Contact lenses have become modernized over several
decades including large strides that have changed the health and optics
available. In the past two to three years, major manufacturers of contact
lenses have continued to expand the population that can be potentially served
by innovative technology and combining successful design models from the past.
Many patients come into optometrists’ offices having gone
more than 10 years since trying a contact lens and are unaware of the available
options. No longer are conditions of astigmatism or presbyopia
restrictions from achieving excellent visual outcomes from contact
lenses. The availability of trial contact lenses to every optometrist
allows a wide variety of options to meet a patient's needs for those that work
indoors or outdoors, as well as those with specific lighting sensitivities.
Innovative eye care professionals are ready and able to work
with patients to problem-solve the demanding vision environments and find a
lens fit that is right for them. Sensitive, strained eyes may also suffer
from dryness and can be helped by the benefits of contact lenses. Fortunately, dry
eye conditions can be better managed to help promote the wear of contact lenses
and return once disappointed patients into healthy contact lens wearers.
Daily wear contact lenses can provide full-time comfort or
be used for patients who wear lenses for special occasions. These offer
the lowest risk of infection of all of the current contact lens modalities and
are available in thousands of customized parameters to meet the most stringent
needs. In addition to daily wear contact lenses, monthly and two-week
contact lenses still offer a cost effective and convenient way to treat vision
and manage ocular surface health. Contact lens companies have utilized
advancements in manufacturing techniques and materials to develop contact
lenses that are healthier and more comfortable than traditional varieties of
years past. The surface of the lens is more comfortable and more resistant
to infection-causing bacteria than ever before, which also contributes to long-term
health. Specialty contact lens manufacturers now offer healthier options from
reputable vendors for theatrical and cosmetic contact lenses.
In the hands of an experienced eye care provider,
manufacturers can offer significantly better quality-controlled lenses reducing
the risk of complications. Less reputable contact lens providers that break
down the doctor-patient relationship can cause short-term and long-term
complications that can be addressed and sometimes reversed while under the care
of an eye care professional. Considerations should also be made for
specialty contact lenses that can be utilized for therapeutic purposes for the
treatment of complex ocular diseases and dry eye disease.
Doctors of Optometry continue to learn and apply expertise
to the implementation of individual plans to make contact lens wear more successful
for their patients. The future of contact lenses is brighter than ever and is
an excellent topic of discussion for yearly eye exams.
