by Chelsea K. Francis

Although contact lenses have been around for more than 100 years, modern contact lenses made of plastic rather than glass, were introduced in 1948. Contact lenses are worn directly on the cornea of the eye and, if properly fitted, can provide nearly natural vision. The first plastic lenses were made of hard plastic called PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) and did not deliver oxygen to the cornea.

In 1971, soft contact lenses were introduced. Soft contact lenses are made from a water-loving or hydrophilic polymer that can bind up to 74 percent water. Soft contact lenses quickly replaced hard lenses in popularity, as they are generally more comfortable for the wearer. Silicone hydrogel lenses entered the market in 1999, and have become the fastest growing contact lens segment worldwide. The material is resistant to dehydration and allows for a high oxygen transmission to the eye.

Contact lenses are a medical device, and as such, they must be prescribed and properly fitted by an eye care practitioner. Lenses are grouped based on the material they are made of, length of wear, frequency of disposal, and lens design.

Until the introduction of extended wear contact lenses in 1979, all contacts needed to be removed and cleaned nightly.

Today, eye care professionals can prescribe extended wear lenses, which can be worn overnight for up to seven days without removal; continuous wear lenses, which can be worn for
as long as 30 days without removal; and daily wear lenses which must be removed every night.

The major disadvantage of contact lenses is that proteins and lipids, which are naturally found in
tears, adhere to the surface of the lens making the surface prone to natural deposits, such as calcium. Eye discomfort and dryness can result from the deposits creating a water-rejecting
film on the front surface of the lens. The deposits can also provide a source of nourishment for infection-causing bacteria.

This makes it especially important to follow the advice of one's eye care practitioner regarding lens care and replacement.

The primary function of a contact lens is to address the vision problem it has been prescribed to correct. Eye care professionals must work to find a lens that properly fits the eye of the patient, while considering other eye conditions the patient may have, such as dry eye.

Contact lenses come in several designs; spherical, astigmatic (toric), bifocal, multifocal, keratoconus and orthokeratology. Spherical lenses have a rounded shape and correct myopia
(near-sightedness) or hyperopia (far-sightedness). Astigmatic or toric lenses mainly correct for astigmatism, but also for myopia and hyperopia, as astigmatism can occur in both conditions.
Bifocal lenses contain two different zones for near and far vision. Multifocal lenses contain several different zones providing for near, intermediate and distance vision, a combination that results in clear vision throughout. Keratoconus lenses are specially designed to correct irregularly shaped
corneas, which cause distorted vision. Only these lenses can accommodate the irregularity and provide a clear and comfortable solution. Orthokeratology lenses are designed to reshape the
cornea while the wearer sleeps, allowing them to be lens free during the day. In the United States, one out of five people who need vision correction wear contact lenses.

Because contact lenses are worn directly on the cornea, wearers typically find them to be more beneficial than eyeglasses.

5 reasons to wear contact lenses:

1) For wearers who are near-sighted or far-sighted, their field of vision is generally wider when wearing contact lenses.

2) The contact lens wearer may notice that the quality of vision appears more natural. This benefit is especially important in sports and while driving, when peripheral vision and accurate
depth of field is necessary.

3) Contact lenses provide vision that is free of annoying obstructions and reflections.

4) Contact lenses don't fog up with varying ambient temperatures, nor do they require constant adjustment, as is common with eyeglasses.

5) Although the majority of contact lenses are worn for vision correction, there are lenses that are manufactured and distributed as cosmetic and therapeutic lenses. The cosmetic application is probably the most common. Wearers can select a color enhancing or an opaque color contact lens to match their mood or wardrobe. Although color contact lenses can be made available to someone who does not need corrective vision, a valid prescription is required to obtain any kind of contact lens.

Anyone who experiences discomfort or side effects from wearing contact lenses should immediately get in touch with their eye care practitioner.

Additional information regarding contact lenses and eye care is available from Contact Lens King, http://www.contactlensking.com.

Chelsea K. Francis Research & Marketing
cfrancis@contactlensking.com Contact Lens King

About the author:
I am a marketing and research analyst for Contact Lens King, an online discount contact lens retailer. At Contact Lens King, we pride ourselves on our top quality products and service.

by Carson Danfield


LASIK eye surgery is a medical procedure that can correct your vision by altering the physical properties of your eye. Unlike traditional surgical procedures that depend upon the skills and
steadiness of the surgeon's hand, LASIK eye surgery is computer controlled.

The more progressive LASIK surgery centers perform in-depth analysis of your eyes as an evaluation procedure to determine if you're a good candidate for the LASIK procedure. The evaluation process, which is largely controlled by computer itself, maps the overall physical makeup of each eye. A traditional eye exam determines your visual abilities and then an exhaustive computer analysis determines if your eyes can be enhanced by the LASIK
procedure.

In addition to determining whether or not you're a good candidate for LASIK, the procedure also records quite a bit of data that's specific to your eyes. If you choose to proceed with
the LASIK surgery, this data is used to program the computer controlled LASIK equipment to insure that your eyes are modified exactly in the proper manner so as to provide maximum benefit.

How Your Eyes Work

The cornea of the eye is responsible for projecting light onto the retina in order to produce an image. When the cornea is not shaped properly, distortion of the image will occur. This is called a refractive error. LASIK eye surgery can correct refractive errors.

There are three primary types of refractive errors -

1) Myopia is a refractive error in which a person has trouble seeing things at a distance, but they can see things that are close up.

2) Hyperopia is when a person will be able to see things clearly at a distance but cannot see things that are close to them.

3) Astigmatism is the distortion of images caused by irregularities in the shape of the cornea.

LASIK eye surgery is also called refractive surgery because it will reshape the cornea, therefore improving the ability to focus clearly.

Not everyone is a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery. To be a good candidate for LASIK eye surgery, you have to be willing to accepts the risks that go along with this type of surgery. Your
eyesight should be stable, meaning that it hasn't changed appreciably over the past several years. Also, you shouldn't have any existing health conditions that would put you at risk while having LASIK eye surgery.

Risks of LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK eye surgery does carry some risks, such as loss of vision. In some extremely rare cases, the patient may lose vision due to equipment malfunction, scarring or healing related complications.

One common risk of LASIK eye surgery is that any dry eye condition that is experienced right after surgery may hamper the healing process. Signs of dryness are burning, redness and
decreased vision. If this dry eye condition persists, you may have to medicate to improve tear duct function and use artificial tears to maintain the proper level of moisture. You must keep your eyes moist after LASIK surgery in order to promote healing.

Things to do Before LASIK Surgery

If you wear contact lenses, either soft contacts or rigid contacts, you should stop wearing your contacts at least three weeks before your initial evaluation by the doctor. On the day of surgery, you shouldn't wear makeup or perfumes. Also, don't wear any fuzzy clothing that is likely to disperse lint.

Make sure that someone goes with you on the day of surgery, since you'll need someone to drive you home after the LASIK procedure. Before the surgery, the doctor may give you medicine
to relax you and your vision may be a little blurry immediately following surgery. Also, special eye drops are administered prior to the procedure which can cause additional, but temporary
blurriness.

LASIK eye surgery is relatively safe and it can free you from glasses and contacts. Before you commit to LASIK surgery, make sure that you consider all the advantages and disadvantages of
having the procedure. Ask the doctor lots of questions so that you can make an informed decision about whether LASIK eye surgery is the right choice for you.

About the author:
Want to separate LASIK Fact from Fiction? Get the straight story about all the different types of Laser Eye Surgery and learn which procedure is best for you. You'll learn the pros and cons
of all the popular methods of surgical vision improvement - just visit http://laserimprovedvision.com/ for complete details. You'll Learn a Lot!

by Carson Danfield


Nearsightedness, or myopia is the inability to properly focus on distant objects. Objects that are near may appear in normal focus, but those at a distance will be blurred. You may find that you can read text in books or newspapers with no problem, but you have trouble reading traffic signs until you're in close proximity.

Nearsightedness is usually brought about by a natural change in the shape of your eye that causes your eye to become more oval shaped, rather than the normal round shape. This causes the light entering the eye to focus in front of the retina, resulting in an out-of-focus image.

Symptoms of Nearsightedness

The main symptom is blurred vision when focusing on distant objects. If you find yourself squinting when looking at far off scenes, you may be nearsighted. If you have trouble seeing words on a blackboard or movie screen, but you can read a book with no problem, you're probably nearsighted. A routine eye examine can determine if you're nearsighted.

Diagnosing Nearsightedness

A routine eye exam will determine if you're nearsighted. Nearsightedness usually begins in childhood or early teens and its effects can vary from mild to moderate to high. Mild cases
may not require any corrective action. Most children are born slightly farsighted, but this corrects itself by the normal development of the eye as the child ages. However, if the correction is too pronounced, the light rays focus in front of the retina instead of directly on the retina,
and the child becomes nearsighted.

Treatment of Nearsightedness

Glasses or contact lenses can treat nearsightedness, but surgery can also be performed to cure nearsightedness by reshaping the cornea.

LASIK surgery helps to correct nearsightedness by using a laser to reshape the cornea, and has been used successfully since the early 1990s. The goal of this procedure is to enable you to see
without corrective lenses or to be less dependent on corrective lenses. LASIK procedures cause permanent changes in the eye that cannot be reversed.

The LASIK procedure involves cutting a flap in the cornea. This flap is then folded back and the laser modifies the contour. Upon completion of this modification, the flap is folded back to
its normal position and the healing process begins. Most patients notice an immediate improvement in their vision.

Most people that elect to have LASIK surgery are very happy with the results they achieve. In many cases, patients of LASIK surgery can see well enough to eliminate the need for corrective
lenses. However, some patients will still need to use corrective lenses under certain conditions.

How Long Does LASIK Last?

Research data gathered has shown that almost all LASIK patients have experienced vision improvement immediately after treatment and at least 40% of those patients were able to avoid the use of corrective lenses for ten years following the procedure. It's normal for the eye to change shape as a normal part of the aging process, so retreatment is recommended if significant reshaping occurs after several years.

About the author:
Want to separate LASIK Fact from Fiction? Get the straight story about all the different types of Laser Eye Surgery and learn which procedure is best for you. You'll learn the pros and cons of all the popular methods of surgical vision improvement - just visit http://LaserImprovedVision.
com for complete details. You'll Learn a Lot!

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