A - Z Guide

What is Contact Lenses?

Contact Lenses are a corrective, cosmetic, or therapeutic lens usually placed on the cornea of the eye. Contact Lenses are manually inserted and can be a quick and easy alternative to wearing glasses.Contact Lenses usually serve the same corrective purpose as conventional glasses but are lightweight and virtually invisible. Many commercial lenses are tinted a faint blue to make them more visible when immersed in cleaning and storage solutions. Some cosmetic lenses are deliberately colored to alter the appearance of the eye.

Corrective Contact Lenses

A corrective contact lens is a lens designed to improve vision. In many people, there is a mismatch between the refractive power of the eye and the length of the eye, leading to a refraction error. A contact lens neutralizes this mismatch and allows for correct focusing of light onto the retina. Conditions correctable with contact lenses include short sightedness (myopia) and far sightedness (hypermetropia).

Cosmetic Contact Lenses

A cosmetic contact lens is designed to change the appearance of the eye. These lenses may also correct the vision, but some blurring or obstruction of vision may occur as a result of the colour or design.

Therapeutic Contact Lenses

Soft lenses are often used in the treatment and management of non-refractive disorders of the eye. A bandage contact lens protects an injured or diseased cornea from the constant rubbing of blinking eyelids thereby allowing it to heal.

Implanted Lenses

Intraocular lenses, also known as implantable contact lenses, are special small corrective lenses surgically implanted in the eye's posterior chamber behind the iris and in front of the lens to correct higher degrees of myopia and hyperopia.

How long can you wear your Contact Lenses?

Contact lenses come in a variety of forms. Daily usage contact lenses are designed for the user to wear throughout the day and to be removed prior to sleeping. Other Contact Lenses extend this period and allow the individual to wear the lens overnight. Others will allow for continual usage for up to 30 days. All of the above however require regular cleaning and maintenance. The exception to this would be disposable lenses.

How much do Contact Lenses cost?

Daily disposable Contact Lenses can cost anything from £50 upwards for a three month supply. Continuous wear Contact Lenses cost around £50 upwards for a six month supply. Prices may vary depending on your specific optical needs and the brand.

If you are interested in this treatment you may also want to see Laser Eye Surgery, Lasek Eye Surgery and Lasik Eye Surgery.