Plan to replace the glasses for contact lenses? Fortunately, the choice of contact lenses today is broader than ever before, and they are relatively inexpensive. However, before you buy must understand their strengths and weaknesses - still wearing them a bit more complicated than glasses.

Types of contact lenses

• Soft contact lenses

This is the most popular form of contact lenses worldwide. Such lenses are used in a variety of vision problems, including at the farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism - a disorder in which the vision loses sharpness, as well as presbyopia, or presbyopia.

Soft contact lenses match the shape of your eyes, hold on, and are therefore an excellent choice for those who are involved in sports or an active lifestyle. By Wearing identify several types of soft contact lenses:

Lenses for daily wear - usually the most inexpensive kind of contact lenses. They are worn during the day and every night removed and disinfected. How long can I use one pair of lenses depends on the manufacturer.

Lenses for extended wear is not necessarily removed before bedtime, but they must be removed and cleaned at least once a week. Despite the fact that these lenses can be worn for several days without taking off, this mode of wearing increases the risk of ocular infections. Therefore sleeping with lenses is recommended only when you have no way to disinfect them - for example, if you spend the night at a party. Some lenses can be worn without removing up to thirty days in a row, but with so-wear is also associated an increased risk of infections. Such lenses are suitable for those who have allergy to the disinfectant solution, or those who do not want every night to engage in cleansing the lens.

• Hard contact lenses

These lenses provide crisp, clear vision in the majority of vision problems. They may come to those who have tried to use soft lenses, and was dissatisfied with the result.

Materials of construction for hard contact lenses, is usually better breathability than soft lenses, which substantially reduces the risk of ocular infections. Most of the hard contact lenses, which are available at present, must be removed and disinfected every night. It may take about a week before the patient gets used to wear such lenses - soft lenses are often shifted from the center of the eye, which is why there is discomfort, and vision becomes blurred.

If the vision is not impaired, and the patient is well cared for hard lenses, one pair of lenses can last for two or three years.

Other types of contact lenses

• Hybrid contact lenses. The central part of the lens is made of a material that transmits air (and hard lenses), and the edges - the soft material. Hybrid lenses are recommended for patients with keratoconus, and those with rigid lenses silny cause discomfort.
• Bifocal or multifocal contact lenses. Such lenses may be rigid or soft; they are used to correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism combined with presbyopia.
• Colored contact lenses can be used in cosmetic and therapeutic purposes, e.g., to improve the perception of color blindness or color to compensate. Be very careful when using decorative contact lenses - they can cause damage to the eyes and lead to potentially dangerous eye infections.

How to choose a suitable contact lenses

If you decide to buy contact lenses consult an ophthalmologist. He will have a thorough examination before you decide which lenses are right for you. To take such a decision on their own or choose a lens on the advice of friends, of course, impossible.

Generally, an ophthalmologist advised to undergo further examination a week after the start of contact lens wear, then - after a month and six months. In what follows only one inspection per year.

How to avoid eye infections

Wearing contact lenses of any type increases the risk of eye infections, as the lens is significantly limit the supply of oxygen to the cornea. However, infections are not inevitable. To prevent infection:

• Observe the rules of hygiene. Wash with soap and water, rinse thoroughly and dry wipe your hands before touching your contact lenses.
• Remove contact lenses every night. This also applies to the lenses for extended wear. If you spend the night at home, and you have a couple minutes to remove the lenses and disinfect them, do it.
• Limit your contact lenses with water. Remove the lens before taking a bath, a shower, and before visiting the pool or sauna.
• Do not wet contact lenses with saliva - even when there is a strong feeling of dry eyes. In the mouth it inhabits many microbes that are happy to live on the cornea. If the eyes are dry and itchy, and redness, remove the lens and use of eye drops.
• Use for cleaning contact lenses, special funds - and only them. For these purposes, the water is not suitable or self-made brine. Every time you pour disinfectant solution that has been in the tank with the lens, and in any case, do not use it for the second time.
• Gently wipe the lens every time wash them. This is necessary for high-quality purification.
• Follow the shelf life of the solution. After the expiration date of throwing it away, even if the bottle is not yet empty.
• Regularly replace contact lenses and cases for them. Enclosures to be replaced every 3-6 months, the lenses - depending on which type they belong.

If while wearing contact lenses, vision deteriorates, there is pain in the eyes, increased sensitivity of eyes to light, or any other problem, remove the lens as soon as possible and consult an ophthalmologist.