Latest Technological Improvements in Contact Lenses
Contact lenses are one of the greatest medical inventions of the 20th century. People wear contact lenses for several reasons. One of them is freedom from glasses which can mar the appearance of a person. In the last couple of years, there have been a number of advancements in technology for developing contact lens; the following are some of them.
Scleral and Limbal Lenses
Scleral and Limbal lenses are an alternative for hard lenses that were launched during the 1950s. These lenses last for a longer period when compared to soft lenses and are more durable. Scleral and Limbal lenses are prescribed for people who suffer from astigmatism or high myopia.
Although the lenses have a low tolerance and take some time to get used to in dusty environments, they offer outstanding visual sharpness. To retain eye health, the firm plastic of the lenses aids in the transmission of necessary gases and oxygen. Contact lenses with large diameters are one of the recent advancements in hard lenses. They are fast becoming a favorite when compared to the regular soft lenses, as they offer more comfort.
Multifocal Contact Lenses
Multifocal contact lenses are used by people for reading and distant vision problems. Presbyopia is a vision condition affecting people during old age where the simplest tasks such as reading a newspaper or telephone book can become a hassle. The condition can be treated only if it gets timely attention in the form of regular eye checkups.
Presbyopia can be corrected with contact lenses that are bi-focal or multifocal. These lenses are ideal as they will enable you to read newspapers and view objects at a distance. For this reason, multifocal lenses should be prescribed only by a qualified eye doctor. The prescription will have to be analyzed thoroughly so that you experience superior vision and comfort.
It will be difficult to adjust to the vision at first and will require a number of visits to the eye doctor. Some of the latest multifocal lenses are disposable and softer than regular contact lenses. Earlier, bi-focal lenses were expensive and could not be afforded by everyone. However, today, they are produced by a number of companies and are not as costly as before.
Corneal Refractive Therapy
Corneal Refractive Therapy is one of the latest advancements in contact lens technology. Also referred to as Ortho-K or Orthokeratology, this is a temporary solution to wearing glasses. Before you retire for the night, you can fit a special lens which can be removed when you wake up the next day.
Research has shown that patients can go up to 24 hours without using glasses or contacts when they use Ortho-K. However, this should not be recommended as a permanent solution for visual problems. These lenses solve the problem of changing your eye power prescription on an annual basis. In some cases, astigmatism and myopia have been significantly reversed with the help of Corneal Refractive Therapy. This is an alternative to other surgical methods such as LASIK to correct vision problems.
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