Are you a Traveler? Fix your Eye Sight with Contact Lenses

Let not the poor-vision keep you from exploring the treasures of the world. Travelling is more fun when you actually live in the moment & breathe in the spot. It is much more than capturing life-less stills in the lens of your DSLR. If your vision is not right, you are going to miss half of the fun. All the globe-trotting travelers are well-aware of how poor eye sight can destroy your journey. Before packing your backpack, pack your contact lens’ travel-kit. Contact lenses will ensure crustal clear vision with enhanced peripheral vision. Without being fogged-up or smudged, unlike glasses, contact lenses will continue to surprise you throughout your journey.

Contact Lenses are good for adventurous out-stationed activities. Either you have passion for snorkeling or are boisterous to enjoy tandem-jumps; contact lenses are the best prosthetic devices. They don’t get affected by the weather change. They don’t carry the risk of falling off whilst you enjoy a bungee jump nor do they threat injuries in case of accidents. Contact lenses do need diligent care & meticulous handling that your glasses might not require. Unfortunately, glasses block the peripheral vision that kills the joy when you are enjoying exploring the scenic beauty or are picking the best of shells from under the sea.

Also Read: [Pack your Bag Wisely]

Under certain conditions; you might need to wear protective eye wear with contact lenses, such as when you are under-water for snorkeling or when you are about to throw yourself for a free-fall. Contact lenses can easily bear the temperature differences as they are regulated by the temperature of your body. Therefore, when you decide to go on a vacation; simply don’t forget to check on contact lens supplies. Get a travel-kit ready that holds a mirror & carries a mini solution bottle, a set of tweezers and a plunger to help you wear and remove contact lenses. Prescription contact lenses help you get your contact lenses on the exact prescription provided by your eye care professional.

What will you be preferring for vision correction while you go hiking or lay-flat for wander-lust? Glasses can be a cheaper option but they risk injuries and obstruct vision. Contact lenses on the other hand are safer & the choice of world’s known globe-trotters. 

When Pairing Glasses with Your Contact Lenses Becomes a Necessity

Sandra Michi- Courtesy

Contact lenses are promising for vision correction. They solve a number of vision-related disorders from near nearsightedness to farsightedness & astigmatism etc. However, there are medical complexities; when pairing glasses with your contact lenses become crucial. People who require contact lenses to alter nearsightedness would need a pair of glasses for reading, in case they feel difficulty focusing up-close objects too. People who are varifocals prefer pairing glasses at the top of contact lenses rather than switching to contact lenses meant for farsightedness or carrying different pairs of glasses to meet the both needs.

Multi-Focal Contact Lenses VS Pairing Contacts with Glasses

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Though there are multi-focal and bi-focal contact lenses available; you must weigh down the pros and cons of the various alternates before you make a selection. Multi-focal contact lenses possess multiple prescriptions all in one lens.

Pros & Cons:

1. These lenses carry a power to see distant objects whereas the other power is to let you see the upclose objects.
2. Multi-focal contact lenses also enable you see the objects placed at intermediate distances.
3. These type of lenses allow gradual transition from prescription to prescription (upclose objects to distant) whereas Bifocal contact lenses have a sharp edge between the two prescrptions.
4. People with Presbyopia feel secure enough with multifocal contacts that usually hit at the age of 40. However, patients often have a hard time adjusting with their multifocals.
5. Multifocal colored contacts are subjected to produce night time glare, or hazy vision during the adjustment period. Furthermore, the different viewing experience and the abrupt transition in bifocals make adjustment even more difficult.
6. Such contact are expensive due to the complexity in design.

On the other hand, pairing glasses with contact lenses for hyperopia and myopia respectively is more convenient rather than to keep twiddling between the various pairs of glasses or contact lenses. Contact lenses are good to wear all the day long whereas glasses can be paired for reading books or driving- where you need both far and short visual acuity.

How to Easily Convert Prescription of Glasses to Contact Lenses

Prescription of glasses and contact lenses may have some correlation but they are quite different. Furthermore, prescriptions involve typical terms that are complex to decipher. It is almost impossible for a lay man to make an understanding out of the written prescriptions. Therefore, you are always advised to visit to your eye doctor whenever you are making adjustments in your life from glasses to circle contacts. Sometimes, however, you are too stuck in life to take time out to obtain contact lens prescription. Below, we will try to explain how to convert your glasses prescription to obtain circle contacts.

How different is the Prescription of Glasses from Contacts?

Prescription of glasses is measured in Diopters sphere; represented as “D”. Diopter Sphere indicates spherical correction only. “-“(minus) signs mean correction for nearsightedness whereas a “+” (plus) sign means correction for farsightedness (hyperopia). Please note Spherical Diopters prescription does not deal with correction of Astigmatism.

Glasses sit at the distance of 12mm whereas contact lenses directly float over the cornea. This means, it is needed to be adjusted for contact lenses. Technically speaking, the strength for contact lenses should be less than that of the glasses. Fortunately enough, if the absolute value (Ignoring + or -) is less than 4.00 Diopters; the change in the prescription from glasses to contact lenses is not significant in numbers. You would only need conversions if your prescription is greater than 4.00 diopters.

By using a Vertex Conversion Chart”; you can easily convert the values to derive your prescription of contact lenses from glasses'.

Let’s take an example

Below are the Sphere Values:

OD- Oculus Dexter (right eye): -5.00

OS- Oculus Sinister (left eye): -6.00

To convert the sphere values, we start with the right eye. In this case we have “-5.00” value which we will look up for, in the middle column. Since here we have a minus sign that means a correction for nearsightedness is required, we will refer to the values mentioned in the left column i.e. “-4.75”. For the left eye it would be “-5.62”. If we keep the values same, but need to make correction for the farsightedness then we will refer to the right column. Hence the values we get will be: “+5.25 & +6.50”.

Unfortunately, converting values from vertex chart only allows you to choose for an increment of every 0.25. (0.25, 0.75, 1.00, 1.25 etc). If your prescription ends with .12, .37, .62 you need to make a contemplated decision. Make a closest match either a value up, or down. In most cases either ways should work fine. This is how a simple prescription works.

Ont the other hand, “Cylinder number” in prescription of glasses indicates correction for “Astigmatism”. Regular soft contact lenses cannot correct astigmatism but “Toric contact lenses”. We recommend seeing your eye doctor in case of medical complications as he will be better able to check your eyes and recommend a brand as per your own individual requirements & health status.

Buying Contact Lenses with Spectacles' Prescription

@Sandra Michi

If you are thinking to switch glasses with contact lenses; the first thing you need to do is to meet your optometrist. Contact lenses cannot be purchased with the same prescription you might have been using for your glasses. There is some correlation between the two though. Contact lenses must fit your eyes and sit properly therefore the prescription of contact lens contains values for base curvature & diameter which the prescription for your spectacles lack.

Should I get an eye exam even if I need cosmetic contact lenses?

Yes. Cosmetic contact lenses too are labelled as medical devices. If you need them only for introducing a tint to your eyes; you might not need a typical eye exam but an eye doctor will test your eyes to check if they are fit for wearing contact lenses.

A doctor’s prescription for both prescription & plano contact lenses may contain contact lens specific terms such as BC, DIA, Limbal ring, water content etc. It also contains information on brand name & design. Sometimes optometrists suggest private label circle lenses that can be purchased from nowhere else but them. You can always request them to prescribe a national brand or you can yourself decide on the brand in case you have no medical complications.

I need prescription circle contacts. What next?

Short & crisp. Meet an eye doctor & get a fresh prescription.

Prescription for glasses is somewhat different than that of circle contacts. It may be stronger if contact lenses are conformed on the same values of your spectacles prescription because:

1. Glasses sit on your nose at a distance of 12mm almost, whereas contact lenses directly float on your eyes.
2. Glasses don’t cater to peripheral vision but contact lenses do.
3. Getting a fresh prescription every time you decide a switch is of significant value because your prescription might have changed & you wouldn’t want to end up buying your contacts on a wrong prescription.

A prescription also contains an expiry date. It usually lasts a year. Therefore, you are always suggested to keep a strict contact lens follow up exam once every year. With a fresh prescription in hand ; you can now freely purchase your contact lenses either online or from your doctor that is unfortunately an expensive alternate.

Also Read: Buying Circle Lenses from Optometrist

Back to School with New Pair of Contact Lenses: Safety Check for Everyone.

As the new semester begins, students are back to school with fresh supplies from sports physicals to stationery & a new eye exam. Teens around the globe find it more convenient to wear contact lenses than glasses as contact-lenses don’t hurt their appearance. School students resist wearing glasses because of the fear of being ridiculed. As per experts; contact lenses are more handy & cost-effective than the other counterpart i.e. glasses. Rejoining school brings lots of excitement from meeting friends to sharing lunch & exchanging the goods with each other. This is the point, where parents & teachers must come-forward to reinforce that contact lenses should never be a part of the game.

Though contact lenses come with their own reservations; they are the most acceptable mode for vision correction. Anyone can wear circle contacts irrespective of the age bracket they fall in. Doctors suggest kids over 8 years can safely wear them. As a food for thought; age actually has nothing to do with wearing contact lenses. If a person is mature & “responsible” enough to take diligent care of contacts; they can safely wear circle lenses. It is said that teens are considered far more responsible in cleaning & disinfecting their contacts than adults. Adults become more casual with their contacts and take the entire regimen for granted whereas young newbies are more concerned & careful about the things they have been freshly introduced to. Unfortunately, teens love to share & swap everything. This is why, as they rejoin the school; they must be reminded about contact lenses’ safety considerations. Contact lenses are personal medical devices even if they are not prescription. They should never be shared, swapped or resold once they are used.

Also Read: What is Cheaper: Contact Lenses or Glasses?

Contact lenses are favored by students as they allow better peripheral vision, management with the changing weather & liberty to mobilize. Furthermore, they are cheaper than glasses even if you purchase them with the option of premium features such as UV intercepting contacts or hydrogel that ensure maximum oxygen transmission. Above all; with daily disposable lenses you can cut the cost dramatically to only $1 per day without having to take care of them. Go back to school with a fresh pair of contact lenses; just be considerate enough to prove yourself a responsible & mature student!

Glasses VS Circle Contacts: Are Contact Lenses a Luxury?

Sandra Michi

This is typically a personal preference to choose between circle lenses & glasses for vision correction. Back few decades, contact lenses were considered a luxury; but today they cost less than a dollar per day. Depending on the lifestyle; contact lenses can be more convenient especially if you work outdoors. Glasses can be expensive, exceeding to US$ 800 annually. The prices exponentially go up as you decide to choose premium features such as anti-reflective coating, designer frames and etc.

Typically an FDA approved branded pair of circle lenses with annual replacement is available only under US$23.00. There are innumerable designs and colors available with advanced options such as higher oxygen permeability & UV interception through employing silicone hydrogel material. Contact lenses with premium features usually only add a burden of extra $2. Glasses on the other hand may be a signature style element but they significantly cost a lot more than a regular pair of contact lenses.

Contact lenses are convenient & handy. They excel at improving & correcting vision. Since lenses float over cornea they ensure better vision including the peripheral. Contrary to colored lenses; glasses obstruct the field of vision & limit life activities. Wearing glasses, you cannot take part in sports or work uninterruptedly in fields. Glasses are prone to get affected by weather- they turn foggy and interfere with seeing clearly. This is important to note that contact lenses also get affected by the changing weather especially during summer & fall when pollen contaminates circle contacts. This however needs few life modifications & little management during peak allergy seasons to safely continue wearing contacts. Glasses on the other hand cannot be managed.

Contact lenses also add up the load of bearing cases & multi-purpose solution. However, buying a year’s supply reduces the price by availing rebates. Contact lenses are unparalleled signature style statement and that too without making a dent in your budget. Get novelty colored contacts for upto 57% off*

*Limited time offer

Contact Lenses could have Saved Irish Boy from Rugby Termination

By an unfortunate strike of fate, a 7 year old boy was ceased to play rugby because of the sports goggles he wears. Ryan Totten, from Colerane in county Antrim has already played rugby for his home town for 3 years. According to the experts, contact lenses could have saved him from exclusion.

According to the reports, Ryan wears sport goggles that meet EU & British safety standards to improve his vision. However, sadly, as per the IRFU rules (Irish Rugby Footbal Union) he was asked to leave the pitch due to his eyewear that bans players to continue participating in the contest. Current IRFU rules state: “In the interest of safety (of the player wearing the goggles and other players) and best practice, the wearing of glasses or goggles when participating in the contact format of rugby cannot be allowed.” The ban has left the boy embarrassed, upset & disappointed.

While the fact is unclear, what prevented the young sportsman to switch to contact lenses; optometrist & chairman of BBR Optometry, Nicholas Rumney stated that contact lenses could have been a better option. Commenting on BBC report that suggests that Ryan is too young to wear contact lenses, he explained that there is no global consensus on when to initiate contact lens wear. “There are no such age barriers”; he emphasized.

President of the British Contact Lens Association, Brian Tompkins, added: “While I’m not familiar with Ryan’s specific eye care needs, a child of his age should be able to wear contact lenses. I actually had two seven-year-olds in practice today for a contact lens review.”

Also Read: What is the Right Age for Children to Switch to Contact Lenses?

Totten- the school boy pleas IRFU to change its stance because the forced prevention from playing Rugby for something he was made by God has left him broken & immensely sad.

Mr Tompkins told OT: “Any parent interested in getting contact lenses for their child, should speak to their eye care practitioner, who will be able to advise them if lenses are suitable for their child and if so, fit the appropriate lens."

Unless your child is a patient of critical eye disorders that render contact lenses incompatible, you can safely let your child wear prescription contact lenses. Don’t let the vision problems take young dreams away. 

Glasses VS Contact Lenses for UV Protection

Courtesy: @dzzzombie

Some antagonists opine that contact lenses are the fiddliest invention ever. According to them contact lenses carry risks of infections and contagious diseases whereas on the other hand; glasses are all heavens. What they forget about glasses is this that they carry even far more risks of injuries and corneal damage. Since glasses don’t help intercepting UV rays, there is yet another bad ball in the pool for glasses. Contact lenses however block UV rays and prevent your eyes being affected by the harmful sun rays.

Though all contact lenses do not come packed with the UV benefits, glasses restrict you from building UV protection for your eyes. When wearing spectacles for vision correction, you are vulnerable to sun rays as you can’t equip yourself up with sun glasses. Contact lenses on the other hand do not limit you from wearing protective ocular wear.

Solar radiation that reaches your eyes from below, above and sides is more concentrated and damaging to your eyes. Sun glasses thus do not completely block UV rays. Contact lenses that come with UV protection are capable of restricting UV rays from reaching to the eyes.

It is recommended to wear sun glasses along with UV protection contact lenses for additional benefits. If you do not like to wear wrap-around sun-glasses, you must wear contact lenses that block UV. People working outdoors must be very careful about protecting their skin, scalp and eyes from solar radiation in summer using sun block, synthetic wigs and UV block contact lenses respectively. 

Benefits of Corrective Contact Lenses for Tweens & Teens

A Teen wearing contact lenses

Contact lenses provider greater value and benefit than glasses for vision correction. Contact lenses for children have been a hot topic of debate among eye care practitioners. However, with breakthrough advancements in technology, eye care professionals now practically prefer contacts over glasses. Vision correction contacts are fitted to the children at the average age of 13, depending on their abilities of wearing & handling them. The various benefits provided by prescription contact lenses cannot be covered in a single write-up. Few of them are given below:

According to British Contact Lens Association, children adapt to the new things more quickly than adults. 97% of 8-12 years old contact lens wearers say that they are satisfied with contact lenses. Whereas, 99% of 13-17 years contact lens wearers is happy with their choice. Contacts offer:

1. Better peripheral vision for sports and leisure activities where children can develop injuries due to glasses falling off or through breakage.
2. Complete vision correction particularly in children with astigmatism, squint and lazy eye
3. Improved appearance for sufferers of myopia and hyperopia.
4. Protection from UV exposure through UV contact lenses
5. Convenient up- gradation when the eye sight is currently changing in children.

Children of both age group notice significant improvements in their life styles through corrective contact lenses. Furthermore, a new way of treatment “Orthokerotoloy” helps slowdown the progression of myopia in children though night time contact lenses. According to researchers & eye care professionals, contact lenses help boost up self-confidence & self-esteem among children that lay long term positive impacts in the formation of child’s personality & character building. 

Also Read: Contact Lens Education for Children

Skin Care: 3 Everyday Things that are Disastrous to your Skin

Courtesy: Martina Dimoska

We all know that germs are everywhere and they are more devastating to skin than one could imagine. One can be cautious enough to handle faucets, toiletries and similar sanitary products they know about being harbor places of bacteria. However, we never pay attention to our glasses, mobile phones and pillow cases. Do we?

Watch out! Your Glasses are Germs-Infested

Like every other thing that comes in to contact with your skin collect sweat and germs, glasses that you wear with style also are highly infested with bacteria. The deposition of sebum from skin on to the frames and nose piece facilitates bacteria growth- The next time you wear frames; germs are transferred to your skin causing excessive acne. There is a likelihood of breakout in summer when the climate is more humid. Ditch your glasses with contact lenses and stay away from everyday hassles.

Your Mobile Phone is Acting Enemy to your Skin

Mobile phone probably is the most loved device that you often press against your cheeks. Since mobile phones cannot be washed, they keep accumulating the bacteria. Ever noticed, how frantically you leave the traces of your foundation and compact powder on your mobile’s screen every time you listened to a phone call?

Don’t be careless or else be ready for your skin being wrecked. Disinfect your mobile phones using anti-bacterial wipes at least once a week. If this sounds impractical; try using ear buds or speaker when responding to a call.

Your Own Face

It should not come as a surprise that your own face is collecting dirt, smoke and bacteria from the polluted environment. Merely washing it with soap and water does not help. You need to take many steps forward for pristine cleansing. Always wash your face off every time you come home with a foaming facial wash.

Cleanliness is the key for flawless skin. Medical experts opine that staying in AC chilled building leaves your skin dry whereas it also is a major source of transferring bacteria onto your skin. If on the other hand, you are a clean freak; take our word you are covered.

Are Contact Lenses a Right Choice for your Kid?

It has been observed that kids are taunted & mocked at school for wearing glasses. This does not only hurt their self-esteem but also push the confidence down. Humiliation becomes a common practice & kids are often labeled as “four-eyed, Poindexter, Nerd” etc. Though ditching glasses for contact lenses is better in many perspectives; certain important points should be taken into consideration before introducing your kid to circle contact lenses.

Problems that Kids Face whilst Wearing Glasses/Specs

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1. It is difficult for a kid to take care of glasses. They keep breaking frames, losing them or simply keep having an annoying uncomfortable feel. Specs can be dangerous if the kid while playing falls off & break the lenses. The particles of glasses might injure & get into eyes accidentally.
2. Glasses sit on the bridge of the nose whereas contact lenses float directly over the surface. This is why circle lenses offer better vision correction than the specs. Furthermore, circle lenses allow crisp peripheral vision which definitely is not possible with glasses.
3. Glasses get hazy and cloudy as the weather shifts from dry to cold, foggy or rainy. This makes young kids vulnerable to accidents and unfortunate happenings especially whilst crossing the roads & when travelling. Circle lenses on the other hand do not get affected by the meteorological changes only unless the weather becomes gross suddenly.

At What Age should a Kid be introduced to Circle Lenses?

There is a vague opinion on this among eye doctors. Some think that tweens (children under 10-12) can be fearlessly introduced to circle lenses whereas some opine that it is safe for kids to wear circle lenses once they enter the teen age.

Other than the age there are other factors parents must consider before taking circle lenses plunge for their child. Mental maturity, hygiene practices & child’s own motivation & urge for circle lenses matter the most.

Replacing glasses with circle lenses help boost the confidence of your child. It does not only feed the urge of looking beautiful but also add loads of convenience to the life of your kid. He would love the change as he does not need to fidget with his nerdy glasses every time he bends down or jump for a ball throw!

Are Circle Contact Lenses any Safer for Sports than Glasses?

Vision problems may cause huge obstacles in the life of an athlete. Sooner or later; an athlete finds himself in the dilemma of choosing between the two- glasses or circle contact lenses? Glasses fog, slip, fall off & what worse? They even fail to ensure crisp vision such as in case of peripheral (side) vision. Circle contact lenses on the other hand let you enjoy the bump-free bicycle ride, hassle-free jogging & ball games etc.  You are definitely to enjoy the liberation from glasses in high-contact games such as soccer, wrestling etc.

Why Circle Contact Lenses are better for Sports than Glasses?

Circle contact lenses are chosen by most of the athletes having vision-problems for several reasons. With glasses there are risks of injuries involved which on the other hand circle contact lenses prevent you from. Before indulging into sports such as rough & tough ball games like tennis, foot-ball, badminton & hiking; it is advised that you try on prescription circle contact lenses to maintain stable vision.

Benefits of Circle Contact Lenses in Sports which Glasses Can’t Provide

• Circle contact lenses do not get dirty and smashed off like glasses when busy in sports like race, mountain biking etc.
• Unlike glasses circle contact lenses do not move or bounce with the rhythm of your feet in ball games such as football, tennis, squash etc.
• Circle contact lenses remain unaffected by weather changes. Unlike glasses they do not pick up dirt & moisture from the environment.
• Contacts ensure wider field of vision; at which glasses are a sheer fail. Peripheral vision concerns are only and directly addressed by contact lenses.
• Circle contacts make it easier to wear protective eye goggles & wrap-around equipment. Since glasses tend to interfere with your helmet; circle lenses are definitely a no-brainer.

Circle contact lenses provide greater comfort, confidence & liberation. Whether you are an amateur sportsman who has just begun playing sports or a professional recreational athlete; glasses are not just practical for you. Wear branded prescribed circle lenses , culled from Korea & guard your eyes from glasses-related injuries!

Prescription I Contact Lenses & Glasses

Is your prescription for glasses and contact lenses same? No; it is different. Find out here> http://www.uniqso.com/is-my-prescription-for-glasses-and-contact-lenses-the-same why it is different and how the prescription works~

Vision Correction: Big Eye Contact Lenses or Glasses?

Often time you find it difficult to decide whether you should choose big eye contact lenses as the way of your vision correction or should you move for a traditional mode i.e. glasses. Some people think wearing big eye contact lenses is more beneficial as it does not cause strain on your nose and ears like glasses do. However at the same time; there are people who would prefer glasses only; as they might have several misconceptions about wearing big eye contact lenses for all the time. Know more about the pros and cons of glasses and contact lenses.