Contact Lenses: Steps for First Timers

If you have elected to make the purchase and then wear contact lenses, you may be interested in some basic information about what to expect when it comes to contact lenses.  We do provide you some tips, pointers and basic information relating to contact lenses to assist a person who is getting contact lenses for the very first time.

30,000,000 People Use Contact Lenses Today

There are over 30 million contact wearers in the United States today.  Most new wearers are absolutely pleased with the comfort and ease with wearing contacts.  Sometimes it takes the new wearer a short period of time to get comfortable with putting something into their eyes and the feel of a lens in the eye.  But normally after a short adjustment period they wonder how they ever lived without them.

Scheduling an Appointment with Your Eye Care Professional

If you want to wear contact lenses, you must first schedule a visit with an eye doctor or other licensed eye care specialist. Because contact lenses are medical devices, they need to be properly fitted by an eye care professional. This is true even if you don't wear glasses and just want to wear contacts to change your eye color. Once the eye doctor checks your eyes to make sure it's okay for you to wear contacts, then he or she can write you a prescription for contact lenses.

The Basic Benefits of Contact Lenses

The benefits of wearing contact lenses are many.  For those who lead an active lifestyle, contacts can give them the feel of having naturally perfect vision, which includes excellent peripheral vision for doing anything from sports to performing highly detailed work or even for driving.  Most people prefer the way they look without glasses and truly enjoy the convenience of not having to wear or keep track of their glasses, all the time.  Even changing the color of the eye is important for come people and with contacts they have that choice.  Sometimes peoples jobs or hobbies are not possible while wearing glasses, so this gives people choices that were once limited to those with vision problems.

Finding the Kind of Contact Lenses that are Right for You

There are several types of contact lenses. The most common are soft and hard, rigid gas permeable. Gas-permeable lenses allow more oxygen to reach the surface or cornea of the eye.

Adjusting to Your Contact Lenses

Sometimes it takes a while for the eyes to adjust to wearing contacts and it depends on the person and the type of lens. Hard contact lenses may take several weeks to two months before they can be worn comfortably for any length of time. Soft contact lenses usually take only a few days or a week.  New contact wearers may experience some irritation, redness and sensitivity to light and blurred vision. People with dry eyes generally have a greater difficulty adjusting. 

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