RX for Contact Lenses

A prescription for contact lenses is not the same as a prescription for eyeglasses. A prescription and fitting for contact lenses is more involved than an exam for spectacle lenses. To obtain a contact lenses prescription the doctor will first do a refraction to determine your refractive error, and then take additional measurements, including the corneal curvature and tear film assessment, to determine the best fitting contact lens and best material for your individual needs. An exam and fitting for contact lenses will include your spectacle prescription, as the contact lens prescription is then converted to the corneal plane for optimal contact lens dioptric power. The fitting fee for a contact lens exam costs more because it is more involved and also includes the follow up care to ensure optimal fit and performance with your new lenses. A final prescription for contact lenses will be determined after the follow up care indicates patient and doctor satisfaction with the comfort level and performance of the chosen mode of wear. A contact lens prescription expires after 12 months.

Types of Contact Lenses
  • Soft Lenses
    Soft contacts range in water content from 25% to 79%, are easy to adapt to, and are quite comfortable. Soft contact lenses come in a wider variety of replacement schedules.

    Type of Contact Lens Replacement Schedule
    Daily Disposable 1 Day
    Extended Wear (you can sleep with the lenses) 1 week to 1 month
    Daily Wear 2 weeks
    Frequent Replacement 1 month to several months
    Conventional 1 year

    Color Lenses
    Color contacts come in a wide variety of colors, including hazel, green, blue, violet, amethyst and gray. Color contact lenses are available in plano (without correction) and in corrective powers. You will still need a prescription to get color contacts in plano power. Dr. Battani will help you decide which color best suits your personality and appearance.


  • RGP (Rigid Gas Permeable) Lenses
    Rigid gas permeable contact lenses take longer to adapt to, but are more durable and more resistant to deposit buildup. They tend to be less expensive over the life of the lens (but the upfront cost is higher) and can offer some people crisper vision than they would have with soft contacts. With GP lenses, you generally replace them every couple of years, because they are made of a very durable material (though a prescription change would necessitate new lenses).
Lens Design
  • Single Vision Contact Lenses
    Single vision lens corrects Myopia (near sightness), Hyperopia (far-sightness), and Astigmatism.

  • Bifocal Lenses
    Bifocal contacts work much like bifocal eyeglasses. They have two powers on one lens: one to correct distance vision and the other to correct near vision. Bifocal contacts are available in both soft and RGP (rigid gas permeable) materials.

  • Mono Vision Lenses
    Monovision contacts are an alternate option to bifocal contact lens wear. With monovision, you wear one contact lens with one power to correct distance vision and the other contact lens with one power to correct near vision. The distance vision lens is usually worn in your dominant eye.


CARING FOR CONTACT LENSES
By Dr. Battani

Through the miracle of modern technology and advances in biochemistry, contact lenses have become easier to care for than ever before. Contact lens solution manufacturers have nearly made care systems and regimens completely idiot proof. Following a few simple rules and guidelines with your hygiene practices can greatly reduce the risk of infection and long-term problems associated with contact lens wear.
  1. Always wash your hands with soap and water prior to handling your lenses.
    The normal flora and fauna (microscopic bacterial population) that lives on your skin is not a health risk to you systemically, but is a common source of infection in the eyes. Be sure to completely dry your hands or rinse your hands with your all purpose solution before touching your contact lenses. Tap water contains some live organisms, particularly Acanthoemeba, which can attack the perfectly healthy, in tact cornea, causing the complete destruction of the cornea within 48 hours if untreated. Drinking this water is in no way harmful since your digestive system is equipped to handle these organisms. They simply pass through your digestive system without any consequence. For this reason, never place a contact lens in tap water and then directly into your eyes. Also, you should never place a contact lens in your mouth and then directly into your eyes. If it is necessary to store a lens in tap water to keep it from drying out, you should then place it in your disinfecting solution over night to kill the bacteria that may have entered the lens as a result. The general rule of thumb is better safe than sorry. For added information, Acanthoemeba is the same organism that lives in lake water and causes a few cases of devastating eye infection every summer. For this reason, it is not recommended that you swim in lake water while wearing contact lenses.
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