The need for and frequency of optometric examinations varies with age, race, medical history, family history, occupation and other factors. Individuals with ocular signs or symptoms require prompt examination. In addition, the presence of certain risk factors may necessitate more frequent evaluations based on professional judgement.

SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN

Vision may change frequently during the school years. The most common problems are due to the development and progression of nearsightedness. In addition, the existence of eye focusing and/or eye co-ordination problems may affect school performance. Periodic examinations are recommended.

At Risk: Children failing to progress educationally or exhibiting reading and/or learning disabilities should receive an optometric examination as part of a multidisciplinary evaluation.

ADULTS

During the adult years, the increased visual demands of our technological society bring about the need for regular optometric care. While the incidence of ocular disease is low for young adults, vocational and recreational visual demands are significant. To maintain visual efficiency, productivity, and optimum eye health, periodic examinations are recommended.

Adults, beginning in their early to mid-forties, can experience changes in their ability to see clearly at close distances. This normal ageing change in the eye’s focusing ability will continue during the forties and fifties. In addition, increases in the incidence of eye health problems occur during these years. Therefore, periodic eye examinations are recommended.

At Risk: Individuals diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension, or who have a family history of glaucoma, those who work in highly visually demanding or eye hazardous occupations, those taking certain systemic medications with ocular side effects or those with other health concerns or conditions.

OLDER ADULTS

Individuals age 61 or older have an increasing risk for the development of cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration and other sight threatening or visually disabling eye conditions as well as systemic health conditions. Therefore, annual eye examinations are recommended.

At Risk: Individuals diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension, or who have a family history of glaucoma or cataracts, and those taking systemic medications with ocular side effects or those with other health concerns or conditions.

* Guidelines in this table may be insufficient for contact lens wearers. 

Looking good is an important part of our lives. We wear the latest fashions. Get popular hairstyles. Even have cosmetic surgery. And our eyes are no exception. The verdict is in: People look better without glasses. In a recent survey sponsored by Bausch & Lomb, more than three times as many adults surveyed thought that women looked better without glasses and more than twice as many of the adults surveyed thought that men looked better without glasses. Maybe that is why, increasingly, people are wearing contact lenses.

A contact lens is a hydrophilic (water-loving) disc that floats on your cornea. There are dozens of options. Like prescription glasses, a contact lens is specifically shaped to focus light into the retina of your eye (and to fit your eye). But because it covers your cornea, it actually corrects your entire field of vision (unlike glasses, which you can see over and under). Contact lenses float on the tears that bathe the eye when you blink—so you want to keep your eye hydrated and well-moisturized when you’re wearing contact lenses.

Sports Vision

To be competitive on the playing field you need peak performance from your entire body—and your eyes are no exception. Sports Vision is “full-scope” primary eye care that can help you optimize three key visual skills through contact lens wear, therapy, or treatment:

Contrast Sensitivity lets you see fine details from a distance—like the subtle contours of a golf course

Dynamic Visual Acuity keeps your vision as clear when you’re running as when you’re standing, so you can see every obstacle

Focus Flexibility keeps a ball in sharp focus as it moves toward or away from you

Every sport has unique demands: depth perception, peripheral vision, eye-hand coordination. And every sport poses unique challenges: glare, wind, haze, and close encounters with moving objects. To win, you need to conquer them all. Discover which visual skills are especially critical for your sport. And why.

Contact lenses are an athlete’s secret weapon. In most cases, they may immediately improve your athletic performance. You can wear protective eyewear over them—such as goggles or sunglasses. And you can quit worrying about broken frames or lenses. Plus, contact lenses don’t fog up, slide down, or fall off. That adds up to better vision when you need it most. Contact lenses can:

• Increase peripheral vision
• Improve depth perception
• Enhance contrast sensitivity and color recognition
• Refine vision while in motion

Most athletes say that disposable contact lenses are the way to go. You can replace them daily, bi-weekly, or monthly—whichever schedule works for you. More comfortable. Less maintenance. Free of the protein deposits that can cause irritation and decrease visual acuity. The bottom line: You see better.

Alternatives to Laser Surgery

Many individuals who need glasses look to laser surgery to correct their vision problems. Eager to throw away their glasses, many people rush into the decision to have laser surgery without considering other alternatives.

New, Excellent Contact Lens Alternatives to Laser Surgery

You now have more choices than ever before for sharp, accurate vision. Bausch & Lomb is a leader in developing leading-edge technologies for soft contact lenses.

• PUREVISION – the first contact lens that can be safely worn 24 hours a day for up to 30 nights & days-even while you sleep. These revolutionary lenses allow oxygen to reach your eyes. They’re so comfortable, you’ll forget you’re wearing them. Plus you’ll see clearly all the time-even when you get up in the middle of the night. When worn continuously for the 30 night wear period, say goodbye to cleaning and lens care products.
• I-DAY Contact Lenses – a daily disposable soft contact lens that provides the ultimate solution for individuals who want great vision and hassle-free eye comfort. With 1-Days, you replace your contact lenses each day so you no longer need to worry about cleaning your lenses. They’re an ideal option for people with allergies because one-day use reduces the chance of the build-up of pollen and other deposits.
• COMFORT Contact Lenses – cost effective, extremely comfortable lenses worn for up to 30 days before replacement. The name says it all! These popular lenses are comfortable and offer superb vision right from the start.
• MULTIFOCAL Contact Lenses are disposable contact lenses that correct presbyopia, eliminating the need for bifocal or reading glasses. Enjoy clear, natural vision at all distances, whether you’re reading a novel or a faraway billboard. No need for reading spectacles that instantly age you. Don’t compromise your active lifestyle!

Contact Lenses: Good Choice for Kids?

The biggest concern parents have about contact lenses for their kids is, “Is my child old enough to wear contact lenses?” There is no one answer. Physically the eyes can tolerate contact lenses at a very young age. Some babies are fitted with contact lenses due to eye conditions present at birth. And in a recent three-month study of 10 nearsighted kids who wore daily disposable contact lenses, nine of the children wore the lenses without needing their parents to help with putting them in and taking them out of their eyes.

What parents are really asking is, “Is my child mature enough to wear contact lenses?” Only parents can answer that question. If you’re considering contact lenses for your child, take a look at how your child handles other responsibilities. If your child needs frequent reminders for everyday chores, he may not be ready for the responsibility of wearing and caring for contact lenses. But if he handles such duties well, he may be an excellent candidate for contact lenses.

Children are naturally great contact lens wearers if they accept the responsibility for them. They adapt well to wearing the lenses due to their flexible personalities. Kids also develop fewer complications than adults. Younger people usually heal faster and have stronger immune systems. Plus, children tend to follow instructions better than adults, so they have fewer problems with overwearing the lenses or not using the correct care solutions.

Contact Lenses Are Great for Sports Sports and contact lenses are a great combination for all athletes, including smaller athletes. Contact lenses may be a safer vision option than glasses for recreation use. Polycarbonate lenses are a must, but frames are more vulnerable to breakage. Many contact lenses offer better optics than eyeglasses. Better peripheral vision also comes from contact lenses, which leads to a superior performance.

Building Self-Esteem Contact lenses can do wonders for your child’s self-esteem. Many kids would opt for contact lenses over glasses, mainly for cosmetic reasons. They don’t like the way they look while wearing glasses. Physical appearance can be dramatically altered by switching from glasses to contact lenses. In many cases, this physical change prompts a self-confidence and self-esteem surge in the child. School performance and participation may also increase after switching to contact lenses. Amazingly, two thin pieces of plastic may breathe new life into a previously reserved child.

Keep in mind that switching your child from glasses to contact lenses does not have to be a permanent decision. If your child does not adapt well, or is not up to the responsibility of wearing and caring for contact lenses, we will not hesitate to recommend glasses as a safer means for vision correction.

Tips for contact lens wearers

• Set a regular day for throwing away your old lenses and replacing them with a new pair.
• Associate throwing away your lenses to a favorite event, for example, watching “ER” or another television program, garbage day, etc. That way, you’ll know that after watching “ER”, it’s time to throw away your old lenses.
• If you follow a two-week replacement schedule, you might be able to link throwing away your lenses to your pay day (as many people get paid every two weeks). Find what works for you!
• Write your lens replacement date on your calendar. If you have an electronic calendar, such as Microsoft® Outlook® or a PDA (e.g., a PalmTM Pilot), program your calendar to remind you to follow your replacement schedule.
• When you open up a new box of lenses, take a permanent marker and write your “fresh lens” day or date on the individual lens packages, e.g., Monday for one-week wearers or Saturday, for two-week wearers.
• Be sure to write yourself a reminder to order new lenses on your last box. You may also be able to figure out when your lenses should run out, and have your Eye Care Professional arrange to automatically ship you fresh lenses before that date.

Do’s and Don’ts of Contact Lenses

In order to help ensure crisp, clear vision, better eye health and maximum lens wearing comfort, consider these important tips for successful lens wear and care.

Do:

• Wash your hands with a mild soap and dry them with a lint-free towel before touching your lenses.
• Handle the same lens first to avoid confusing the right and left lenses
• Clean, rinse, and disinfect your lenses each time you remove them. Follow your eye care practitioner’s instructions.
• Apply hair spray before inserting your lenses.
• Apply make-up after inserting your lenses.
• Keep all solutions bottles closed when not in use.
• Use solution before expiration date marked on bottle or discard.
• Clean your lens case daily and let air dry. Replace your lens case every three months.
• Schedule regular appointments with your eye care practitioner.
• Contact your eye care practitioner if you have questions or concerns.

Don’t:

• Allow soaps, cosmetics, or other substances to come into contact with your lenses.
• Touch the tip of a lens care solution bottle to any surface, including your finger or the contact lens.
• Re-use any lens care solution.
• Use eye drops or solutions not intended for use with contact lenses.
• Wear your contact lenses in the presence of harmful or irritating vapors or fumes.
• Apply eye make-up to the inner portion of your eyelids.
• Use eye make-up that is likely to run into your eye.
• Share or borrow eye make-up or applicator brushes.

Make Up and Contact Lens wear

Since minor allergic reactions can prevent you from wearing your contact lenses, take special care in choosing and applying make-up around your eyes.

• Look for products labeled hypoallergenic, for contact lens wearers or for sensitive eyes.
• Put in your lenses before applying make-up.
• Remove your lenses before removing make-up.
• Never apply eyeliner to the inner edge of the lid.
• Replace make-up every three to four months; that’s when the preservatives expire.
• Never share eye make-up with anyone.

CR-39 Plastic
The most common type of plastic spectacle lens material, CR-39 is made from a hard resin that is lighter and more impact-resistant than glass. Compared to glass, this material has a softer surface so a scratch coating (preferably applied at the time of manufacturing) makes the lenses more resistant to scratches appealing. The higher refractive index* allows the material to bend light to a greater degree, meaning that less curvature is needed to achieve a specific prescription power. Since less material is being used, the lenses are consequentially lighter. In order to maximize the benefits of high-index lenses, they should always come with a scratch coating for protection and an anti-refection coating for better clarity. A simple rule of thumb: the higher the index number, the thinner the lens.

Aspheric Plastic
Aspheric lenses provide visual and cosmetic benefits for stronger prescriptions. Unlike spherical lenses, aspheric lenses flatten progressively from the center to the edge. This results in enhanced overall vision, reduced thickness, and decreased peripheral visual distortion. When used for high farsighted prescriptions, they make eyes look more natural instead of magnifying them into “bug eyes.” Those with strong nearsighted prescriptions benefit from thinner lightweight lenses. Aspheric lenses can be ordered in high index materials for the ultimate in attractive thin lenses.

Polycarbonate
These lenses are one of the most impact-resistant materials available, and they naturally filter out UV light. When vision has been significantly impaired in one eye, polycarbonate is used to better protect the good eye from impact damage. These lenses are the optimal choice for children, industrial safety, and sports glasses. Polycarbonate lenses are considered a high index material as they are thinner than CR-39. Polycarbonate lenses should always have scratch-resistant coating on both the front and back surfaces to protect its surface and prolong the life of the lens.

High Index Plastic
A variety of new plastic materials bend light more than conventional CR-39 lenses. High index lenses provide significant advantages over traditional plastic or glass. They are made of a denser resin material that makes high nearsighted prescriptions thinner, flatter, and lighter. It eliminates the thick “coke bottle” effect of high nearsighted prescriptions and the “bug eye” effect of high farsighted prescriptions. The process improves peripheral vision, filters out UV light (both UVA and UVB), and makes the lenses more cosmetically