Considering Contacts

Instead Of Glasses?

Many individuals prefer contact lenses to eyeglasses for correcting their vision. Some people wear their contacts on a daily basis, while others do just for specific occasions, such as playing sports or date nights.

Even if you’ve been told in the past that you can’t wear contact lenses, at Independent Optical, we may still be able to help you. Specialty contacts are available for patients with dry eyes or high levels of astigmatism.

Considering Contacts

Instead Of Glasses?

Many individuals prefer contact lenses to eyeglasses for correcting their vision. Some people wear their contacts on a daily basis, while others do just for specific occasions, such as playing sports or date nights.

Even if you’ve been told in the past that you can’t wear contact lenses, at Independent Optical, we may still be able to help you. Specialty contacts are available for patients with dry eyes or high levels of astigmatism.

Common Myths

For Contact Lens Wearers

Tap Water and Saline are just as good at cleaning my lenses as my Multipurpose Solution.

FALSE!
Multipurpose Cleaners for contact lenses contain disinfecting chemicals that clean and soften your lenses to keep them healthy and comfortable. Tap water may contain harmful microbes that can give you severe eye infections, and contact lenses should NEVER be stored in tap water. Saline solution is a pH balanced water, and it does not contain any disinfecting properties, and it does not help to soften and lubricate your lenses. Please replace your multipurpose solution daily, even if you do not wear your lenses every day.

I only need to replace my monthly contact lenses when they start to bother my eyes.

FALSE!
Soft contact lens materials are designed to have oxygen pores that allow your eyes to breathe under the plastic material. As soon as the lens is exposed to air when you open the package for the first time, the oxygen pores begin to degrade. It takes approximately 30 days for the oxygen pores to collapse, and then your contact lens material does not allow oxygen to your eyes, and they slowly suffocate. This is why your eyes begin to get irritated; they are starving for oxygen! Even if you do not wear your monthly lenses every day, you should replace the lenses every 30 days for the best eye health and lowest risk of infection.

My contact lens case is good forever if I wash it with soap and water.

FALSE!
Despite the fact that the case looks clean, your contact lens case needs to be replaced every 2-3 months. The bacteria in your case becomes resistant to the disinfecting solution in your case, and will knit together to form a biofilm. This biofilm cannot be cleaned with contact lens solution, soap and water, or many common cleaners. The only way to remove these bacteria is to boil your case for a minimum of 30 minutes (and most cases will melt before that time). Please throw away your case and replace it with a new one at least every 2-3 months to make sure you are not dipping your contact lenses in super bugs!

I can still wear my contact lenses if my eyes are irritated.

FALSE!
Please discontinue contact lens wear immediately if your eyes become red or irritated. You can cause a lot of damage to the surface of your eyes, and you increase the risk of infection and corneal ulcers by over-wearing your lenses. We recommend leaving your lenses out for at least 10 awake hours per week to let your eyes breathe and heal. If your eyes are painful or irritated, please call the office today or walk in for an urgent eye care visit.

Sleeping in my contact lenses for a few days at a time is fine.

FALSE!
Few monthly contact lenses are designed to sustain healthy levels of oxygen to the surface of your eyes while you sleep, so take those lenses out every night. Daily disposable contact lenses are even worse at oxygen transmission, and you are at an even higher risk of permanently damaging your eyes if you sleep in your dailies. The increased risk of infection is 10x higher if you sleep in your lenses.

I can wear my daily contact lenses for a few days at a time as long as I take them out every night.

FALSE!
Similar to monthly lenses needing to be changed every 30 days, the daily disposable contact lens has a surface coating that comes off in multipurpose cleaning solutions, preventing the lenses from staying wet and increasing the risk of corneal damage. The lenses are also designed to break down after about 18 hours once the lens is exposed to air for the first time, so as soon as the package is opened, the lens will not be breathable for a second or third day. Be careful with the health of your eyes! Being thrifty with your vision could lead you to a severe eye infection or permanent corneal scarring. The cost of an office visit or two is more expensive and inconvenient than replacing your lenses as scheduled.

I wear bifocals, so I can't wear contact lenses anymore.

FALSE!
We love to work with experienced wearers and new wearers alike to provide you with the most advanced technology in multifocal contact lenses. We are happy to be able to provide great distance and near vision in the same lens to reduce your dependency on reading glasses. You can even wear multifocal lenses if you have astigmatism!

My eyes are too dry for contact lenses. I have tried them in the past, and they did not work for me.

FALSE!
There are advanced contact lens materials designed for patients with high screen time and detail demands to provide all day comfort with any environment. You may need to treat the dry eye on the ocular surface to get the best results, but we can help with that, too!

Common Contact Complications

Corneal curvature – This is measured with an instrument called a keratometer to determine the appropriate curve for your contact lenses.

Pupil or iris size – Our doctor may measure the size of your pupil or your iris (the colored area of your eye) using an instrument called a biomicroscope or slit lamp or manually with a ruler or card.

Tear film evaluation – One of the most common issues with contact lenses is dry eyes. If your lenses aren’t kept hydrated and moist, they can become uncomfortable and your eyes will feel dry, irritated and itchy. A tear film evaluation is performed by putting a drop of liquid dye on your eye and viewing your tears with a slit lamp or with special equipment to determine your tear film quality.

Your Prescription

What’s Right For You

After determining the right type of contact lenses for your eyes, you may try on a pair of lenses to check the comfort and fit before finalizing your prescription. If they are a good fit, we’ll order your new lenses and provide you with instructions to care for them.

Considering Contacts

Instead Of Glasses?

Many individuals prefer contact lenses to eyeglasses for correcting their vision. Some people wear their contacts on a daily basis, while others do just for specific occasions, such as playing sports or date nights.

Even if you’ve been told in the past that you can’t wear contact lenses, at Independent Optical, we may still be able to help you. Specialty contacts are available for patients with dry eyes or high levels of astigmatism.

Considering Contacts

Instead Of Glasses?

Many individuals prefer contact lenses to eyeglasses for correcting their vision. Some people wear their contacts on a daily basis, while others do just for specific occasions, such as playing sports or date nights.

Even if you’ve been told in the past that you can’t wear contact lenses, at Independent Optical, we may still be able to help you. Specialty contacts are available for patients with dry eyes or high levels of astigmatism.

Common Myths

For Contact Lens Wearers

Common Contact Complications

Corneal curvature – This is measured with an instrument called a keratometer to determine the appropriate curve for your contact lenses.

Pupil or iris size – Our doctor may measure the size of your pupil or your iris (the colored area of your eye) using an instrument called a biomicroscope or slit lamp or manually with a ruler or card.

Your Prescription

What’s Right For You

After determining the right type of contact lenses for your eyes, you may try on a pair of lenses to check the comfort and fit before finalizing your prescription. If they are a good fit, we’ll order your new lenses and provide you with instructions to care for them.