How do contact lenses work?
Most visual acuity problems, including myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, and presbyopia, interfere with the way your eye focuses light on your retina. The problem could be due to abnormalities in your intraocular lenses or your corneas.
When you wear contact lenses, they adjust the refraction of light in your eye to correct any irregularities.
Unlike glasses, your contact lenses rest directly on your eyes, and the light doesn’t have to travel between the lens and your eye. As a result, the optic zone in your contact lenses is much smaller than what’s necessary for eyeglass lenses. The optic zone is the part of the lens that contains the corrective power.
What’re the different types of contact lenses?
Benjamin Optical offers both soft and hard contact lenses. Soft contact lenses have a larger diameter and are made from soft, flexible plastic. Soft contact lenses are available in:
- Daily Wear — can be worn for up to 12 hours then removed at night
- Extended Wear — can be worn through the night and sometimes for more than one day
- Disposable — can be worn for just one day, then discarded
- Color-changing — these lenses are tinted, changing the color of your eyes
You can wear soft contact lenses to correct astigmatism, and they’re available in multifocal varieties if you need different prescriptions to see near and far away.
Hard contact lenses, also called gas permeable lenses, have a smaller diameter and are made from hard, rigid plastic. Benjamin Optical might recommend hard contact lenses to correct myopia or astigmatism. Hard contact lenses offer sharper vision correction but can take longer to get used to wearing.
Should I choose contact lenses or eyeglasses?
Both contact lenses and eyeglasses have their benefits. For example, contact lenses rest directly on your eye, which provides a wide range of vision. They don’t get in the way of physical activities like sports, and they’ll never clash with your clothing.
Glasses, on the other hand, can provide a fashionable accessory. They also reduce the need for you to touch your eyes, which cuts down on your risk of contracting an eye infection. Glasses can also protect your eyes from the UV rays in sunlight as well as pollen and other irritating airborne debris.
You also don’t have to choose one or the other. You might choose to wear glasses sometimes and contact lenses at other times.
Call Benjamin Optical or schedule an eye exam online today to learn more about your contact lens options.
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