Six Benefits of Contact Lenses

  • Benefits of wearing contact lenses include excellent peripheral vision an area where glasses fail.

  • Benefits of contact lenses include all weather durability

  • Contact lenses allow you the freedom to play sports without glasses getting in the way.

  • Unobstructed vision, no frames to get in your way

  • Allow others to see your eyes better

  • Colored contacts can change your eye color to match your style

How contact lenses work

flexible vision correction

contact lenses calgary

Contact lenses are an optical device that you place over the cornea. Some benefits of contact lenses include correcting a wide range of eye conditions such as nearsightedness, Presbyopia, Astigmatism and Hyperopia. The contact lens optics work with the optics of the eye to give you clear vision. Our Calgary optometrists have the experience to recommend the lens material, design, and replacement schedule that will work best for your eyes and lifestyle.

Benefits of Contact Lenses for Different Eyes:

Our extensive stock at Market Mall Eye Clinic includes the latest benefits of contact lens technology from top contact lens manufacturers.

  • Contacts made with water friendly material for dry eyes
  • Extended wear contact lenses for convenience.
  • Toric contact lenses to combat Astigmatism.
  • Bifocals and Multi-focal contact lenses to combat Presbyopia.
  • Color contacts allow you to customize your eye color.

What’s a Contact Lens Fitting?

A series of special tests not typically done during an eye exam. They allow your Calgary eye doctor to find our if your eyes are suitable for contact lenses and determine which lens best fits your eye.

  • Tear Film Analysis: Analyzes your eyes’ tear production. Contact lenses may not be suitable for you if you have severe dry eye.  There are contact lenses made especially to combat dry eyes made of water-friendly materials that may be prescribed by your Calgary optometrist.

  • Keratometry – A measurement of your eyes’ curvature allowing perfect lens fitment. Not too loose and not too tight.

  • Evaluation of the surface of your eyes –  Slit lamp evaluation of your Cornea health. This provides your Calgary optometrist with an ultra magnified view of the cornea and other tissues allowing analysis of  the health of the front of your eyes and diagnose any changes caused by contact lens wear.

  • Evaluation of contact lens movement  –  Using the slit lamp your Calgary optometrist measures the fit and movement of the contact lens as it rests on your eyes’ surface.

How To Read Your Contact Lens Prescription

  • PWR – Refractive power of the lens. Minus sign for nearsightedness and plus sign for farsightedness. The further from zero the more correction needed.

  • DIA – The diameter of the contact lens in millimeters.

  • BC – Base curve measures the back curvature of your contact lens. The lower the number the steeper the curvature of your cornea.

  • CYL –  Cylinder power usually included in toric lenses. It indicates the amount of astigmatism correction.

  • AXIS – A measurement in degrees expressing the orientation of the cylinder power in Toric lenses.

  • ADD – Measures the added amplification in bifocal contact lenses.

Contact Lens Care

Five Things To Remember When Wearing Contact Lenses

  • Always remember to remove your contact lenses and disinfect them at recommended intervals.

  • Only use disinfecting solutions recommended by your Calgary optometrist.

  • Unless you’re wearing extended wear lenses. Remember to remove your contact lenses before sleeping or napping.

  • They may still feel great but always remember to only wear contact lenses for prescribed periods of time.

  • Remember to only use eye drops prescribed by your Calgary optometrist.

How to Put on Your Contact Lenses.

  • Clean and disinfect your hands with a cream free soap.

  • Inspect the lens for any irregularities or particles.

  • Ensure the lens is facing up then pull the bottom eyelid down using your middle finger on the contact lens hand. Then hold the upper lid with your other hand to prevent yourself from blinking.

  • Position your contact lens by looking upwards and place the lens on the bottom of the white part of the eye and voila!

With over 45 million adults in the U.S. alone wearing contact lenses, it’s entirely understandable that you’re interested in them, too. But as a glass wearer who’s looking into switching to contact lenses, there is probably a long list of questions you have for your optometrist.  

Today we’re here to answer them, and tell you more about contact lenses Calgary products in general!

Improve Your Eye Health – And Vision – With Silicone Hydrogel Monthly Contact Lenses In Calgary

Extended wear contact lenses first entered the market in the eighties, and over the last couple of decades, as technology improved, became one of the most popular forms of vision correction solutions.

Here’s why:

  • Your eyes need to breathe, too. That’s why monthly contact lenses Calgary products made from silicone hydrogel have quickly gained popularity among optometrists, and their patients, alike.

By allowing up to five times more oxygen to pass through, the risk of hypoxia is significantly reduced, making this type of contacts one of the safest options to date.

  • Sleeping with your contacts is by no means something an optometrist would recommend, but if it happens, there’s no need to be alarmed. Nowadays, a lot of monthly contact lenses are FDA-approved for sleeping.
  • Although cost may vary from brand to brand, the consensus is that monthlies have a lower initial price.

Don’t forget to count in the cost of lens care products and storage cases, though.

  • These contacts are meant to withstand daily wear and tear for up to four weeks, which means they’re thicker and made from durable materials.
  • If you want the eco-friendly option, you should go with monthly contact lenses.

Instead of tossing them out on a daily basis, which adds up an enormous number of 730 lenses worth of waste per year, getting a new pair every month means you’ll need only 24 contact lenses per year.    

Reduce The Risk Of Complications With Daily Contact Lenses

The idea of daily contact lenses in calgary can seem profligate at first glance, especially if you’re looking at it over your prescription glasses, which are as far away from being disposable as they can be.

They do come with certain advantages, though:

  • Since there’s less time for build-up, the risk of developing complications related to wearing contact lenses is drastically reduced.
  • On that note, they’re exceptionally comfortable, as well, especially when you’re already battling dry eye syndrome, allergies, or irritations caused by contact lens solutions.
  • Because of their single-use nature, they take user convenience to the next level. There’s no need for buying contact lens solutions or regular maintenance.
  • If you tend to go back and forth between your contact lenses Calgary products and your trusted pair of glasses, the non-binding nature of daily contacts could be the perfect solution for you.

Please keep in mind that, depending on your particular prescription, your options might be limited here. Unless you have a highly complex correction, you’ll probably be able to switch to daily contact lenses Calgary models, but only your optometrist can tell that for sure.

Which Ones Will Work Better In Your Particular Case?

If your prescription does, in fact, allow you to wear both monthly and daily disposable contact lenses, you have a tough decision ahead of you. Your Calgary optometrist should be included in the process, as well.

There are a few questions you can ask yourself to make it easier, though:

  • Can your budget handle the higher upfront cost of buying daily disposable contact lenses?
  • Do you often find yourself in situations where properly cleaning your lenses is not an option?
  • How often do you plan on wearing your contacts?
    • Do you like to switch between your glasses and contact lenses multiple times a day?
  • Are your eyes sensitive to some of the materials that daily contact lenses are comprised of?
    • Do you have a habit of falling asleep before you remove your contact lenses?
  • Are you disciplined enough to take proper care of your contact lenses, and alternatively, do you enjoy having this sort of a daily routine?

Answer these questions – or any others your eye doctor might have, for that matter – honestly, and you’ll be one step closer to making the right choice!

Wearing And Caring For Extended-Wear Contact Lenses  

While contact lenses are generally considered to be safe, the risk of infection is still there, especially when following factors are at play:

  • Poor hygiene
  • Not replacing your lens case often enough
  • Wearing extended wear contacts  
  • Sleeping with your contact lenses
  • Not following directions

Of course, the best way to avoid infections is to stick to specific contact lens care guidelines. Think of it this way: by taking care of your contacts, you’re taking care of your eye health.

  1. You should always wash your hands before handling your contact lenses. Make sure you use a mild soap, though – those that contain perfumes and oily components could contaminate your contacts, and even lead to irritation and blurry vision.

Also, use a lint-free towel to dry your hands before handling your lenses.

  1. Your eye care professional has probably provided you with a detailed guideline, as well as a list of products (disinfecting solutions, enzymatic cleaners, eye drops, and the like) you should use for cleaning. Stick to those instructions, and don’t mix them or alternate between cleaning solutions as you see fit – you might end up doing more harm than good.
  1. Putting your lenses under a stream of tap water might sound like a quick fix when you’re too tired to deal with proper cleaning, but there are several reasons why that’s never a good idea. First off, you never know what kind of impurities might be lurking in your water supply. They might damage your contacts or lead to an infection.

Also, you don’t want to risk dropping your lens into the drain, do you?

  1. Adding the “rub and rinse” method to your lens cleaning regimen is a step in the right direction – after all, some experts do consider it an unmatched way of cleaning. However, it’s vital that you talk to your Calgary eye doctor first, and see if they give you the green light.
  1. Don’t forget about cleaning your contact lens case, too. What’s the point of washing your lenses, if you’re going to put them back into a dirty case once you’re done? Furthermore, make sure you replace the case regularly, following a three-month interval.

If you need some simple, yet essential tips for wearing contact lenses, check out the video below:

When In Doubt, Ask Your Calgary Eye Doctors

Making the transition from glasses to contact lenses may seem daunting at first, which is why our Calgary optometrists are there seven days a week to offer help. Book an eye exam and ask away – our team of experienced professionals will clear up any doubts you might have about the contact lenses Calgary products.

Thank you for putting your trust, vision, and eye health into our hands!