In the world of eyeglasses contact lenses are not less popular due to their flexibility to wear and look. If you have a normal power in your eyes then you should opt for contact lenses because they are safe and will never damage your eyes if you remove them before sleeping and taking utmost care of your eyes. It is recommend to buy high quality contact lenses. These lenses are light in weight and named as an effective medical device by FDA for correction of faulty vision. In fact, they have now become a popular substitute for eyeglasses.

Uses of contact lenses:

Contact Lenses

# 1. For myopia (shortsightedness): Myopia or short-sightedness is one of the most common refractive vision disorders where contact lenses are used. A special type of corrective contact lens, the spherical lens is used to bend the light evenly to create a focused image on the retina. The contact lenses used in this case have negative powers.

# 2. For hypermetropia (long-sightedness): Since the objects close to the eye seem unclear while the far objects seem clear, convex contact lenses are used. These have positive powers.

# 3. For astigmatism: A patient suffering from astigmatism sees distorted images in all directions. The light is not evenly focused on the retina. A toric lens is usually used to correct the vision. Toric lenses do not refract light vertically but horizontally. Therefore, these are most suited for this type of optical disorders. Sometimes rigid, spherical lenses are also used.

# 4. For presbyopia: Presbyopia is a condition of the eye that occurs mostly with an increase in age. The eye lenses lose their elasticity, making it difficult to focus on close objects. Thus, it is a case of long-sightedness caused by ageing. Two types of contact lenses are used for treatment: monovision lenses and multifocal lenses. If there is keratoconus in addition to astigmatism then a certain type of contact lenses can be used to give a greater accuracy of vision than eyeglasses.

# 5. For colour blindness: Colour blindness or colour deficiency is the diminished ability of the cone cells of the eye to detect color. Complete color blindness or achromatopia can lead to impairment of eyesight in a manner that is not fixable in a normal way. An "X-Chrom" lens with red hue might be used to partially restore vision. “Red-filtering contact lenses” can also be used to diminish light sensitivity in case of achromatopia.

# 6. For aniseikonia: In this case, the size of the image on the eyes varies widely. Certain types of corrective lenses are used to rectify the refractive error that causes this problem.

Contact Lenses

# 7. For aesthetic purposes: Cosmetic or decorative contact lenses are also worn nowadays as a fashion trend. These lenses are tinted to change the colour and appearance of the eye. These blinds also have a sublime touch to their appearance. They usually do not correct any refractive error of the retina. Some of these partially colour the iris, thus accentuating the natural colour, while others completely cover the iris, thus changing the eye colour. Circle contact lenses are also used nowadays in some countries to give an enlarged appearance to the iris, thus making the eyes look like that of dolls. However, it is advisable not to try these lenses without a certification of perfect vision. 

Why Are Contact Lenses Popular?

Initially, contact lenses were made of hard-blown glass which made them difficult to wear. However, with the advent of soft contact lenses in 1971, this drawback was removed and contact lenses became increasingly popular. They can be used for daily wear and some of them can also be worn while sleeping. The fact that they do not collect moisture or dust as easily as eyeglasses make them easier to handle. Colour changing contact lenses are widely used in films and other forms of visual media by actors to give the desired appearance.