Contact Lenses
Drs. Kline and Boyd Optometrists, PLLC in Glens Falls offers many options for contact lenses.
There are a number of reasons why you might prefer contact lenses to standard eyewear: a glasses-free look, hassle-free vision correction, wearing non-prescription sunwear and goggles, or the convenience of not having to worry about misplacing your glasses. If you have a high prescription or astigmatism, contact lenses may provide more enhanced vision correction than glasses. Today, you can even replace your bifocal glasses with bifocal contact lenses.
Your eye care provider can recommend the best contact lenses for you based on a complete eye examination and a review of your visual needs both at work and play. Since most people can wear more than one type of lens, it’s important to know what the choices are and the advantages and disadvantages to each.
Scleral lenses
These are a custom specialty lens made from a rigid gas permeable material. Scleral lenses are a great new option for patients who suffer from conditions like keratoconus, irregular astigmatism, corneal ectasia, corneal irregularities or scarring, post-corneal transplants, severe dry eyes, or post refractive surgery (RK or LASIK). These lenses are a little larger than soft contact lenses and rest on the white of the eye which makes them more comfortable and easier to adapt to than traditional gas permeable hard lenses. They vault over the irregular cornea creating a new smoother optical surface, giving the patient much sharper vision than with traditional contacts or glasses. For many patients, improved vision with scleral lenses have kept them from needing a corneal transplant.
Scleral lenses are often considered medically necessary contacts and may be covered partially, or in full with your medical or vision plan.
If you are a new scleral lens wearer, or interested in trying sclerals, this is a great video with tips on insertion and removal of the lenses.
Soft Lenses
These lenses are comfortable to wear and must be replaced monthly, weekly or daily depending on the type you choose. Soft lenses are often recommended for sports because they fit closer to the eye and are more difficult to dislodge. They can provide correction for most prescriptions including astigmatism. Today, with the introduction of newer materials like silicone hydrogels, which allow more oxygen to the eye, patients find it easier than ever to wear soft lenses comfortably.
Gas-Permeable (GP) Lenses
Made of moderately flexible plastics, GP lenses offer sharp vision and correct most vision problems. They are more durable than soft contact lenses and can be easier to handle and care for but require a longer adaptation period and consistent wear to maintain adaptation.
Multifocal Lenses
In both soft and GP designs, multifocal lenses offer patients both distance and near vision correction just like a pair of bifocal glasses.
Color Contact Lenses
Enhance your eye color or even change it completely. Colored contact lenses are fun and come in a variety of colors for both light and dark eyes.
Silicone Hydrogels
Silicone hydrogels are soft contact lenses that have high oxygen permeability and are comparable to GP lenses.
Regardless of the type of contact lenses you wear, an annual eye exam is recommended to ensure the continued good health of your eyes. Schedule an appointment for an assessment and advice at Drs. Kline and Boyd Optometrists, PLLC in Glens Falls, and we will be in touch with you shortly.
