The Basics of Contact Lenses
Contact lenses are an alternative to traditional eyeglasses and offer a range of benefits including better vision, less distortion, and a more natural look. Contact lenses are thin, pliable lenses that are placed directly on the surface of the eye to correct vision problems. There are two types of contact lenses: soft lenses and hard lenses. While both soft and hard lenses can correct vision problems, they differ in terms of material and wear time.
Soft Contact Lenses
Soft contact lenses are made of flexible plastic materials that conform to the shape of the eye. Soft contact lenses are comfortable to wear and come in a range of styles including daily, weekly, and monthly wear. Soft contact lenses are the most popular type of contact lenses, and they’re often used to correct myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia (age-related vision changes).
Hard Contact Lenses
Hard contact lenses, also known as rigid gas permeable lenses, are made of durable plastic materials that hold their shape when you blink. Hard contact lenses are often used to correct astigmatism and other vision problems that can’t be corrected with soft lenses. Hard contact lenses offer sharper vision than soft lenses but can take longer to adjust to wearing.
Bifocal and Multifocal Contact Lenses
Bifocal and multifocal contact lenses are designed for people with presbyopia, the age-related vision change that makes it difficult to focus on objects up close. Bifocal and multifocal contact lenses work by having different prescriptions in different areas of the lens. Bifocal contact lenses have two different prescriptions; one for seeing far away and one for seeing up close. Multifocal contact lenses have multiple prescriptions within the same lens, allowing for more natural vision correction.
Toric Contact Lenses
Toric contact lenses are specifically designed to correct astigmatism. Astigmatism occurs when the cornea has an irregular shape, causing blurred vision at all distances. Toric contact lenses are shaped and weighted to align with the irregular shape of the cornea, allowing for clear vision.
