If you’re like most people, you’ve been in the same kind of contacts for several years. Often we become accustomed to the status quo and may not feel there’s a reason to change. But would you say the same thing about your cell phone? No! When it comes to technology, we always want the latest phone, computer, tablet, etc. Why feel any differently when it comes to your vision and the comfort and health of your eyes? Let’s take a look at what’s going on with contact lens technology and see if you’re ready for an upgrade.
Daily Disposable Contacts
Ten years ago, most patients didn’t even know daily disposable contacts existed. But now they are the fastest growing segment in the contact lens market, making up over a third of contacts prescribed. What makes patients and doctors think these lenses are so great?
Comfort
Everyone who wears contacts know their lenses feel the best on day 1 of a fresh pair. Why not experience that fresh lens feeling every day? Daily disposable contacts generally are thinner so there is less friction between the lens and your eye, resulting in outstanding comfort. And because you put in a fresh lens every day, there is no opportunity for deposits and allergens to build up on the lenses.
Health
Daily disposable contacts have the lowest risk of complications, like eye infections. As mentioned above, there is minimal opportunity for deposits, allergens, or bacteria to grow on the lens. Doctors have also seen that patients often struggle with the care regimen of biweekly and monthly contacts. According to the CDC, 99% of contact wearers reported at least one risky behavior, including over-wearing contacts, not replacing cases, and topping off solution. With dailies, we eliminate the cleaning and replacement schedules. Simple is better, and healthier.
Vision
One of the biggest reasons that daily disposable contacts are becoming more popular is because people who could never wear contacts before now can. The range of prescriptions in these contacts is ever growing; whether you have astigmatism or need bifocals, there are daily disposable contacts for you!
Multifocal Contacts
Contact lens manufacturers have long realized that the baby boomer generation was going to need bifocals. But up until about 5-10 years ago, the technology to create a soft multifocal lens just wasn’t there. Now we have many options available in a wide range of prescriptions and replacement schedules.
How do they work?
The great thing about multifocal contacts versus bifocal glasses is that you can have clear distance and near vision wherever you move your eyes. No more awkward head movements trying to find the right spot in the lens. Most multifocal contacts are created using a simultaneous vision design, which creates multiple prescriptions within the lens by changing the curvature. Then your brain learns to select the clearest vision for the moment.
"But I tried them once and they didn’t work…"
The technology of multifocal contacts has improved drastically over the past few years. In our office, we always talk about what your visual demands are throughout the day to determine if you’d be a good candidate for multifocal contacts. We also talk about managing expectations. With certain prescriptions, you may find that your vision may be crisper with glasses and that you may still need reading glasses for very small print. But in most cases, the increased freedom from glasses outweighs the downside of these contacts.
"If it ain’t broke don’t fix it"
When it comes to your eyes, this is not the approach to take. Wearing that same brand of contacts that was prescribed for you back in 1992 because they “feel fine,” may not be the best long-term plan for the health of your eyes. Older lens materials may slowly be causing damage to your eyes. Improper care of your contacts may also be damaging your eyes and sometimes can make you unable to wear contacts in the future.
Our office believes in always offering the latest technology because we want you to be successful in contacts for many years to come. You only get one pair of eyes--they deserve the best vision, health, and comfort all day long!
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