The attractiveness of contact lenses remains to improve with the growth of technologically advanced methods for vision correction and for proper handling and maintenance of lenses. They are particularly effective in certain occupations, and are desirable for cosmetic reasons in many others.

However, there are many individuals for whom contact lenses should not be recommended; all potential candidates should be thoroughly screened by an ophthalmologist.

Medical conditions in which corneal lenses are recommended include absence of lens or “aphakia,” absence of iris or “aniridia,” congenital absence of pigment, myopia and hyperopia, some types of astigmatism, cone-shaped deformity of the cornea or better known as “keratoconus,” and turned-in eyelashes.

Contraindications include allergic and inflammatory conditions (such as corneal infection), abnormal overflow of tears (epiphora), presbyopia, severe exophthalmus, pterygium, or local neoplasm.

The Structure

The corneal lens is made of lightweight, paper-thin plastic about 10 mm. or less in diameter. “Scleral lenses” are larger and are used for special medical conditions and some sports.

When properly fitted, contact lenses “float” on the fluid layer of the eyeball and are held loosely in place by the capillary attraction of the tears and the upper lid. The lens moves with the eye and is centered over the cornea.

Contact lenses have many advantages over framed lenses. Here is the list of some of the benefits:

1. They do not steam up when the wearer goes from the cold outside to a warm room.

2. They are automatically cleaned with each blink of the eyelid.

3. They can be worn safely during sports.

4. They eliminate the need for less attractive lenses.

5. Peripheral vision is increased

6. The incidence of breakage is extremely low.

Some disadvantages and dangers in wearing contact lenses include the following:

1. The adjustment period in learning to use them properly is longer

2. Contact lenses are more expensive than framed lenses

3. Contact lenses can be lost easily such as down the sink drain or in a swimming pool

4. In the event of a chemical splash to the eye, the chemical agent may seep beneath the lens to cause extensive damage before the contact lenses can be removed.

Moreover, in special cases like driving, the wearer of contact lenses should carry a card indicating that he wears contact lenses. This may help in an encounter with the police, if his license happens to be marked “must wear glasses.”

Should he be involved in an accident or become unconscious and unable to remove the lenses, prolonged wearing may be injurious to the cornea.

Briefly, recommendations for the wearers of contact lenses are:

1. Wash hands thoroughly before touching the lenses, whether applying them or removing them

2. Cleanse lenses only with the recommended sterile solution. It should be “noncaustic.”

3. Dry the lenses when they are removed and to be stored

4. Keep the storage kit clean

5. Do not wear lenses beyond the prescribed time. Usually, the maximal average is 10 to 16 hours.

6. Do not wear lenses when sleeping or suffering from an eye infection.

The improper use of contact lenses can cause corneal abrasions and ulcerations, which result from poorly fitted lenses, improper technique in applying or removing the lenses, and insufficient tear circulation under the lenses.

Although the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, precautions and safeguards must still be understood by everybody and not only the wearer of contact lenses.

The contact lenses must be regarded as a medical prosthesis, not a cosmetic device. The care and precaution given to any medical “prosthesis” must be used with contact lenses.

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Contact lenses are extremely popular as a form of vision correction. This is shown by the fact that they are worn by over 75 million people worldwide. Of all the contact lenses available, monthly disposable contact lenses are amongst the most popular.

They are designed to be replaced every month, as directed by your optometrist. Monthly wear contact lenses are offered by all the main contact lens manufacturers, such as CooperVision, Ciba Vision and Bausch & Lomb. As a result there is plenty of choice available to those wanting to use them. They were introduced into the UK in the 1980s and have since undergone significant development to enhance the level of comfort that they offer to the wearer.

One of the main developments of monthly disposable contacts was the use of silicon hydrogel to create the lenses. This product enabled significantly more oxygen to reach the eye than had previously been possible- seven times more oxygen in fact!

The amount of oxygen that reaches your eye is very important. This is because it is needed to keep the eyes healthy. If an inadequate amount of oxygen reaches the eye it becomes prone to infection. This can produce unpleasant symptoms such as pain, redness and even vision problems. Furthermore, not receiving enough oxygen into your eye can cause corneal ulcers which can cause a lot of pain and discomfort.

If you wear monthly disposable contact lenses, you need to make sure that you follow the care advice given to you by your optometrist. This is because if you do not clean and handle them properly you risk either tearing the lens or allowing sediment to build up on its surface which can cause discomfort and possibly lead to an eye infection.

If you have any questions about how to look after your lenses do contact your optometrist as soon as possible for advice.

One Stop Contact Lenses is the UK’s largest independent online contact lens retailer. We sell at unbeatable prices- we promise to match any price that beats ours!

Extended wear contact lenses offer the ultimate in convenience in that they can be worn for 24 hours without being removed. This means that it is even possible to sleep in them! Although extended wear lenses do not suit everyone, they can be perfect for people working long and irregular shifts such as doctors and nurses.

The reason that it is possible to wear these lenses for so long is because of the amount of oxygen that they allow to reach your eye. If eyes do not receive a sufficient amount of oxygen they become prone to eye infections which can cause pain and even some loss of vision.

It is the permeable silicon hydrogel material that extended wear contact lenses are made from that allows enough oxygen to reach your eyes, even whilst you are asleep.

In addition to preventing eye infections, the right amount of oxygen reaching your eyes also stops them from feeling dry. Extended wear contacts allow more oxygen to reach the cornea than any other type of lens. This makes them ideal for people who tend to suffer from dry eyes. Those who sit in front of a computer screen all day, for instance, can find that this kind of contact lens works well for them. Although it is possible to sleep in extended wear lenses, this does not suit everyone. Therefore we recommend that you ask your optometrist to confirm that he or she thinks you should be able to sleep in your lenses, just to be on the safe side. Interestingly studies suggest that young men in particular seem to experience problems sleeping in contact lenses.

If you follow your optometrist’s care advice and clean your lenses regularly and in the right way, it is unlikely that you will experience any problems with extended wear lenses. However, if you do feel any discomfort or experience either vision changes or eye redness, consult your optometrist immediately.

One Stop Contact Lenses is the UK’s largest independent online contact lens retailer. We sell extended wear contact lenses at unbeatable prices- we promise to match any price that beats ours!

Sometimes making your costume that much more outstanding requires an extra effort! Whether for Halloween or for a fun dress-up party, costume contact lenses can add a special touch to your outfit. They are inexpensive and easy to use and come in more varieties that you can think of. What type of lenses will make your costume a winner?

So you have the perfect costume ready to go, and you think special contact lenses would heighten the dramatic effect, but you have a few questions. Can you get costume contact lenses without a prescription? The answer is yes. Costume contact lenses come in a prescription and non-prescription order and will fit all eyes. However, it is not advisable to wear contacts when you do not have a doctor’s consent. You may also be wondering how long your contacts will last. Amazingly, even though costume contact lenses are made for fun, if you take care of them, they can last up to one year. This means that your costume is good for more than one night!

Now that you feel more comfortable with the practicalities of costume lenses, you can start to think about what lenses will suit your costume best. There exists a wide variety of special lenses to choose from. You can select a recognizable look such as the cat’s eye, alien, wolf, jaguar, zebra or devil. Some of the most famous costumes in Hollywood history, such as Michael Jackson’s zombie from the video Thriller, can be emulated with special white-out eyes. Or, if you are looking for a more subtle change in eye colour to suit your costume, you can choose black, white, red or bloodshot. When a funky design would add a certain flare to your costume, you can find psychedelic, zigzag or starry lenses to complement your look. If you are dressing up as a particular celebrity but you do not have their eye colour, you can choose very natural contact lenses that will give you their recognizable look, such as ‘Old Blue Eyes’ for example. Natural coloured contact lenses come in blue, brown, green, hazel, turquoise, aqua and grey, just to name a few. The natural look can certainly complement a special costume, but these lenses look real enough to be worn with daily wear. If you are seeking a change in your appearance, but want nothing drastic, changing your eye colour is a good way to do it.

Special effects contact lenses can completely change your look. These specialty lenses can turn a good costume into a great costume. If you are looking to set yourself apart and have your costume stand out, special effects costume contact lenses will help you achieve your goal.

Johnny Valentine is avid special effect contact lens user and connoisseur. He is the proud author of the website Special Effect Contact Lenses, and has always been intrigued by cinema’s art of deception.

Fashion

Nowadays sunglasses are one of the most notable fashion accessories that can make a statement about who you are and how you feel. Sunglasses are one of the first things people will notice when they see you.

Sunglasses however, are more than about the look that they achieve. While imitations or knock off sunglasses might achieve a similar look, the frames and more importantly the lenses are often of low quality and provide little protection for your eyes. That is is why all the eyewear found at eyegoodies is always 100% authentic, coming either directly through the manufacturer or a reputable distributor. Furthermore all the sunglasses sold at eyegoodies provide 100% UV protection. Sunglasses have a wide range of benefits, many of which are described below.

Why Protection is Necessary

We expect a lot from our eyes. During a normal day, the eyes will use about the same amount of energy as the legs would use walking fifty miles. The additional burden of glare causes the eyes to strain in order to see well. Wearing sunglasses will reduce or eliminate this strain, cut the impact of harsh glare and eliminate the need to squint.

Sunglasses also offer protection against something very serious - ultraviolet radiation (UV). Sunglass lenses block 99% of harmful UV rays. Visual acuity, contrast, and overall sensitivity can be reduced by up to 50%, due to the sun’s sustained bleaching of the photochemical rhodopsin in the rods of the retina. The right sunglasses during the day can block the appropriate light and at night can protect retinal sensitivity.

As people spend more time outdoors, the chance of potentially harmful effects of sunlight increases. While many people appreciate the importance of using sunscreens to protect their skin, not everyone is quite so careful about choosing sunglasses. The best protection for the eyes against ultraviolet radiation (UV) is optical-quality sunglasses.

Sunglasses and performance

Today, we are more active than ever, whether playing sports, going snowboarding, sailing, or going fishing. Choosing the right pair of sunglasses can greatly enhance your performance and comfort so you can enjoy your activity to the fullest; all while knowing that your eyes are being protected. Polarized lenses greatly reduce severe glare in conditions such as driving and water activities by filtering the horizontal light rays with vertical filters embedded in the lenses. Polarized lenses eliminate 99% of reflective glare, cutting down on eye strain and Ultraviolet rays. Maui Jim, Costa Del Mar, Serengeti and Revo are brands that offer a complete line of polarized lenses.

The Ozone Layer: The Disappearing Shield

The upper layer of the earth’s atmosphere is often called the "ozone layer." This layer is the critical barrier guarding the earth from harmful UV light. Many believe that certain man-made chemicals have seriously depleted the ozone layer resulting in an increase in the amount of UV radiation reaching the earth. Increased UV radiation could lead to more risk of skin cancer, immune system disorders, cataracts, and other eye problems.

For Your Kids

Children need protection from UV rays even more than adults do. Up until age 14, children’s eyes are three times more vulnerable to UV damage than an adult’s. Extra protection is essential.

Some Important Medical Facts About Kids and the Sun:

Eyegoodies.com - We employ both fashion experts as well as experienced opticians — to make your buying experience as easy as possible. Save on your favorite brands of designer sunglasses and eyeglasses, including brands such as Ray Ban sunglasses, Tom Ford sunglasses, and many more. Even add prescription lenses to your eyeglass frames.

You can now say goodbye to your old glasses and wear contact lens. Many people feel that contact lenses are very inconvenient to wear, and that they might not be as effective as the glasses. But that is not so. Contact lenses serve the same purpose as that of conventional glasses. They should be placed in the cornea of your eye. Once you get the hang of it, they are very easy to wear, and unlike glasses, they can be worn anywhere and everywhere. You can even swim wearing them.

Before you get your contact lenses, you should first see an ophthalmologist. Your eyesight may be good, and you may not be wearing glasses, but it is still advisable that you get your eyes examined before going for it, to see if it’s fine for you to wear contacts. Contact lenses need to be fitted properly by an optician first before you do it yourself.

There are various types of contact lenses available, and the most popular ones are the colored contact lenses. Many people go for them to change their eye color. Contact lenses are basically divided into two types:

* Soft contact lenses: These lenses contain from 25% to 79% water. They are easy to adapt and are very comfortable. They need to be replaced every few months.

* Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) contact lenses: These lenses are more durable, but they take longer to adapt compared to soft contacts. They are cheaper, and are said to offer better vision than soft lenses and can be replaced in a couple of years.

Colored contacts:

Colored contact lenses are used by many to change the color of the eyes, as they can change the appearance of your face to some extent. Wearing the right color can do magic. Some people wear them instead of their usual glasses when going to parties or on special occasions. There are 4 types of colored contacts:

1. Visibility tints: This is the light blue or green tint added to the lenses so you can find them easily if you drop them, and also to help you see them better during insertion and removal. This color tint does not affect eye color.

2. Enhancement tints: It is a solid, translucent tint added to the lens to enhance the existing color of your eyes.

3. Opaque color tints: These are solid color tints added to completely change the color of eyes.

4. Light-filtering tints: These lenses are so designed that they enhance only some particular colors like optic yellow, the color of golf balls, tennis balls etc. They are made especially for sports players so that the ball stands out against the background making it easier for the player to focus.

Novelty Contact Lenses

These contact lenses are perfect for any dramatic effect and are very popular during Halloween, so they are called Halloween Lenses. They are special effects contacts, which would go perfectly with your Halloween costume. Novelty contacts are often used in movies, be it the werewolf you saw or the Dracula, or the black witch; all of them would be wearing these lenses. However; they should be worn with caution. Buy them only from a reputable distributor. As they are readily available anywhere, you should be careful, as chances are that these cheap, duplicate lenses may cause severe eye injury.

Safety Tips:

Always follow the manufacturer’s advice about when to discard contact lenses, or else you may be inviting trouble, causing serious eye infection. Never exchange lenses with anybody, as this can transmit harmful bacteria causing infection in the eyes. Never wear contacts unless they are prescribed and monitored by an optician. Follow a good hygiene routine to prevent eye irritation or infection, and always store the lenses in proper commercially prepared sterile solutions.

Keep in mind that because of the way the eye reacts, you could require more frequent replacement of contact lenses than what is recommended.

Stefan Rockhaus writes Health-Related Articles. For more contact lens information visit Contact Lenses

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If anybody knows color, it’s women. They are experts in wearing all black; the black work suit, the black dress, the black purse. They are also masters of wearing white, whether it’s for a wedding gown, a summer party dress, or in a golf outfit. Then there are all the colors in between that they know how to mix and match. The pastel greens and pinks of spring, the oranges, yellows and browns of fall, and the reds and blues of summer—every color under the sun becomes their palette when they are preparing an outfit to wear.

Why is it any different when it comes to sunglasses? After all, women know how to look good in color, and sunglasses come in all shades of good looking colors. If we put two and two together, women should be having a ball when it comes to mixing and matching sunglasses to match their moods, their outfits, or the time of day. By looking at pictures in fashion magazines, and women on the street, it seems women are taking full advantage of the best fashion accessory your face—sunglasses.

Of course, not all colors look the same on all women. The key is knowing which colors work best with your tastes, as well as your natural appearance.

Basically, this relationship breaks down to matching a woman’s natural color tones to the colors that she wears in her sunglasses. For example, a woman should know whether she has a cool skin complexion, or a warm complexion. Warm complexions tend to have yellow, orange, or peach colored skin tones, while cooler skin tones lean toward blue, olive, or pink undertones.

Your hair color can also help you determine the best color of shades for you. Bright blonds, vivid browns, fiery reds, and jet blacks are all warm colors for hair. Hay colored blonds, shiny blacks, whites, grays, and mixed browns are more on the cool side of hair colors. If you are unsure on where your hair falls on the warm-cool spectrum, let your skin tones guide you to the perfect color.

Ladies with warm complexions and/or warm hair colors may look best in frames in colors like, gold, bronze, tortoise, off-white, brown and aqua. Ladies with cool complexions and/or cool hair tones may look best frames with colors like white, silver, blue, pink, charcoal, violet and black. However, there are exceptions to every rule, and personal preference plays a big part in the color of sunglasses that are right for you. If you are still unsure on what frame color complements you, try the trendy rimless sunglasses that direct the focus on your face, not your sunglasses.

Most women already have an idea of what colors look best on them. But it never hurts to know there is a little fashion science behind your exquisite fashion sense, especially when the end result is a great pair of sunglasses.

Angie Stocklin is the co-founder of Sunglass Warehouse. Sunglass Warehouse carries the hottest trends in women’s discount sunglasses. For more information about Sunglass Warehouse please visit http://www.sunglasswarehouse.com.

There are two main categories of contact lenses: hard and soft lenses. They each have different benefits and down sides. In this article we will compare hard and soft lenses to help you understand the difference between them.

The two categories of contact lenses

Hard lenses are made out of silicone polymers which facilitate the flow of oxygen to your eyes. This material is rigid which enhances the durability of hard lenses. It also means that they are likely to keep their shape.

Soft contact lenses are made of a plastic polymer that can combine with water. The water in soft lenses enables oxygen to pass through the lens to the eye. This increases comfort for the wearer.

There are two kind of soft lenses; daily disposable soft contact lenses and extended wear contact lenses.

Both hard and soft contact lenses sit on the eye’s tear layer and are designed to correct vision problems.

Advantages of Hard Contact Lenses

Disadvantages of Hard Contact Lenses

Advantages of Soft Contact Lenses

• Soft contact lenses are comfortable from the first time you use them which means that it is easy to get used to wearing them.
• Soft lenses are easy to fit
• Soft lenses are usually cheaper than hard lenses
• Soft lenses can be a problem for people who have naturally dry eyes

Disadvantages of Soft Contact Lenses

One Stop Contact Lenses is the UK’s largest independent online contact lens retailer. We sell daily disposable contact lenses at unbeatable prices- we promise to match any price that beats ours!

Contact lenses are a perfect solution for those who find glasses inconvenient or troublesome. They are easy to use, convenient and flattering. No wonder then that over 75 million people worldwide wear them.

Contact lenses offer a number of advantages to wearers. Unlike glasses which can get hot and burdensome in the summer contact lenses offer real comfort. The way in which glasses steam up when it is rainy or humid can be irritating. This is something that you do not need to worry about with contact lenses.

Contact lenses are virtually undetectable so they do not affect the way you look. And if you do want to make a statement, you can always try tinted lenses.

For active sportspeople they improve peripheral vision and make running easier. Glasses however are practically impossible to wear when playing sports because they tend to slip when you run.

The issue of peripheral vision is a big advantage from an optometry perspective. In this respect they are much better than glasses because they give the wearer a broader field of sight.

They also offer better vision to wearers than glasses by giving a more realistic object size because they are worn so close to the eye. Contact lenses also slow down or prevent the development of short sightedness completely. This is something that regular glasses cannot do in the same way.

The good news is that most people could wear contact lenses if they needed or wanted to. Although hard lenses can be slightly uncomfortable to start with most people get used to them pretty quickly. Whilst soft lenses are normally comfortable and easy to use from the word, “go”.

There are some people however for whom contact lenses would not be suitable. For example people who are prone to eye infections should probably avoid them. Speak to your optometrist about whether or not contact lenses would be appropriate for you.

One Stop Contact Lenses is the UK’s largest independent online contact lens retailer. We sell monthly disposable contact lenses at unbeatable prices- we promise to match any price that beats ours!

Reading glasses are a necessary component to my reading and writing activities, so the other day when I couldn’t find them I was frantic. I searched the entire house as well as my pickup truck and they were nowhere to be found.

My spouse will tell you that my glasses have re-appeared in places such as the refrigerator (next to the coffee creamer), and in a potted plant (we’re not sure about that one).

I’ve also left them at the barn where I need to do up-close work such as trimming my horse’s facial whiskers and pastern hairs (the part just below the horse’s ankle that gets "feathers") for a well-groomed look. I have no idea what happened to that pair of glasses. They probably ended up in the manure spreader.

It is a known fact that in order to find my "specs" I need to sit down on the sofa and mentally re-trace my steps…so I did. I didn’t have to go far in my thought process, before I realized I just sat on my glasses.

"Dear", my spouse said, "Now maybe you’ll understand the importance of putting things away when you are finished with them." Yeah, I do know, but in this case hindsight is 20/20.

Copyright © 2005 by Pamela Beers. All rights reserved.

Pamela Beers is a freelance writer, educator, and horse trainer who is a platinum ezine author and is in the process of having two books published. You can visit her website at http://www.pamelabeers.com for more humor articles, writing tips, and marketing ideas.