Are you thinking of switching from daily disposable contact lenses to monthly or fortnightly disposable contacts?  There are pros and cons of each type of wear and before you make the switch you should consider what your main goal is for switching and will switching make wearing contact lenses easier.

Daily disposable contact lenses are the most popular type of contact lenses worn today.  They’re easy to use and require minimal maintenance, you wear them once, then you throw them out.  No cleaning solutions or contact lens cases are required.  Daily disposable contact lenses are also the most hygienic form of contact lens wear because you’re wearing fresh new lenses every time and eliminates protein build up on a lens compared to monthly and fortnightly contact lenses.  So why doesn’t everybody wear daily disposable contact lenses?

One of the main “cons” of wearing daily disposable contact lenses is that there aren’t as many materials which are as advanced as those available as a monthly or fortnightly contact lens.  Contact lenses like Acuvue Oasys and Air Optix contain wetting agents which retain moisture in the contact lens and provide exceptional comfort compared to most other daily disposable contact lenses.   Daily disposable contact lenses like Acuvue 1-Day and Focus Dailies All day comfort are an older generation of contact lenses which do not have any agents to help retain moisture.  It was not until recently that Acuvue TruEye was released to bridge the gap and a daily disposable contact lens made of silicone hydrogel was released.  Acuvue TruEye is the first daily disposable contact lens made from an advanced material and contains an active wetting agent.  This makes Acuvue TruEye a comfortable and healthy lens material with all the benefits of using a Daily Disposable contact lens.

So now that there is a lens which is comfortable to wear and is easy to maintain which lenses should you wear?  If cost is not an issue than Acuvue TruEye contact lenses are an excellent choice.  If cost is an issue than you should work out what your budget is and look at fortnightly and monthly lenses like Acuvue Oasys and Air Optix which are more economical but still provide exceptional comfort during wear.  You should always remember to factor in costs of contact lens cleaning solutions when budgeting.

Eye contacts also known as contact lenses are an alternative to wearing spectacles.  Eye contacts are used to correct vision and give wearers freedom from wearing spectacles.  There are 2 types of eye contacts, soft disposable contacts and hard contacts.  The most popular eye contacts today are soft disposable contacts mainly due to their comfort whilst wear.  Before wearing eye contacts you must always have them fitted by your optometrist.  During an eye contacts fitting, your optometrist will ensure you are wearing the best eye contacts suited to your prescription and lifestyle.  Eye contacts can be used to correct short-sightedness, long-sightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia and are available in daily, fortnightly, monthly and extended wearing regimes.  Eye contacts can be purchased online, at prices usually much cheaper than your local optometrist.  The eye contacts you order online will also be exactly the same as those you purchase from your local optometrist, as they are all sourced from the same suppliers.  Eye contacts are cheaper when purchased online because there are fewer expenses running an online retail store.  Your local optometrist will need to pay for rent and more wages when running a practice with a shopfront therefore the margins need to be higher to pay for the expenses.  Online eye contact retails have reduced expenses and because they serve contact lens wearers internationally they purchase higher volumes of eye contacts giving them buying power.  The reduced prices on eye contacts are then passed onto the consumer, also because of the competitive nature of online business, prices are also driven down.  You should however, consider more than just the cost of your eye contacts when purchasing.  Service at your local optometrist will always be better because they can check the health of your eyes and ensure you are wearing the latest and best product available on the market.  Your local optometrist may also claim a rebate from your private health fund on the spot with a hicaps terminal.  Some health funds may even cover the complete cost of your eye contacts.  If your buying eye contacts online you should check they are recognised Australian providers, health funds will not pay a rebate for your eye contacts if they are purchased from overseas suppliers or do not have a provider number.

Next time you buy eye contacts you should take into consideration service, your health fund and price.  Buying Eye contacts online does have its pros and cons, consider all your options first.

A contact lens is a small round piece of plastic which is worn on the eye used to correct vision.  If you are short or long-sighted or have astigmatism you may be able to wear a contact lens. A contact lens can be made of soft or hard plastic.  The most popular form of the contact lens being produced today is made of soft material which provides excellent comfort during wear compared to a hard or rigid contact lens.  Before wearing a contact lens, you must be fitted with the appropriate type and material to ensure healthy and optimum vision.  During the contact lens consultation, your optometrist will choose a particular type of contact lens based your on your lifestyle.  Contact Lenses come in daily, fortnightly monthly and yearly, each have their own pros and cons.  Before wearing a contact lens you should always consider what for what reason do you want to wear a contact lens, how often you would like to wear the contact lens and how motivated you are in wearing a contact lens.  These primary factors will influence the success you will have in wearing contact lenses.  Common reasons for wearing a contact lens are:

• Playing sports or an active lifestyle
• Difficulty or disliking wearing spectacles
• People with high prescriptions

If you intend to wear contact lenses infrequently than a daily disposable contact lens may suit your lifestyle.  It is a more inexpensive way of wearing a contact lens because your wear the lenses as you need them and discard them after use.  Wearing a daily disposable contact lens is also the most hygienic form of wear because a fresh new contact lens is used each time.  People who wish to wear a contact lens more often may choose to wear a fortnightly or monthly contact lens.  These contact lenses come in many advanced and new materials which maximise oxygen flow through the lens and provide additional comfort through to use of wetting agents.  When you see your optometrist for a contact lens consultation they will choose the best suited contact lens which matches your lifestyle as well as recommend the newest and best products.

Probably the toughest part of wearing a contact lens is initial phase of learning how to insert and remove a contact lens.  Your optometrist will show you the correct technique of how to insert and remove a contact lens after that it will just take practice.  Usually first time wearers may feel sensitive when inserting the contact lens and common symptoms may involve excessive tearing, itchiness and light sensitivity.  Wearers will need to persevere with the initial symptoms when wearing a contact lens for he first time before your eyes become desensitised to contact lens wear.  Once your eyes have adjusted to wearing a contact lens the severity of the symptoms will lessen when you insert or remove them.

The contact lens has definitely been one of the most innovate inventions in our era and has given spectacle wearers an alternative choice and freedom from spectacles.  Next time you see your optometrist, ask them for a contact lens consultation and see what benefits they have for you.

Buying contact lenses from online retailers is a great way to find cheap contact lenses.  You may have noticed that buying contact lenses online is much cheaper than buying from your optometrist.  This is because an optometry practice needs to be run with a shop front and has more overheads such as staff wages and rent.  Most optometry practices do not carry much stock because they only service a local area for people who wear contact lenses.  You can buy cheap contact lenses online because online retailers service contact lens wearers all over the world therefore more contact lens stock is carried and higher volumes are turned over.  This gives online retailers buying power and the reduced prices on contact lenses is passed onto the consumer.  The competitive nature of online websites also makes the prices of contact lenses cheap and drives prices down.  People often question the quality of the contact lenses supplied online because of their cheap prices.  The cheap contact lenses you buy online should be exactly as the ones you buy from your local optometrist; this is because all the contact lenses are sourced from the same supplier.  There is no compromise in quality.  There are however, a few things you should consider when buying cheap contact lenses online, such as service.  The best service will always be from your local optometrist as they can check the health of your eyes and give advice on any new products.  It is always important that you always have the health of your eyes checked for maintaining health vision.

Cheap contact lenses can be found all over the internet just simply by searching Google with keywords such as ‘Cheap contact lenses”, “Contact Lenses Online”, or “Buy Contact Lenses Online”.  If you are a member of a private health fund you should check that your online supplier is a recognised provider, your health fund will only pay you a benefit if you purchased your contact lenses from a recognised Australian provider.  Being a member of a health fund further reduces the costs of your contact lenses and in many cases you may not need to pay for your contact lenses at all once your health fund pays your benefit.  Many health funds also allow claim to be processed online which makes claiming and buying contact lenses more convenient however, buying your contact lenses from your local optometrist has its benefits in that you may be able to claim your health fund benefit on the spot with hicaps.

Buying cheap contact lenses online definitely have there benefits however, make sure you think about the pro’s and cons of purchasing them online or with your local optometrist.

When was the last time you had your eyes tested? If you’re wearing contact lenses you should have your eyes regularly examined annually. Physiological changes occur on the eye when contact lenses are worn frequently. Your cornea is transparent for obvious reasons, it achieves this by being avascular which means there are no blood vessels, the only way your cornea breathes is via the atmosphere itself. Wearing contact lenses reduce the efficiency of oxygen transfer from the atmosphere to your eyes therefore physiological changes can occur when contact lenses are worn frequently. One of the other ways your eyes breath whilst wearing contact lenses is through the movement of your tears which pump through and around the contact lens which each blink – also known as the tear pump. In a contact lens consultation your optometrist will make sure your contact lenses are fitting properly so maximum oxygen transfer can take place via movement of the contact lens with each blink. If a lens fits too tightly then little movement will take place therefore less oxygen transfer will occur.

There are three common wearing modalities with contact lenses; daily, fortnightly and monthly. Your optometrist may choose a specific type of contact lens based on your lifestyle, frequency of wear and health of your eyes. There are pros and cons of each type of wear. You should always check with your optometrist you are wearing the best type of contact lens suited to the health of your eyes and your lifestyle.

Contact lenses are there to improve your lifestyle and well-being. If your finding it difficult wearing your contact lenses, you may not be wearing the best type of lens. One common problem with contact lens wear is dry eyes. This may be attributed to the growing number of people wearing contact lenses to office environment where air conditioning exacerbates this problem. To combat this, many manufacturers have designed contact lenses which contain wetting agents to keep the lenses moist and from dehydrating. Acuvue Oasys and Air Optix contain wetting agents which lubricate and hold water molecules inside the matrix of the lens thus reducing dehydration. Biofinity and Proclear contact lenses made by Cooper Vision are made from naturally occurring compounds which attract water so no wetting agents are required.

If you are wearing contact lenses make sure you see your optometrist at least once per year to make sure your eyes remain healthy and you are wearing the best type of contact lens suited to your lifestyle.

The contact lens market in Australia is still growing however there still continues to be a large percentage of people who wear contact lenses but then drop out for reasons such as: Dry eyes, discomfort, poor vision or just find it an inconvenience. People who wear contact lenses in Australia will have access to some of the best materials available to help improve comfort. Acuvue Oasys still remains the most popular contact lens worn in Australia today, mainly due to its availability and superior comfort it provides wearers even in the office environment. Acuvue Moist is the most popular daily disposable contact lens in Australia however, brands like Ciba Vision’s Focus Dailies follows closely behind. Australia also has harsh and dry weather which can also affect the performance of a contact lens. Wind and low humidity can often dry out a lens which causes discomfort for the weather, and often, in office environments air conditioning will dry out lenses. If you suffer from dry eyes whilst wearing contact lenses in Australia you may want to visit your optometrist to have a new contact lens fitted. Sometimes by changing contact lenses you may find a significant improvement with dry eyes. Occasionally wearing a contact lens with lower water content may improve the comfort of the contact lens. This may sound counter intuitive but having a lower water content lens means that the contact lens will be less likely to lose moisture via evaporation to the atmosphere hence needing less moisture from your tears, reducing the feeling the dry, irritated eyes. Another common problem with wearing contact lenses in Australia is allergies. If you experience itchy eyes whilst wearing contact lenses you may be experiencing an allergic reaction from wearing your contact lenses. The allergy is usually not from the contact lens itself, but from the proteins from your body which bind to the contact lens. Binding of proteins to the contact lens is related to the ionisation or the charge of the contact lens. Ionic contact lenses tend to bind protein more and the constant build-up of these proteins may cause an allergic reaction such an allergic conjunctivitis or GPC – Giant papillary conjunctivitis. If this occurs you should see your optometrist and they may change your contact lens material or have you wear daily disposable contact lenses instead. This will reduce the protein build-up on your contact lens as your contact lenses are regularly thrown out. Wearing contact lenses in Australia can sometimes be a challenge however, you should always make sure your are wearing the best performing contact lenses available.