Saving Money On Contact Lenses - Get The Facts

Always buy from a reputable company; you can buy discount contact lenses without a prescription, but the company is selling you a prescription device as if it were an over-the-counter device, in violation of FTC regulations - selling you lenses without having a prescription from you. All correcting contact lenses must have a valid prescription from an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Ophthalmologists (M.D. or D.O.) are eye surgeons who study and treat eye diseases and can also perform the duties of optometrists; optometrists (O.D.) examine eyes, diagnose and treat vision problems, and prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses and in most states they also can prescribe medicine; opticians grind and dispense eyeglasses and in some states dispense contact lenses.

You'll want to take simple precautions to make any lens purchase safe and effective. Before you buy contact lenses from anyone other than your eye care professional, it pays to be a wise consumer.

The length of continuous lens wear depends on the lens type and your doctor's evaluation of your tolerance for overnight wear. Soft lenses have the added benefit in that soft lenses aren't as likely as rigid lenses to pop out or get foreign material like dust underneath. Newer soft lens materials include silicone-hydrogels to provide more oxygen to your eyes.

There are several types of lenses including: soft contact lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses, extended wear lenses and disposables. It's important for your eyes to have a rest, without lenses, for at least one night following each scheduled removal. Rigid lenses generally give you more clear vision.

Extra-thin soft lenses are on the market for very sensitive people. There are two general categories of contact lenses - soft and rigid gas permeable. Some doctors prescribe disposables as planned-replacement lenses, which are removed, disinfected, and reused before being discarded.

Rigid lenses don't absorb chemicals, unlike soft lenses which will soak up residue from your hands like soap or lotion. Extended wear lenses are usually soft contact lenses; made of flexible plastics that allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea.

Get a feel for how the retailer handles customer service calls; in case you have a problem after your order arrives. Carefully check to make sure the company gives you the exact brand you ordered, the name of the lens, the power, sphere, cylinder, if any, axis, if any, diameter base curve, and peripheral curves, if any. Buy your contact lenses from a supplier you're familiar with and know is reliable or has name familiarity

Wherever you buy, shop for quality and value and don't forget you want to do what's best for your eye health. You can buy contact lenses from an eye doctor, on the Internet, from an optical store or a warehouse club. There are many good contact lens retailers now on the Internet making their lenses available at a good discount for prescription and non-prescription lenses.

If you have an insurance plan, the insurance plan's seller's prices may or may not be better than what you can find elsewhere; this should be just one option when you're shopping for lenses. When you place your order make sure your lenses are available and not out of stock, because you'll need them now. Compare prices - get quotes from two or three online and offline suppliers.

One sight-threatening concern is the infection Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is caused by improper lens care; this difficult-to-treat parasitic infection's symptoms are similar to those of corneal ulcers. Extended-wear rigid lenses can cause unexpected, undesirable, reshaping of the cornea. If your eyes become red or irritated, remove the lenses immediately and consult with your doctor.

Replace your contacts as recommended by your eye doctor because they wear out as time goes by. When the eyes are open, tears carry adequate oxygen to the cornea to keep it healthy, but during sleep, the eye produces fewer tears, causing the cornea to swell. Soft extended-wear lenses bind down on the closed eye, but they are porous and allow some tears through during sleep; because they have so little form, their binding has very little effect on the shape of the eye.

Make sure to visit a reputable eye doctor for a complete eye examination once a year, or more frequently if needed. Laser surgery and its risks can be frightening and too expensive for some people; contacts can provide a safe, comfortable and time-tested alternative. Make sure you've done your homework before you buy any pair of contact lenses.