What is Contact Lens?

It is a device made up of medical grade plastic materials used mainly for correction of refractive error.

Contact lenses offer a more active spectacle-free life, greater cosmetic acceptability, better & clearer images, lack of misting, good field of view, etc.

In case of school going children, high cylindrical power, severe allergic disorders, neurotic patients, people with poor manual dexterity, etc. spectacles may be recommended over contact lenses.

Contact lens can be used in cases of keratoconus, to provide support to thin or perforated corneas, to provide regularity to irregular corneas, to hide corneal opacities, etc.

Two main types of contact lenses are available for refractive correction: Rigid Gas Permeable (Semi-soft) and Soft. Specially designed contact lenses such as Rose-K lenses are used in patients with ectatic corneal disorders such as keratoconus.

Selection of contact lens depends on the individual case. Assessment of your eye condition and your personal requirements and  will allow us to choose the contact lens which suits you the best. .

Wearing duration of a contact lens is decided by its oxygen transmissibility. Higher the oxygen transmissibility the longer the lens can be worn. Generally lenses can be safely worn during all waking hour of the day. One should not sleep with contact lenses on.

Rigid lenses as the name suggests are rigid. They are smaller than the diameter of the cornea. In the initial period they feel quite uncomfortable but they are easy to maintain and are relatively safer in terms of complications like allergies and infections. Soft lenses are a lot more comfortable but require greater care and are slightly more likely to cause allergies and infections. Soft lenses are also more costly.

Not with the (conventional) daily wear contact lens, but you may sleep with the extended wear lenses.

Over-wear Syndrome i.e. redness, pain, watering, swelling of lids, spectacle blur, etc may occur due to deprivation of oxygen to the cornea.

Daily wear lenses are worn for only 10-12 hours a day and are removed at night. While extended wear lenses can be worn continuously for a week or so.

These contact lenses are worn on a daily wear basis and then regularly replaced by a fresh pair every day (Daily disposable) or fortnightly (Bi-weekly disposable). Replacement with a fresh pair reduces the risk of allergies and infections. There is no rationale in disposing the lenses after a month because monthly replacement does not reduce the risk of allergies or infections.

After some period of use, soft contact lenses develop protein deposition on them from the eye secretions. These deposits can give rise to allergies in the eye. These can be removed by subjecting the contact lenses to Enzyme Treatment with enzyme tablets every fortnight.

In the past there used to be 2-3 different solutions required to clean, rinse and store the contact lenses. The multipurpose solutions combine all these in one making lens care easy.

Contact lenses of different shades and pattern are available, which impart the eyes of the wearer a look of a different color.

Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis is a commonly seen complication of contact lens use. It is caused by two mechanisms: protein deposits on the lens and irritation caused by movement of edge of the lens. It is seen more commonly with soft than with rigid contact lenses. One may have to discontinue contact lenses for a short while and use anti-allergic eye drops. In severe and recurrent cases one may be required to change the type of contact lens or completely abandon their use.

Contact lens has to be customized for every patient based on corneal curvature, corneal diameter and refractive error. Such a lens is fit on to the patient's eye and the fit assessed after giving it about 20 minutes to settle in the eye. A perfect fit is important to ensure good eye health and clear vision.