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CONTACT LENSES: If you are a spectacle wearer, then the possibility of wearing contact lenses has probably crossed your mind at some stage.  There are two types of contact lenses.   They are commonly referred to as being hard lenses or soft lenses.  No one can say which lens type is going to be the more suitable for you until your eyes have been examined. Both types are popular and in widespread use worldwide. 70% of America's contact lenses are of the soft type, while 65% of Japan's on the other hand are of the hard type.   The following conversation illustrates some important aspects concerning contact lenses:  Patient: Doctor, I've heard about contact lenses and I think I would prefer them to my glasses. Is it possible to be fitted with some?   Doctor: Possibly, but we'll have to examine your eyes first to ascertain whether or not your eyes are suitable for contact lenses.  Then we can move on to a few special examinations to decide what type of lens would suit you and your visual requirements best.  Patient: I hope I can wear lenses. I'm really tired of wearing glasses.  Doctor: Is that the only problem you have with glasses? The fact that you are tired of them?  Patient: Yes. I just want a change.  Other than that, I don't have any problems with my glasses.  Doctor: If you are near-sighted, you should be an ideal candidate for contacts.  If you have only a small amount of astigmatism, you should do well with soft lenses.  We normally prescribe hard lenses for patients with more severe astigmatism.  Contact lenses can however be used for all types of refractive errors.  Patient: How does the price compare to spectacles?  Doctor: That depends largely on the cost of the spectacle frames.  The largest expense with contact lenses is the initial outlay, and then subsequently, it is costs for cleaning, sterilizing and deproteinizing.  Contact lenses probably work out to be more expensive than glasses, but they do have benefits which perhaps outweigh the greater expense.  Patient: What are the other benefits besides the cosmetic appearance?  Doctor: First, your spectacle frames no longer bother you.  Their weight on your nose, the presence of the frame that will reduce your visual field and fogging up of the lenses just don't occur with contacts.  You will experience greater visual freedom in your daily activities.  Sport will be easier to practice and your visual field will be increased.  Patient: What are the possible side-effects or complications associated with them?  Doctor: Infection is probably the most common and potentially dangerous problem we encounter.  Damage to the eye such as corneal abrasions can occur, and there can be other problems like loss of the lenses or damage to the lenses.  Some patients develop an allergy to the lenses or the cleaning solutions, which makes further wear of the lenses virtually impossible.  Patient: These all seem like problems which can be overcome or even avoided with proper care.  Doctor: You are right.  In most cases, if the person is very desirous of wearing contact lenses and is highly motivated, he will have an excellent chance of success with the lenses.  Patient: Well, I'm happy with what I've heard.  I'm definitely interested.  Doctor: All right. Now we need to continue with the investigation to be sure your eyes are suitable for contact lens wear and if so, what lens to get for you.  The basic choice of lenses is between hard and soft.  Both types have their own advantages and disadvantages.  The pros and cons of each, together with the examination results and visual requirements, are weighed and a particular lens is decided on.  The advantages of hard contact lenses are:  First that they cost a bit less than soft lenses.  Second, children and the elderly find them easier to handle than soft lenses and they are much more durable and tend to last longer.  Third, they usually provide the best vision.  They do have some disadvantages however:  They may require a longer period of adaptation than other lenses.  They can break.  They can spontaneously fall out of the eye, especially in the early stages of wear if the patient blinks while looking to the side.  Another consideration, especially if you are considering alternating glasses and contact lens wear, is that the longer adaptation needed with hard lenses could cause spectacle blur.  This is where the vision with glasses is blurred after having worn contacts for a length of time, and it takes much longer before the vision is crisp again than with soft lenses.  Soft contact lenses have advantages such as greater comfort, often even after the very first few moments of wear.  They hardly ever fall out of the eye.  This is of great benefit to sportsmen, and they are more comfortable than hard lenses during dusty activities such as farming or motor biking.  They produce less spectacle blur and are therefore easier to interchange with glasses, allowing intermittent wear.  They are also more difficult to be seen by others, thus making them better cosmetically.  Further, they are larger than hard lenses and the edge of the lens is never seen, where with hard lenses it is seen intermittently, when the person blinks and the lens is moved up and down on the eye.  Their greatest disadvantage is their cost.  They are more expensive than hard lenses.  They are more difficult to clean than hard lenses and they may tear or fray. Vision is usually not as good as it would be with a hard lens.  This is especially true in cases of astigmatism.  Their insertion and removal can be difficult, especially in the elderly.  There are other considerations too, which your eye care practitioner will take into account when fitting you with contact lenses.  If you have been established as a good potential contact lens wearer and are motivated, in  all probability, you will do very well with lenses.

  If you have any further questions regarding contact lenses, please consult your eye specialist.