lens cleaning solutions are not required. Daily disposable lenses generally offer improved comfort compared to 2-weekly and monthly lenses since a clean sterile lens is placed in the eyes each day and are an excellent option for patients with allergies.

There are many factors which determine the suitability of sleeping in lenses. Firstly, the lens must provide high oxygen transmissibility. When the eyes are closed during sleep, air and thus oxygen is unable to reach the cornea, which is reduced even further when a contact lens is worn. Oxygen deprivation can increase the risk of eye infections which if serious has the potential to cause vision loss. Silicone hydrogel lens materials have the highest oxygen transmissibility of any contact lens and are the only lenses to have FDA approval for overnight or extended wear.

Children, people with a history of eye infections and those with compromised immune systems are not recommended to wear contact lenses overnight.

• Schedule annual check-ups with our Crystal Vision Optometrist.
• If eye redness or eye pain occurs when wearing your contact lenses, remove the lenses immediately. If the redness and pain persist on removal, see our Crystal Vision Optometrist immediately.
• Only wear your contact lenses for the prescribed time, as indicated by our Crystal Vision Optometrist. For example, monthly lenses must be changed every month. We recommend marking the day on your calendar or changing your lenses on the same day of every month.
• Do not sleep in your lenses unless they have been prescribed for that purpose.
• Ensure that you are cleaning your contact lenses properly and with the correct solution. Most people are unaware that not all contact lens solutions can be used with all contact lenses. Ask our Crystal Vision Optometrist about the best cleaning solution for your lenses.
• Ensure that every time you open a fresh bottle of solution, you also replace your contact lens case. Old cases are breeding grounds for bacteria!
• Do not wear your contact lenses when you are sick or in hospital.
• For daily disposable contact lens wearers, do not sleep or nap in your contact lenses.
• Wash your hands before handling your contact lenses.
• Do not wear contact lenses in environments where contamination is likely i.e. swimming in rivers.

Handling Contact Lenses

• Usually there are no markings on the lenses to indicate right from left. To ensure that they do not get mixed up it is important to get into the routine of always handling the right lens first.
• Your lenses can easily turn inside out. Some lens types are marked to help you identify the correct orientation. Our Crystal Vision Optometrist will assist you in finding these markings which are often transparent letters and numbers inscribed on the edge of the lens. If your lens is the ‘right way up’ then the markings will appear the ‘right way round’ when viewing the lens from below. If the lens is inside out, these markings will appear reversed or ‘back to front’ when viewing the lens from below.
• If your lenses are not marked, you should check by using the following test:
  • Place the lens on the tip of your finger and view its shape from the side, as shown below. If the lens is the correct shape, the edges of the lens will appear to be curved like the edge of a bowl. If the lens is inside out, then the edges will flare out like the edge of a plate.

• • Another method is to flex the lens between your thumb and forefinger (see below). If the edges curl in to meet the lens is the correct side out. If the edges flare away from each other over the fingertips, then it is inside out and must be reversed.

• Contact lenses are packaged in sterile blister packs. Once a pack is opened and handled there is a risk of contamination. In order to avoid contaminating the lenses always wash your hands since bacteria on your skin is one of the greatest sources of lens contamination.
• Keep your hands free from soap or hand cream when handling your lenses. Avoid contaminating your lenses with other substances (e.g.: cosmetics, hair spray). It’s recommended to place the lenses in your eyes before applying make-up
• Fingernails should be kept shorter on your thumb and forefinger as long nails can potentially split your lenses or lacerate your eye when trying to insert or remove the lenses.

Inserting Lenses

• Wash your hands with soap, rinse thoroughly with water, and dry your hands with a lint free towel.
• Place the lens on the tip of your index finger.
• Make sure it’s curved like a bowl. If the ends are curling like a bell, it’s inside out
• Slowly move lens towards your eye
• Use the  middle finger of your opposite hand to pull your upper eyelid up,  and the middle finger of your other hand to pull your lower eyelid down.
• Blink a few times to help it settle into place
• The more you do it, the more natural it gets. Repeat for your other eye.

• Wash your hands with soap, rinse thoroughly with water, and dry your hands with a lint free towel.
• Pull upper eyelid up and lower eyelid down with your middle
• Use your index finger to slide the lens down to the white of your eye.
• Pinch the lens between your fingers and remove it from your eye and repeat for your other eye.

Dryness of the eye can be a significant problem for many contact lens wearers. Dry eye becomes more common with age and is more commonplace with women and those who suffer from chronic eye infections such as blepharitis or meibomian gland dysfunction.

A wearer’s environment also plays an important role, long periods of computers use, air conditioning, dry and dusty environments can all increase ones susceptibility to dry eye.

The contact lens material can also make make a significant difference in reducing dry eye symptoms. The newest generation of water gradient contact lenses are an excellent option for people who suffer with dry eye. Water gradient daily disposable lenses have a thin envelope of water surrounding the core of the lens which prevents the lens from dehydrating and reduces friction between the contact lens and the eyelid when blinking.

Optometrists are able to diagnose and treat dry eye and will recommend the best materials and solutions to maximise your contact lens wearing experience.

Contact lens solutions are critical to comfort for monthly and 2-weekly wearers but are not required for daily disposable wearers. A contact lens solution has two major functions; to clean and disinfect the contact lens. The newest generation of cleaning solutions also have wetting agents which improve the wettability of the contact lens surface, further improving comfort.

An individual’s sensitivity to preservatives also needs to be considered. Certain lens care systems may cause toxic responses on the eye which negatively affect contact lens comfort. Preservative free solutions may be recommended to patients who demonstrate these toxicity responses.

Yes. Over wearing contact lenses greatly increase the risk of eye infections. Most eye infections are mild and treatable, although severe infections may cause permanent damage to the eye and may lead to vision loss.

The people most susceptible to eye infections are those who sleep in their lenses, particularly when they’re sick, those who wear lenses beyond the recommended schedule or fail to properly clean their lenses. Over-wearing lenses increases the number of microorganisms on the contact lens surface and also increases their contact time with the eye, potentially causing infection.

To decrease the bacterial load on a lens, it is imperative that you wash your hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial hand wash, clean the lenses every day and avoid wearing the lenses in certain environments such as swimming in rivers and spas.

If your eyes become red or sore while wearing contact lenses, remove the lens immediately. If the irritation subsides after the lens has been removed, inspect the lens for rips and tears and make sure it hasn’t been inserted inside out. If necessary, insert a new lens.
If the irritation returns after re-insertion or does not subside after removing the lens, contact our Crystal Vision Optometrist immediately. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of eye infections will lead to faster recovery, greatly lessening the likelihood of permanent visual impairment.

Once diagnosed, eye infections usually require intense treatment involving topical antibiotic drops. Drops will usually be required for several weeks, over which time, contact lenses cannot be worn.

Early detection and appropriate treatment are vital. A contact lens related infection, left untreated for several days, can potentially result in significant corneal scarring and visual impairment.