CONTACT LENS SERVICES

Too often, people mistakenly believe they can’t wear contact lenses because they have astigmatism. The truth is, today there are many options for correcting astigmatism with contact lenses.

Most toric lenses are soft lenses that have different powers in different meridians of the lens. That means that the contacts must remain rotationally stable and only move vertically when blinking. Some toric lenses are weighted slightly at the bottom in order to keep the lens from rotating.

When we reach our mid-40’s, presbyopia makes it difficult to focus on objects that are near in our field of vision. Until recently, reading glasses used to be the only option for contact lens wearers that allowed them to perform tasks that required good near vision.

Today, a number of mulitfocal lens options are available that offer clear vision at any distance. Some have a bifocal design with two distinct lens powers and others offer a more natural vision transition.

Daily contact lenses are the healthiest contacts you can wear and are ideal for those with allergies. Daily disposable contact lenses are designed to be worn for a single day, and then thrown away. Using a fresh pair of lenses every day minimizes build-up of harmful pathogens on the lens surface and the risk of some eye infections.

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are advanced soft lenses that allow up to 5 times more more oxygen to pass through the lens to the cornea than traditional lenses. Silicone hydrogel lenses become soft and gel-like when hydrated.

Popular brands of silicone hydrogel contact lenses include: Acuvue Oasys , Air Optix Aqua, Biofinity and PureVision2.

Wearing contact lenses can significantly reduce your dependency on eyeglasses, provide you with hassle-free vision correction and the option to wear non-prescription sunglasses. Even if you have a high prescription contact lenses may provide more enhanced vision correction than eyeglasses.

Eagan Eye Clinic strives to provide the best vision for our patients. As contact lens technology advances, we help provide many suitable options for our patients.

Colored contact lenses are increasingly being used as an accessory to enhance one’s appearance by altering eye color to provide an entirely different look. Changes in appearance can be very subtle or extreme depending on the lens. Colored contact lenses may be worn by just about anyone whether or not they need to correct impaired vision.

Colored contact lenses are considered a medical device by the FDA and require a prescription from your optometrist. If you’re thinking about colored contact lenses, your optometrist can help you select the right type of colored contacts depending on your eye color, quality of vision and desired appearance. Colored contacts should never be shared with anyone.

Rigid Gas Permeable lenses are custom made for each individual and are made of a firm, durable plastic that transmits oxygen. They don’t contain water like soft lenses therefore, they are great in resisting bacteria and harmful pathogens. RGP lenses are easy to handle and last longer than soft lenses. They are extremely durable, hold their shape better and provide crisper vision than soft contact lenses.

Each year, more than a million Americans have LASIK surgery to correct their eyesight. Sometimes, vision problems remain after surgery that can’t be corrected with eyeglasses or a second surgical procedure. In these cases, gas permeable contact lenses can often restore visual acuity and eliminate problems like glare and halos at night.

Gas permeable lenses are also used to correct vision problems after corneal transplant surgery, including irregular astigmatism that cannot be corrected with prescription eyeglasses.

Keratoconus is an eye condition where the normally round cornea becomes thinner and bulges forward in a cone shape. Gas permeable contact lenses are rigid and often help contain the shape of the cornea and prevent further bulging. They also can correct vision problems caused by keratoconus that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses or soft contacts.

In some cases, a soft contact lens is worn under the gas permeable lens for greater comfort. This technique is called “piggybacking.” Another option for some patients is a hybrid contact lens that has a GP center, surrounded by a soft outside edge.