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A) Materials: Contacts can be separated or best
determined by their material. Contacts are divided into two main groups
- soft and rigid (hard). Soft lenses are gas permeable to a certain
extent, being further categorized by the amount of water they contain.
Soft contacts can have either a low, which is less than 50 percent
moisture, or a high moisture content, which is more than 50 percent.
Rigid or hard contacts on the other hand, are much harder in material
and are considered to be gas permeable.
B)
Wearing schedules: Hard contact lenses can last for months,
possibly even years before they need to be replaced. Soft contacts on
the other hand, have a schedule for replacement. Some may need to be
removed every 2 weeks, monthly, or even daily. The more advanced contact
lenses, such as Night and Day contacts, will allow you to wear them all
day and all night. Just like other contacts however, you will still need
to clean them on a regular basis to ensure that the protein is removed.
C)
Contact lens designs: The designs for contacts are divided into
three areas - toric, spherical, and multi-focal. Toric lenses are for
those who have astigmatism, spherical is for short sightedness, and the
correction of long sightedness, and multi-focal contact lenses are used
in the correction of presbyopia. All three designs have their distinct
purpose, and you should always ask your optician before you rush out and
buy one.
D) Many different purposes:
As you may already
know, contact lenses serve different purposes as well. They can be
optical, therapeutic, cosmetic or decorative. Optical are the most
common, as they are for the correction of vision and anomalies you have
may have. Therapeutic lenses are normally soft contacts that serve to
protect your cornea. They are also used as a reservoir for certain
medicines that are used to treat various cornea diseases and
malfunctions.
Decorative contact lenses are basically color
contacts that produce various effects, such as rainbow colors, cat’s
eyes, and so on. Cosmetic on the other hand, are meant to change the
overall appearance of your eyes. Most types of cosmetic contact lenses
are designed to enhance your overall eye color.
E) The type for
you: With there being several different types of contacts
available on the market, you should consult with your optician to find
out which are the best for you. If you don’t have astigmatism, you
certainly wouldn’t want to get toric lenses. If you don’t know anything
about contact lenses, you may end up doing your eyes more harm than
good. Contact lenses are designed to correct your vision and often times
protect your eyes, which is why you want to choose them carefully.
If
you pick your contact lenses carefully, you’ll get the best type for
your eyes. Your optician will give you his recommendations during your
fitting exam, and go over how you should care for your new contacts.
This way, even if you are new to the world of contacts, you’ll know what
you should and shouldn’t do. With the right type of contacts for your
eyes - you’ll find vision to be a new and exciting world.
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