Switching To Contact Lenses

If you're fed up with trying to deal with the daily annoyances of your glasses, you might be considering switching from glasses to contact lenses.

switching from glasses to contact lenses
Tip: switching from glasses to contact lenses

Tips for Transitioning from Glasses to Contacts

Switching from glasses to contact lenses is easier than you may think.  For many people contact lenses are the preferred alternative to vision correction these days, offering you the vision enhancement you need at a price you can afford.  Before switching to contact lenses there are a few things you’ll need to know about your contacts.

 

The first thing you’ll need to do when getting contact lenses is to visit your optician and be fitted for the lenses.  Your optician will give you a prescription for your contacts, examine the health of your eyes, and tell you which type of contacts will work the best for you.  He or she can also tell you which contacts are best for your budget as well.

 

These days, there are several contact lenses to choose from.  You have many different manufacturers as well, offering many different types, colours, and styles.  Not all are suitable for you though, as no two eyes are the same.  When you get fitted for your contact lenses, your optician will be able to help you make that decision.

 

When you first start to wear contacts, you should never wear them for extended periods of time.  Contacts will need some time to adjust to your eyes, and your eyes will need some time to rest.  Initially, your eyes may begin to feel tired after wearing contact lenses for a brief period of time. To prevent and treat eye fatigue, only wear your contacts for a couple of hours at a time to start. Then each day, add another hour of wearing time until you can comfortably wear your lenses for an entire workday.

Your optician will tell you what he recommends, which is normally a few hours during the day then take them out.  With each passing day, you can wear them for longer periods until your eyes gradually adjust.

Your optometrist will also advise you on how to properly care for and store your lenses.

 

Another aspect that contact lens wearers take some getting used to, is knowing how to handle your contact lenses.  You’ll need to make sure that your hands are clean before you handle your contacts, to avoid scratching or damaging the lenses.  When you take your contacts out or put them in your eyes, you’ll need to handle them – which requires your hands to be clean.

Glasses vs. Contact Lenses: Tips For Switching
Glasses vs. Contact Lenses: Tips For Switching

Something you may experience with your new contact lenses is blurry vision the distortion usually results from dry eyes.  Dryness in the eyes when wearing contacts is very common and should be expected.  When wearing prescription glasses, this is one problem you won’t have.  If your eyes start to dry out when wearing your contacts, you should put a few eye drops of re-wetting or saline solution in your eyes.  These drops will help to moisten your eyes and give you some relief from the irritation that dryness causes.

 

Although prescription glasses need to be cleaned frequently, contact lenses need to be cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis.  Protein will build upon the surface of the contacts, requiring them to be cleaned with a disinfecting or multi-purpose solution.  The easiest way to do this is to soak your contacts in the solution when you go to sleep at night.  This way, you can wake up in the morning and your contact lenses will be ready to wear.

It’s also a good idea to establish a routine, such as always putting the right lens in first and then the left. Follow the same routine when you take your contacts out for the day, and you’ll reduce your risk of mixing them up.

All in all, contact lenses are preferred over glasses.  You’ll need to change them out though, normally every couple of weeks.  Changing them out with a fresh pair will make your eyes feel refreshed, and keep you from getting an eye infection. One of the best ways to prevent eye infections and keep your contacts and eyes free of debris is to wash your hands every time you handle your contact lenses.

Contact lenses are great for virtually anyone, and they can give you a full range of sight.  They won’t hang off your face like glasses – yet they will give you more freedom in knowing that you can do virtually any activity you choose.

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