Coming to Terms with Contact Lenses’ Prescriptions and Their Expiration

Despite all the information available about contact lenses, there is still one area where misconceptions crop up concerning the nature of contacts and their use: prescriptions and their expirations.

Eye doctors and contact lens sellers remain surprised that a good number of people continue to ask why they need a prescription to wear contact lenses. In cases like these, the prevailing notion seems to be that contacts are somehow just a fashion accessory and not the controlled medical devices that they are. It is true that patients have been given greater freedom to shop around for their lenses since the federal government required that contact wearers have a copy of their prescription. However, this freedom may have fostered assumptions that contacts have become less controlled. No one would think of taking a medication to treat a serious illness without benefit of a doctor’s prescription because that medication must be monitored so it will do no harm. The same holds true for contacts. A lens that fits poorly, is not perfectly matched to your vision power, or is made from material not best suited for your eyes will cause problems. Not only is discomfort a most likely result, but inflammation, infection, and permanent damage to eye tissue are also risks.

Once you have the proper prescription it is important to remember that it is subject to expiration, in most cases after one year. Your eyes may continue to feel good and lens wear remains comfortable, but there could be microscopic changes in your eye health that are not noticeable. An annual exam with your eye doctor assures that any potential problems with your eyes are caught and corrected before they become serious. These regular exams also keep up with how your lenses are performing and allows for any required updates in regards to power, size, material, or design.

In addition to prescription expiration, soft contact lenses themselves have a time limit placed on them. Despite the airtight packaging used on most brands of soft contacts, the passage of time may weaken or compromise the seal. This leads to contamination of the sterile saline solution and the lens inside. Expiration dates can be found on the box and on the lens’ foil wrapper. Dates are printed in a year-month format, meaning the contacts within can be used until the last day of the month in the calendar year indicated (e.g. 2014/12 means you can use the lenses until December 31, 2014). Once an expiration date has been reached, discard the lenses immediately and obtain fresh ones.

Contact lenses provide great convenience and comfort regarding vision correction, but it is important to remember that they also impact a most sensitive part of our bodies, the eyes. Regular and timely visits with your eye doctor are necessary to maintain eye health and to make sure they are enhanced--not harmed--by the contacts we choose.

Ending Discomfort Associated with Contact Lenses

The ongoing advance of contact lens technology in recent years has made the wearing and enjoyment of contacts more widespread. Nevertheless, there may be instances where discomfort may occur in some people’s use of lenses. In most situations where this is an issue, there are relatively simple solutions.

Eyes that burn when contacts are inserted are many times due to substances that get on the lenses through handling. Skin lotions, cosmetics, food oils, and soaps with additives (e.g. moisturizers and perfumes) can easily find their way onto your contact lenses. Search out ‘basic’ or ‘all natural’ soaps for use and make sure your hands are thoroughly dried with a lint-free towel before handling your contacts. Daily disposable lenses go a long way to cut down on contamination because you use them once and then throw them away.

Foreign body sensation (the feeling that something is in the eye) when wearing contacts could be a sign that your lens fit may not be just right. This cause may be as simple as inverted lenses, a nick at the edge of the lens, a torn lens or an incorrect base curve or diameter. Lipids and natural deposits left on lenses due to tear production is another factor, and can be removed with the proper cleaning solution. Your eye doctor can help you with the correct fitting and care regimen necessary.

Dry eyes while using contact lenses can possibly be solved by having your current lens fitting reevaluated by your eye doctor. A switch to contacts better suited for dry eye symptoms (silicone hydrogels are one type) may be recommended. Certain eye drops used for dryness in conjunction with lenses are available. High intakes of caffeine and alcohol contribute to the problem, so a moderation in their consumption may help.

Silicone hydrogels have also come to the rescue of those who find they cannot wear their lenses as long as they would like each day. These soft lenses have increased wear time due to their high rate of oxygen flow to the cornea, which also promotes good eye health in addition to comfort.

Other factors that affect contact lens comfort are the presence of allergies, medical problems, and the use of some prescription medications. Smoking raises a whole host of health complications associated with vision.

The most important thing to remember is that discomfort in most cases does not mean having to give up your contact lenses. Meetings with your eye doctor will very likely result in greater satisfaction and enhanced visual freedom.

Answering Some Common Questions About Contacts

As long as contact lenses have been a common and widely available means of vision correction, there also have been some basic questions that people ask—especially if they do not wear them and/or are contemplating a switch from eyeglasses.

For the ‘sophisticated’ contact wearer, the following questions may seem silly or unnecessary, but they are of great concern to those who are thinking of purchasing lenses or those who are new wearers. In this regard, they should not be dismissed, as any exchange of information that is useful to someone is certainly not a waste of time.

Are contacts bad for your eyes? Do they make your eyes worse? The success rate among contact lenses over their decades of use is indisputable. However, ‘bad’ depends on how conscientious users are in following the wear and care regimen that is vital to eye health. Since contacts are placed directly on the eye, the natural oxygen flow to the eye is immediately reduced by a factor related to the lens material itself. Industry developments over the past 5-7 years have greatly improved oxygen transmission through the lens material. Nevertheless, careless habits employed by the wearer will increase the potential for infections and other problems. The best defense is to heed all of your eye doctor’s instructions on lenses’ wear time and cleaning. As far as making eyes worse, this is a misconception borne out of contact use among children who often experience a progression of myopia (nearsightedness) during their growing years. Studies* have shown that children who wear eyeglasses under the same circumstances have a nearly identical rate of progression. It is simply that myopic changes are greatest during childhood.

Are contact lenses difficult to insert? After your eye doctor has assisted you in achieving a good fit with the right type of contact, they will also demonstrate the proper way to insert and remove the lenses. There may be those who struggle at first with insertion, but patience and practice leads to success rather quickly. It has been proven that children as young as eight are able to successfully handle contact lenses; if they can do it so can you!

Can contacts get lost in your eyes? They certainly cannot find their way to the back of the eyeball, as some fear, due to the nature of the membrane of the inner eyelid (conjuctiva). This membrane continues up the inside lid to become the covering of your eye’s outer white surface; nothing can get behind the eye. However, lenses can move into the upper eyelid, usually due to rubbing or sudden jostle. When this happens, use re-wetting drops in your eye and gently massage the lid with your eye closed to move the lens to a position where it can be removed. Another method is to carefully turn up your eyelid so that it is inside out (employ a cotton swab on the outside of the lid to fold onto), tilt your head back, and use the inverted eyelid to move the contact onto the eye’s surface so it can be removed. If the above methods prove unsuccessful, ask someone for assistance or immediately see your eye doctor.

Where can contacts be bought without a prescription? Contact lenses are classified as medical devices by the FDA and cannot be purchased without a valid prescription from an eye doctor. However, since you have a legal right to obtain your prescription from your eye doctor, you have the freedom to shop and select the seller who best fills your needs.

These are only some of the questions asked about contact lenses. Your eye doctor is the best source for answers when it comes to the wearing and care of lenses. They are willing partners and the dialogue between you can only improve your satisfaction with contacts.


*The Adolescent and Child Health Initiative to Encourage Vision Empowerment (ACHIEVE) is an example.

Contacts Match Active Lifestyles at All Ages

In recent decades, Americans have become more active as they try to live a healthy lifestyle. Whether it is competitive sports or leisurely pastimes such as jogging, walking, or swimming, we are going and doing in greater numbers than our grandparents. However, if you are among the millions who require vision correction you have another concern: finding the type of lenses that won’t inhibit your activity level or enjoyment.

Although tolerated for years, eyeglasses remain pretty much a non-starter as far as being the best means for seeing well while exerting yourself. There are many disadvantages: restricted peripheral vision, slipping or falling frames, putting up with spectacle headbands, accommodating goggles, etc. Oftentimes glasses are the main reason people opt not to take up a sport.

Contact lenses have certainly made it easier to participate in physical activities, with their convenience and range of choices. Also, because of recent studies showing that responsible children can be successfully fitted for contacts, the entry age for kids who need vision correction and wish to start playing sports now begins at approximately eight years old. At the other end of the scale, older or ‘more mature’ individuals are able to continue enjoying healthful exercise with contacts that have come a long way in addressing eye conditions related with age, primarily presbyopia and dry eye.

Between the two types of contacts favored today, soft and gas permeable (GP), soft contacts get the nod as the better choice when it comes to active wear. Besides being more comfortable and quicker to get used to, their gel-like make-up allows them to adhere to the eye in such a way that they do not fall out during exercise or strenuous activity. Gas permeable contact lenses, because of their rigid and smaller-diameter design, tend to move or dislodge as the body exhibits vigorous motion. A recent development, hybrid lenses, may make it easier for those who are bound to a GP contact. Hybrids blend the corrective qualities of GPs with the comfort of soft lenses.

Disposable lenses have been a boon to sports enthusiasts who find themselves in situations where a strict contact-cleaning regimen is unwieldy, i.e. camping, sailing, or hunting excursions that can last for days. Beginning with a fresh pair every day and discarding them before retiring for the night, disposables are seemingly made for those constantly on the go.

Nowadays there are eye care practitioners who can specifically fit for participants in competitive or professional sports. Adapting general fitting techniques to the more precise need of a particular activity accomplishes this, whether it is softball or soccer for school-age children or golf and tennis that appeal to an older crowd.

Be mindful that any change in eyewear you plan to make is done in close consultation with your eye doctor. This is necessary to arrive at the proper lens for comfort and ease that will allow an enhanced enjoyment of your activities.

Contact Lenses and Solutions

Conscientious contact wearers are fully aware that taking proper care of their lenses is important and vital to continued eye health. The cleaning and storing regimen is a major part of this care.

There are various types of solutions made to accomplish safe cleaning and storage and it is easy to become confused about which does what. The following breakdown may be helpful.
· Cleaning solutions remove bacteria and debris, including dirt and mucous.
· Disinfecting solutions are used when storing your lenses, killing bacteria when you are not wearing your contacts.
· Multi-purpose solutions combine cleansers with disinfectants and can be used to remove proteins on lenses that come from tears.
· Peroxide solutions are also disinfectants, but most importantly come with a neutralizing agent that must be employed to convert the peroxide to saline before contacts can be placed on the eye. Peroxide in the eye will cause serious injury.
· Enzyme cleaners and protein removers target tear deposits that may irritate eyes.
· Rewetting solutions moisten lenses during the course of the day as they become dry; also called comfort drops, they can extend lens wear.
· Rinsing solutions basically wash across lenses to ready them for use, but do not kill bacteria.

Solutions should not be kept beyond their expiration dates; neither should they be mixed unless okayed by a doctor.

With all the above information, not to mention expense, an obvious question would be why not use tap water as a cleanser? Because despite the best filtration systems, tap water carries microorganisms and bacteria that can cause serious eye infections such as Acanthamoeba keratitis, a parasite-triggered condition that is sometimes difficult to diagnose and leads to permanent vision loss if allowed to advance. Bottled and distilled water are also off limits as impromptu solutions for the same reason.

It is also important to remember that swimming pools, hot tubs, and other recreational waters pose the same potential health risks if water is splashed in the eyes while wearing contacts. If this happens, remove the lenses as soon as possible, rinse and store them overnight to a proper disinfecting solution. A way to avoid this problem, especially if you are a ‘water-loving’ person who has no solution handy, is to carry disposable contacts. Disposables can be discarded and replaced once you leave the pool, lake or tub.

As for selecting the right solution for reusable lens care, your eye doctor is the person to go to for the information you need to navigate the various types and brands available. In fact, consultation is vital for first-time contact wearers and those wishing to switch from an established care regimen.

You enjoy the comfort and convenience provided by contacts. By approaching the cleaning and care aspects in an informed and responsible manner, you will ensure your healthy enjoyment of lenses for years to come.

Dry Eye Syndrome in Regards to Contacts

If your eyes have feelings of dryness, scratching, burning, or the sensation that something is in your eye, then you may be suffering from dry eye syndrome (what doctors call keratitis sicca). It is basically diminished amount of moisture due to evaporation or rapid draining of the tear film on the eye; it can also refer to a lack in the quality of tears, as they are made up of three components: oil, water, and mucous.

Some factors that lead to dry eye include the natural aging process; side effects from medications; dry, dusty or windy climates (don’t discount indoor ‘climates’ such as home or offices affected by air conditioning or heating systems that dry out eyes); smoking; and insufficient blinking caused by concentrating on computer screens and the like. There are also health conditions that can play a role: eye gland disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes.

Contact lens wearers can also fall into a pattern of dry eye, as this is a complaint from roughly 50% of users. However, combinations of treatment and types of lenses made to offset dry eye means one does not necessarily have to give up contacts.

First, if you suspect dry eye problems visit your eye doctor for a full examination to determine the type and extent of the disorder. From there, a treatment plan can be established. In recent years, developments both with contact lenses and other products have brought new weapons to the dry eye front.

Among the contact lens brands in this regard are Acuvue Oasys, Focus Night & Day, Ciba O2 Optix, Acuvue Advance, Bausch & Lomb PureVision and Proclear Compatibles. Using these lenses alone or in combination with doctor-approved eye drops or prescription medications have helped many with dry eye. Drops with cyclosporine in a castor oil base aid the body in producing more tears; this is more popularly recognized as Restasis. Other measures that can be taken include maintaining good care of your lenses, being more mindful about blinking frequently and completely throughout the day (which keeps up the natural wetting process), and re-soaking the lenses in solution for a few minutes to extend comfortable wear time.

When it comes to producing tears with the proper consistency, nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and oils gleaned from fresh-water fish are helpful. Flaxseed oil is also recommended.

Surgically, there is a process where punctal (also called lacrimal) plugs can be inserted in the tear ducts to slow the draining of moisture from the eye. The process is painless and usually the plugs are not felt after they are in place. There is also an insert that can be set inside the lower eyelid that releases a lubricating agent throughout the day.

With contact lens manufacturers, medical researchers, and other professionals continuing to look for better ways to minimize or eliminate dry eye syndrome, it is only a matter of time until discomfort from this problem becomes a thing of the past.

Advantages of RGP Contact Lenses

Just because RGP (rigid gas permeable, oftentimes referred to just as GPs) contact lenses have been around a long time and have been seemingly displaced in popularity by soft contacts, they are still an important player in correcting eye disorders.

Rigid Gas Permeable lenses came along as a better alternative to PMMA, or hard, contacts. Hard contacts did not allow oxygen to pass through to the eye, setting up a situation wherein prolonged wear caused complications such as swelling, cloudiness to the cornea, blurred vision, and infection. The materials in RGP contacts are more oxygen friendly and the firm construction of the lens conducts a flow of tears across the cornea during blinking; this provides adequate and much-needed moisture to the eyes.

Gas permeable lenses hold their own alongside soft contacts for a variety of reasons. They can be fitted in a more custom-made manner to the eye and retain their shape better during the blinking process, which keeps crisp vision from fluctuating. The rigidity also assists astigmatism patients in maintaining a rounded cornea that will let light hit the center of the retina, producing desired clarity of vision. In this vein, GPs become the only resort for those with irregular or severely scarred corneas. They are also a top choice when post-LASIK wear becomes necessary to correct remaining aberrations following surgery.

While it is true that on average it takes two to three weeks to become comfortable with GPs (soft lenses tend to provide more immediate comfort), once a satisfactory fit is reached, the quality of vision attained makes the adjustment period well worth it.

The care regimen* for GPs is easier because of their resistance to proteins and other deposits; they hold up over time to repeated cleaning. Needless to say, a longer-lasting lens can be less expensive due to fewer replacements.

Gas permeable lenses can be made with various designs and materials, freeing the fitter to fashion a contact to meet precise needs. Recent advances in technology have allowed a hybrid lens to be developed that combines the best features of soft contacts with those of GPs. The result is a lens with a rigid gas permeable center married to a soft outer skirting—giving the wearer sharp vision and comfort.

So, despite the vogue for soft contacts, GPs should not be discounted when selecting a suitable lens. They have a proven track record that makes them far from obsolete.


*Always follow your eye doctor’s instructions for proper wear and cleaning of contact lenses. They will also assist in choosing the best lens and answer any questions concerning GPs, soft contacts, and other lenses available to you.