Contact lenses offer a great many advantages to patients who would rather not wear glasses. They can be the perfect solution for playing many sports and other activities. For people who work outdoors in colder climates, contacts don’t “fog up” like glasses can. And for those with high optical prescriptions, contacts can provide better overall vision and significant cosmetic advantages.
However, there is one very large disadvantage that creates discomfort for some contact lens wearers: Contact lenses cut off much of the oxygen necessary to maintain eye health and comfort. The cornea or clear structure forming the front of the eye is a living tissue. To stay clear and healthy, it needs a good supply of oxygen. With no blood vessels of its own to supply it, most of the oxygen required by the cornea must come from the air around it. Inserting a contact lens is like placing a plastic “seal” over your cornea that can significantly reduce the amount of oxygen available. This is especially true if you sleep with your contact lenses in place.
Manufacturers of contact lenses have made significant developments in lens materials in recent years. One promising material is a blend of silicone and the hydrogel material from which most soft lenses have traditionally been made. A “blended” silicone-hydrogel material transmits 7-8 times more oxygen to the cornea than a conventional hydrogel material alone.
Overall, silicone-hydrogel lenses are very safe for your eyes. The majority of patients who switch to these lenses show dramatic improvements in wearing time and marked reduction in symptoms of dry-eye and general irritation. Ask our doctors if these remarkable new lenses might work for you.
At Westside Optometry we offer several contact lenses options from daily disposables to rigid gas permeables to scleral lenses.
Re-order contacts online.
To access a printable version of important information for safe soft contact lens use click here.
If you still have questions about contacts you can call us at (707)762-8643 or email info@westsideoptometry.net or try this website designed for contact lens wearers, contact lens safety.
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