Feed Info - How Do I Get Contact Lenses

The Internet is filled with places where you can buy cheap contact lenses. The more reputable online retailers for contact lenses include 1800-Contacts, Walgreens, Contact Lens King, Lens.com, Discount Contact Lenses, AC lens and Vision Direct among several others. Most of these places offer a low price guarantee whereby customers that can prove a lower available price on the Internet for the same set of contacts get an even lower price at time of purchase.  The price obviously includes shipping and handling charges as well.

Most of the reliable retailers also require your eye-doctor’s name and contact details to verify prescription details. Some other common features include generous coupons, and discounts and rebates on popular contact lens brands. Most of them have a simple ordering process and provide different shipping options to suit your schedule and budget. Several retailers will even replace unopened boxes of contacts if your prescription changes after you have ordered and received your shipment. Some retailers also feature customer reminders for contact lens replacement and generally require the customer to set up an account on their website.

There is, however, the fact that you need to research the sites for prices, their discounts and rebates, and their shipping and handling charges before finally ordering the right pair of contacts. An easier way to order cheap contact lenses is by using websites like cheap-contactlensesonline.com that do most of the work for you. The website is primarily a price comparison website that also provides the latest coupons and shipping rates for around ten of the most popular contact lens retailers online. Prices for particular contact lens brands are listed for anywhere up to ten retailers and further discounts and coupons can easily be viewed with a few clicks. Prices for most of the popular brands like Acuvue, Air Optix, Proclear, Focus Dailies and Freshloook can easily be compared here.

Final purchases are made from the retailer website by clicking on the relevant ‘buy’ button on the cheap-contactlensesonline.com website. Shipping preferences and coupon codes are also entered at the time of purchase. Remember to keep you prescription information at hand while placing an order for your contact lenses. Details from the prescription will need to be entered into the order form and as mentioned before, these details will be verified with your eye care provider by the retailer.

Once you have purchased your contact lenses make sure that your shipment arrives intact and that the lens boxes are not broken or torn and the seal is in place. Contact the retailer immediately if you feel that the package has been tampered with and demand that your contacts be replaced immediately. Also check that the prescription details on the side of the box are identical to your specifications before you open the box.

There are several popular brands of contact lenses available in the market for consumers that provide the different types of lenses desired and vary in price. Johnson and Johnson, Ciba Vision, Cooper Vision, Bausch and Lomb and Focus Dailies are among the top contact lens manufacturers in the world. Brands available from these manufacturers include Acuvue, Air Optix, Biofinity, Proclear, Freshlook and Focus Dailies among several others. Each of these brands usually provide different types of contact lenses like toric and multifocal lenses.

There are several factors one should take into consideration while opting for a particular brand of contact lenses. Start off by asking for a recommendation from your eye-doctor. He or she will probably provide you a couple of brand options you can choose from based on your history and his or her experience with other patients living with the same eye conditions as you.

Also feel free to ask friends, family and colleagues to see what they have to say about your doctor’s recommendations. Visit online forums and vision related blogs to see people’s comments and experiences. You may also visit online retail stores as well as the manufacturer website to see what reviews customers are writing with regards to the recommended brand just to get a feel for a general perception in the market.

Remember that you can try the different alternatives available to you in the market and it most likely won’t cost you a cent. Most lens manufacturers often provide a free trial or sample of contact lenses as per your specifications so you can try them out with the least amount of hindrance. After consulting your eye-doctor, order pairs from several manufacturers and give them a try to see which contacts prove to be most comfortable for you.

While ordering contact lenses you will need to have your prescription details handy. Data like base curve, diameter and power will need to be provided along with your doctor’s name and contact details for verification purposes. While trying on different lenses make sure to watch out for particular details that are important for your eye condition. For instance if you suffer from astigmatism, you will want to check which brand provides the best focus and least amount of rotation or misalignment.  Likewise, with multifocals you will want to check which brand allows your eyes the sharpest vision with greatest ease.

Keep an eye out for different surface treatments offered by each brand. Several soft lenses are designed to help the contacts stay moist for a longer period of time to provide more comfort, something that may prove especially useful if you suffer from dry eyes or your lenses feel dry after wearing for a short time. Most brands provide UV protection as well to prevent harmful sun rays from damaging your eyes.

Your final choice should always be made in consultation with the eye-doctor to avoid any complications or injuries due to unforeseen issues. However, do not hesitate to discuss alternative options with your doctor if you feel that the recommended contact lenses are not suiting you and are uncomfortable.

Depending on the results of your eye test and your medical history and lifestyle, your eye-specialist will recommend a particular kind of contact lenses that will suit you most. You should not mistake the type of contact lens with the brand as they are entirely different things. Here are the more common types of contact lenses that are available in the market for consumers.

Disposable Contact Lenses

Depending on your lifestyle, disposable contact lenses are available for daily, weekly and even monthly replacement. People that have a busy schedule or travel frequently may find daily disposable contact lenses extremely convenient as the person can avoid the hassle of cleaning the lenses and storing them properly.

Toric Contact Lenses

Toric contact lenses are used by people who suffer from astigmatism, an eye condition which causes blurry vision due to an irregularly shaped cornea or the lens located behind the cornea. Corrective toric lenses bend the light rays entering the eye to compensate for the error caused by the faulty refraction of the cornea or lens and to provide sharp vision to its wearer. To achieve this, toric lenses must have the proper orientation to correct a person’s vision and have the additional capability to remain in the ideally aligned position. This is often achieved by weighting the bottom of the lens to prevent it from rotating.

Spherical Contact Lenses

Spherical contact lenses bend light evenly in every direction and are typically used to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness.

Bifocal and Multifocal Contact Lenses

Bifocal and multifocal contact lenses are used to correct a condition called presbyopia in which the lens of the eye loses its flexibility making it difficult for the eye to focus on objects that are at a close distance. This is a common occurrence as people grow older and may be corrected by using bifocal or multifocal lenses. Bifocal contacts lenses have two prescriptions in the same lens whereas multifocal lenses have a range of powers in each lens, allowing the wearer to focus clearly on objects that are bot far and near.

Colored Contact Lenses

These lenses can are generally used for cosmetic purposes or for fun on occasions like Halloween. Colored contacts can be used to highlight or accentuate a person’s natural eye color or may be used to change the color of the eye to a significantly different shade. Both prescription and non-prescription colored contact lenses are available for the consumer looking for a change in the way they look.

Rigid and Soft Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are generally available in ‘rigid’ or ‘soft’ form. Rigid gas-permeable or RGP contact lenses are manufactured using a malleable plastic material that permits a high level of air inflow to the eyes. Soft contact lenses generally contain a mix of soft polymer plastic and water, allowing oxygen to easily permeate through the lenses to ensure healthy eyes. Most of the soft lenses usually provide UV protection to protect the wearer from harmful rays. Silicone-based extended wear disposable soft contact lenses made from silicone hydrogel allow consumers a month’s usage and although they are more demanding in terms of cleaning and care, they are also cheaper.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends an eye test for adults at least once every two years and at least once a year for contact lens wearers and individuals over the age of sixty. People who are more prone to vision problems due to working conditions, past injuries or medical procedures, medical conditions like diabetes and blood pressure or a family history of eye diseases like glaucoma should consult their eye-doctors for regular eye examinations.

According to Wikipedia, a comprehensive eye exam requires a review of personal and family health history and will test for distance and near vision, symptoms of nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia to determine if you need progressive lenses or bifocals, your eyes’ ability to work together as a team, glaucoma and other eye diseases.  The eye exam will ideally check for the following:

• The external area of the eyes, including the eyelids, surrounding tissues and palpebral fissure.

• The visual acuity or the eye’s ability to detect fine details and the quantitative measure of the eye’s ability to see an in-focus image at a certain distance. This test is often carried out using a Snellen chart.

• The pupilary function of the eye including and inspection of the pupils to check if their equal size, regular shape, reactivity to light, and direct and consensual accommodation.

• The ocular motility especially for patients who experience double vision or where physicians suspect neurologic disease.

• The visual fields for each eye to assess the extent of the peripheral field.

• The Intraocular pressure (IOP) to measure the outflow (and resistance to outflow) of the aqueous humour from the eye.

• The internal eye structures and the quality of the eye’s red reflex through an Ophthalmoscopic examination.

• The anterior eye structures and ocular adnexa using a slit lamp machine.

The contact lens fitting process will require precise measurements of your eye using an instrument called a keratometer and may also involve a computer scan of your eyes to map the curvature of the surface of your eye and to obtain a more detailed analysis. This will allow the eye-doctor or ophthalmologist to determine the shape and size of your lenses. Additionally, the fitting may also require a test to evaluate the tear film on your eyes and information regarding allergies or dry eyes, as well as your regular routine and lifestyle. Once this is done, your eye-doctor will normally make you try trial lenses to determine if your lenses are of the right size, explaining how to insert, remove and care for the contact lenses properly. The eye-doctor will then use a biomicroscope or slitlamp to check the fit once the lenses are inserted.

Before scheduling an eye exam check which of these tests are included and ask for the price. This will allow you to better compare prices based on a more comprehensive understanding of each of the eye tests being offered and their corresponding fees. Do not hesitate or be embarrassed to ask questions regarding the eye examination.

Regular eye exams are important for people with a history of eye problems and advisable for people experiencing typical ‘focus’ issues as they grow older. Eye tests can be obtained at optical departments at large retail stores like Walmart and Target, at an eye doctor or ophthalmologist clinic or a retailer of optical items that also provides eye test facilities for its customers. If this is your first visit be sure to check around and speak to family, friends and colleagues to ascertain the eye-doctor’s reputation and level of professionalism.

Eye tests typically cost anywhere between $50 and $150 and depends on several factors including the qualifications of the person performing the exam, the various tests included in the exam and if contact lens fitting is required. Future exams may prove cheaper if intended for simple prescription reevaluation.

Apart from the obvious reasons of getting your eyes checked and obtaining prescriptions or other remedial recommendations for vision correction, eye test results are extremely important in deciding the kind of contact lenses required for your particular vision issue. With advances in technology, contact lenses are able to correct a variety of vision issues for people suffering from problems like astigmatism and near and far sightedness. Your eye exam results will determine the specific type of contact lenses that are required to remedy your condition.

Optical retailers require customers to provide prescription information, your eye care provider’s name and contact information before providing contact lenses. Online retailers almost always verify prescription details with your doctor or ophthalmologist before shipping the order to make sure the prescription is accurate and that no eye-damage is caused due to faulty information. In fact, there are several legal requirements concerning prescriptions and your eye-doctor.

Eye-doctors or ophthalmologists are required to release your prescription even if you do not ask for it. Once an eye exam and the contact lens fitting procedure are complete, your eye-doctor is bound to provide you an eye prescription. In fact, the law goes so far as to say that if an online optical retailer requests confirmation of your prescription details from your ophthalmologist, he or she is required to confirm the information within eight business hours. Optical retailers may contact your eye-doctor by fax, phone or email and the eye-doctor requires no waiver or signed document to release this information.

Prescriptions are usually valid for a minimum of one year and can be valid for as long as two years in certain states. Individuals with certain eye conditions may require the eye-doctor or ophthalmologist to shorten the validity of a prescription and require more frequent eye examinations. In certain cases you may be required to visit your eye-doctor for a contact lens fitting before the prescription is released.