Contact Lenses Specialist

What vision problems do contact lenses treat?

Contacts can correct a number of different vision issues. The most common are:

Refractive errors

Refractive errors like astigmatism, myopia (nearsightedness), and hyperopia (farsightedness) are the most common reasons for needing contacts today. Contact lenses can correct the same refractive errors that eyeglasses can.

Presbyopia

Some contacts correct your main refractive error, like myopia, as well as presbyopia, close-up focus problems related to aging. These bifocal contacts work in a way that’s similar to bifocal glasses, but without a line across the lens.

Specialty lenses

Some specialty contact lenses, such as orthokeratology (ortho-k) lenses, correct vision in a different way. Instead of wearing them to improve your eyesight during the day, you wear these rigid gas-permeable lenses only at night. They remold your cornea to improve your eyesight during the day.

Another example of specialty lenses is gas-permeable scleral lenses. These contacts cover more of your eye, which helps them stay stable in patients who can’t wear traditional contacts successfully. 

Some contacts also have additional features, such as hydrating lenses made especially for dry eyes. 

How do I take care of my contact lenses?

Contact lenses may require no care at all (daily disposable lenses). For extended wear lenses, you typically disinfect and soak the contacts every night while you’re sleeping and then wear them during the day for the prescribed period. 

Rigid gas-permeable lenses, much like extended wear soft contacts, require regular disinfection and soaking. 

Because every type of lens is different and manufacturers have varying instructions, your Bainbridge Eye Care providers explain specific care instructions when they fit your new lenses. Most contacts today are very easy to care for.

Are glasses or contact lenses better?

The answer depends on the individual. Glasses and contact lenses both offer great benefits, so many patients choose to get both and then swap them out as desired. 

In general, if you live a very active lifestyle and want to maximize your peripheral vision at all times, contacts could be a good choice. 

Glasses can offer benefits that contacts don’t, however. For example, with glasses, you can choose photochromic lenses that transition to dark when you’re outdoors and then lighten to clear while inside. 

At Bainbridge Eye Care, you can learn about all of the benefits of glasses and contacts as they relate to your particular lifestyle and needs. Book your appointment online, or call the office now.