Title:
What Benefits Do Contact Lenses Have?
Summary
What Benefits Do Contact Lenses Have?
Keywords
contact lenses vision eye care
Article Body
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.
Article Body
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.
Article Body
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:
The incidence of breakage is extremely low.
Some disadvantages and dangers in wearing contact lenses include the following:
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:
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.