Contact Lenses

Contact lenses, when used properly, are very convenient and, with the latest advancements in technology, are extremely comfortable. Most of the time, you'll hardly know you're wearing them, though you'll certainly notice how clear and accurate your vision is. The key to this increased comfort is that we fit the most advanced lenses on the market today that allow more oxygen to reach the eyes than previous lens materials. This lack of oxygen to the eye is a key contributor to poor contact lens comfort.

Contact lenses are small lenses worn on the surface of the eye, called the cornea, to correct vision. Lenses are sometimes worn for cosmetic purposes only. We strongly recommend wearing contact lenses in conjunction with eye glasses. This allows you to best meet your overall lifestyle needs while protecting the integrity of your overall eye health.

We'll discuss the option that's best for you. Many patients choose contact lenses for their primary vision correction and back-up glasses. Many patients who wear glasses have activities and events where they'd rather not wear their glasses and choose contact lenses for these times.

Contact Lens Types

The types of contact lenses available have exploded in the past few years. There are contact lenses available for almost everyone. Many or our patients were told in the past that they couldn't wear contacts, or unsuccessfully tried contact lenses. You owe it to yourself to see what's new. We carry many options, and promise to do our best in selecting contact lenses that you'll love wearing. Choose from the following list for a brief look at some of the options available.

Frequent Replacement (Disposable) Soft Contact Lenses

Disposable soft lenses are the most healthy and popular contact lenses on the market today. These lenses are worn for a period of time and then of course thrown away. Contrary to popular belief, we recommend that these lenses be cleaned daily and stored at night. The most well-known disposables last for two weeks, but there are also lenses for wear from one day to 3 months before discarding them. The length of wear time for these lenses depends on several factors including: the overall health of your eyes, the lens type, and the doctor’s recommendation. Disposable lenses are perfect for many patients who were told they could not wear contact lenses because of allergies or mild dry eye conditions. They have a low cost per lens and are also popular for athletes and hobbyists who do not necessarily want to wear contact lenses every day.

Bifocal (Multifocal) Soft Contact Lenses - Ditch the Reading Glasses!

*Ask about a FREE pair of bifocal contact lenses with your exam and fitting.

Are you fed up with your reading glasses? Do your current contact lenses fail to deliver the near vision you need? Are you tired of the vision provided by monovision contact lenses?

If you’re having trouble seeing up close, welcome to the club! It happens to a lot of us in our 40's and 50's, even if you have never needed eyeglasses before. It’s called presbyopia. The thing is,we're an active club.  We’re running and biking, working, and socializing with friends. We’re too active for the hassles of bifocal eyeglasses or reading glasses! Up until recently, your options included reading glasses, bifocal contact lenses or what's known as monovision contact lenses.

The good news is that now, there are many bifocal contact lens options available that let you see at all distances and gives you the freedom to do it all. These new, innovative designs deliver both the distance and near vision you need to perform your daily activities. They seamlessly adjust your vision, from up-close reading to mid-range computer work, to distance vision while driving. And, these contact lenses provide all the comfort you expect.

There are many contact lens options available. Start enjoying the benefits of the newest technology available, and you'll finally be able to ditch those reading glasses! Ask Dr. Keriotis about these exciting lenses and how they'll benefit you. We'll determine the lenses that are best for your circumstances.

Toric (Astigmatism) Soft Contact Lenses

Many people with astigmatism believe that they cannot wear contact lenses or that there are no lenses available to correct their visual needs. If your vision with contacts is “not quite right” toric lenses may help improve your vision.

Toric lenses are used to correct astigmatism. Astigmatism is a vision condition where an irregularly shaped cornea affects the vision. In the past, the only options for those with astigmatism were either glasses or hard gas permeable contact lenses. But toric lenses, which are lenses with a special shape, offer an alternative to give you the clearest vision possible. There are several types of toric lenses to choose from.

Extended Wear Soft Contact Lenses

Extended wear lenses, the result of new technology in lens materials, transmit more oxygen to the cornea of the eye. Some of these lens materials can be worn up to 30 days, day and night, without removal. Extended wear lenses can last one week, two weeks, or one month, depending upon the lens material and your doctor’s recommendations.

Gas Permeable (GP) Lenses

As the name implies, these lenses are made of a gas permeable polymer. If you’ve been told you cannot wear soft lenses, GP lenses are often a great alternative. GP lenses are available in specialized designs to correct just about any vision disorder.

Soft Colored Contact Lenses

Next, you have tinted soft lenses, available in conventional, disposable, or frequent replacement types. With tinted soft lenses, you can change or enhance your eye color. Even if you do not need corrective lenses, you can use “plano” colored contacts to change your eye color.  It is important to be fitted by an eye doctor for colored contact lenses even if you do not need a prescription; wearing the wrong style can damage your eyeball.

Contact Lens Solutions

There are a variety of solutions available from many different manufacturers. The important thing to remember is that not every solution is right for every type of contact lens. Some contact lenses require the use of multipurpose solutions, while others require separate solutions for the four steps in contact lens care: disinfecting, cleaning, rinsing, and in some cases, enzyming. Use only the lens solutions that are recommended by the eye doctor. If you wish to change brands, check with our office first.

We recommend using name brand solutions e.g. Optifree, Renu, Complete & ClearCare to name a few. They offer the best quality and comfort for successful lens wear. Generic brands typically use older formulations of the name brands, and then use the cheapest chemicals to reproduce the formulation. We’re talking about your eyes, people! Don’t cut corners on this aspect of lens care.

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Contact Lens Care Made Easy

Few things affect the quality of your life more than your eyes-never put them at risk. Contact lenses are prescription medical devices. To make sure your eyes and vision stay healthy while wearing contact lenses, please follow these few guidelines or the instructions recommended by your doctor.

Warning: Ocular complications and/or long-term corneal damage are the consequences of contact lenses that are worn longer than recommended. Oftentimes, your lenses will still feel good even when you are over-wearing them. Do not wear your lenses overnight unless the doctor has approved you for extended (overnight) wear. All contact lens wear options increase the risk of infection and permanent vision loss.

Wearing Schedule

For new contact lens wearers. It will take at least a few days for your eyes to get used to wearing contact lenses. The best way to insure maximum visual comfort and keep your eyes healthy is to patiently and faithfully adhere to this wearing schedule.

Some added pointers

DON’T wear your lenses longer than 12 hours a day until your first follow-up visit with your doctor, unless the doctor has specifically told you otherwise.

DON’T continue use of contact lenses if your eyes become red, irritated, painful, or if your vision gets worse while wearing lenses. Immediately take out the lenses and clean them. Let your eyes get back to normal and if the problem persists, contact our office.

DON’T exceed the wearing times suggested, even if your lenses still feel comfortable. Studies have proven that the eye needs time to adapt to contact lenses, and your wearing schedule is based on those studies.

DO always remove your contact lenses at least one hour before going to bed to allow for proper oxygen nourishment to the cornea.

DO schedule and keep follow-up appointments with your eye doctor.

DO wear your contact lenses for at least 4 hours the day of your follow-up appointment unless you are experiencing discomfort.

Do have an up to date (both in prescription and style) pair of glasses. An old prescription or an ugly pair of glasses is as good as no glasses at all. THE LACK OF ADEQUATE BACK-UP GLASSES IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS WHY PROBLEMS ARISE IN CONTACT LENSES WEARERS.

Once you have built up your wear schedule, Do keep your average wear time to 10-12 hours. Try to avoid wearing your lenses "every waking minute" day after day.

Care for Your Lenses

Deposits and infectious organisms such as bacteria, viruses--etc., can build up on the surface of all contact lenses. For this reason, it is very important to keep them clean and disinfected.

There are four steps in contact lens care--follow the care prescribed for your lenses:

1. Cleaning removes dirt, mucous, and other debris that gets on the lenses during wear. Always use a name brand solution. Generic brands typically use older formulations of the name brands, and they use the cheapest chemicals to reproduce the formulation. ALWAYS physically rub your lenses when cleaning them even though your solutions may say "No-Rub".
2. Disinfecting kills bacteria (germs) on the lenses. Disinfecting is essential to prevent serious eye infections.
3. Rinsing removes the other solutions from the lenses and prepares the lenses for wear.
4. Lens Replacement - You should discard your lenses regularly according to the schedule recommended by Keriotis even though they may feel fine and your vision is clear. YOU DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF DISPOSABLE LENSES AND RISK SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS BY WEARING THEM LONGER THAN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO WEAR THEM.

The best way to properly care for your lenses is to develop a care routine, then stick to that routine! Remember to:

1. Follow the directions outlined by your eye doctor. Oftentimes instructions are also listed on the packaging or the package insert for the contact lens solutions prescribed for you.
2. Multi-purpose solutions can be used for more than one step in contact lens care. Read the label to see which functions the solutions can be used for.
3. Many solutions can not be used together, and not all solutions are appropriate for all types of lenses. Only use solutions recommended by your eye doctor, and check with your eye doctor if you want to switch brands.
4. When you remove your lenses, they must be cleaned, rinsed, and disinfected before they are worn again.
5. Enzyming and cleaning are not a substitute for disinfecting.
6. Lenses that have been stored for more than 12 hours may need to be cleaned, disinfected, and rinsed again.
7. Make sure solution containers are kept closed tightly, stored upright, and kept in a clean, dry, cool place when you are not using them. Keep your case clean and replace it every 2-3 months to prevent bacterial growth.
8. Don’t touch container bottle tips to any surface to prevent them from becoming contaminated.
9. Throw away expired solutions. (Look on the bottle for the expiration date!)
10. Use new solution in your contact lenses case every day.
11. Discuss with your eye doctor the care for your lenses if you wear them while swimming in a pool or hot tub.
12. Only use approved rewetting drops for lubricating or wetting your lenses. Never place the lenses in your mouth.
13. Do not use tap water to rinse soft contact lenses.
14. Be careful with makeup, lotions, creams and sprays--consider putting on lenses before makeup and remove them before removing makeup. Also, water-based makeup is less likely to damage lenses than oil-based makeup.
    Here’s what you need to watch for: Redness, blurriness, light sensitivity. Remove your lenses if you are experiencing any of these 3 things. If your eyes have not returned to normal after 24 hours, please contact our office. If you have any change in vision, comfort, or irritation, immediately remove your lenses. If there is no improvement within a couple of hours, please contact our office.