Contacts Specialist

Should I get contact lenses?

Your Riverfront Eyecare optometrist can help you decide if contacts would suit your needs. If you're looking for a convenient and easy way to correct your vision, contact lenses could be ideal. They often provide the same level of vision correction, and possibly better, than glasses do. 

There is a small amount of practice necessary to wear contacts, but most types of contacts are quite easy to adapt to with your Riverfront Eyecare optometrist’s help. To get contact lenses, you need a special exam and fitting. It’s easy to add it to your general exam at Riverfront Eyecare. 

What are the different types of contact lenses?

Riverfront Eyecare offers contact lenses from all the leading manufacturers, including Alcon®, CooperVision®, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care®, Bausch + Lomb®, and DAILIES TOTAL1®. 

Contacts can correct myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. Some of the main general categories for lenses include:

Daily-wear soft contacts

Daily-wear soft contacts are oxygen permeable flexible lenses. You throw daily-wear soft contacts away after each use, so they don't require cleaning. 

Planned-replacement

Planned-replacement lenses are daily-wear lenses that last longer. You replace the lenses biweekly, monthly, or quarterly.

Extended-wear

You can wear extended-wear lenses, which come in both soft and rigid gas permeable, for up to seven days without removal. You disinfect these lenses regularly at home. Some extended-wear lenses are currently FDA-approved for up to 30 days continuous wear, but as always, check with your Riverfront Eyecare optometrist before wearing your contacts overnight or longer. 

Extended-wear disposable

You can wear extended-wear disposable lenses for 1-6 days and possibly up to 30 days, depending on brand and type. After the prescribed amount of days, you throw the lenses away and replace them with a new pair. Extended-wear disposable lenses generally require little-to-no cleaning. 

Rigid gas-permeable lenses

Rigid gas-permeable lenses are a harder (but still slightly flexible) plastic. They can correct nearly any vision issue, and their use includes myopia control. Rigid gas-permeable lenses last a long time but do require diligent care at home.

Most types of lenses are available in single prescription, bifocals, and multifocal. You can also opt for tinted lenses, which make it easier to see but don’t alter your appearance.

What do I have to avoid when wearing contacts?

Contacts generally widen your horizons rather than limiting them. It’s easier to play sports and enjoy an overall active lifestyle with contacts than it is with glasses. 

However, there are a few things you need to avoid, including swimming in your contacts, touching your eyes with dirty fingers, and wearing your lenses for longer than prescribed. 

Call Riverfront Eyecare or book an appointment online to get your new contacts.