Over the years the use of contact lenses has gained popularity. More and more people now prefer to use contact lenses as opposed to spectacles due to their less conspicuous nature. Contact lenses can be worn in way that makes it difficult for someone else to know whether one is wearing contacts or not.

In addition, due to their close proximity to the eye ball, contact lenses usually provide a wider range of sight than ordinary spectacles. With contact lenses you do not need to worry about the spectacles steaming up or becoming significantly affected by changes in the weather or the environment. Furthermore, contact lenses can be used to accurately correct eye disorders such as aniseikonia which cannot be fixed by use of spectacles.

When they were first introduced and for a while after that, contact lenses were transparent. But thanks to contact lenses not only being viewed as suitable for medical reasons but also as a fashion accessory, colored contact lenses started making their way into the market and are gaining ground. Of course colored contact lenses have their medical purpose.

For medical purposes

For instance, patients suffering from astigmatism and presbyopia are usually advised to use colored eye lenses. As a fashion accessory, individuals are now able to modify the color of their eyes to whatever they find suitable. For instance, individuals that don’t mind attracting attention may go for green, violet, gray or light blue contact lenses while those that want to be more discreet can go for brown contact lenses.

For fun

One of the reasons that colored contact lenses became an integral part of modern pop culture is their use by celebrities whether in real life or on a movie set. Film makers would create an exaggerated effect by using colored contact lenses to alter the eye color of their actors to correspond to the character they represent.

For example, many using green or red eye contacts would easily create the impression of a villain or a supernatural creature. Colored contact lenses have made their way to social functions and special occasions such as Halloween usually see a large number of people whip out their colored contacts as part of the fun.

Three types of colored contact lenses

There are three types of colored contact lenses that are most commonly used. First, there are contact lenses with a visibility tint meant to ease the handling of the contacts. Not only are the contacts easily inserted and removed from the eye, the contact lenses can also be quickly traced in case they are dropped thanks to the visibility tint. The tint is achieved by coating the contact lens with a light green or blue color. The visibility tint is so light that it does not significantly alter the eye color of its wearer.

The second type of colored contact lenses are those with an enhancement tint. It is a much darker tint which creates a translucent effect and thus unlike the visibility tint, it has the capability of changing the eye color of the person that wears it. This tint is mainly used to make a fashion statement by altering or enhancing the eye color. The enhancement tint lens is often used by people that have naturally light eye color and would like to darken it.

The third type of colored contact lenses are those with a color tint that is darker than the enhancement tint and provides an opaque like feel. Solid colors such as green, gray and hazel are applied onto the contact lens. The color tint contact lenses are used to completely change the natural eye color of the wearer. So someone with brown eyes can wear these colored contacts and get a completely different look.

Colored contact lenses also come in different levels of longevity. For instance some contacts are designed for very brief use with some only suitable for use for 24 hours before they need to be disposed of. There are also contacts that can be used for a longer time ranging from a week to as long as one year.

Colored contact lenses are a great way to complement one’s personality. People with a confident, bold and dramatic disposition can go for colored contact lenses with bold tones. On the contrary, those who do not fancy attention can opt for colors that are not ‘loud’.

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The number one reason most contact wearers have eyelid irritation is a condition called Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis (GPC). This is not an infection and it will not harm your vision. The major problem GPC causes is it is extremely annoying.

Normally caused by blinking, the eyelid which is normally smooth underneath becomes rough and swollen. The motion of blinking and the eyelid going across the contact constantly is what causes this condition. Contact wearers may go for years without developing GPC and suddenly one day they do.

There is treatment that often will help and allow you to keep wearing your contacts. It controls the problem. It does not make it go away. There are some instances when it becomes such a problem that the only solution is to stop wearing contacts.

Why Does it Affect Some People and not Others?

Although it is not really known why some people develop this condition, it may be their eyelids develop more of a sensitivity over the years. It has also been considered they may be having an allergic reaction to the contact lens solution. Certain chemicals contained in them could be responsible.

It is known that blinking can cause GPC and there may be deposits that get trapped on the contacts that can cause this problem. In addition, people who wear contacts and have allergies such as hay fever or asthma are more prone to developing GPC.

What are the Symptoms?

In addition to the underside of the eyelid feeling irritated, it may itch. There may be burning and some people’s eyelids become quite red. There may be mucous from the irritation, which can cause blurred vision.

When the GPC first begins the underside of the eyelids will be red and swollen. The bumps do not appear until later. They can become larger than 1 millimeter in size. It is advisable to seek treatment any time you have an eye irritation because GPC can be harder to treat if it is ignored.

Other Causes of Eyelid Irritation

Your eye including the eyelid can also become irritated if you leave your contacts in constantly. Even the extended wear contacts will cause irritations sometimes. Changing the solution you use to clean your contacts can keep eyes from becoming irritated. Do not use water – it is not sterile. Removing contacts before going swimming is also advised to lessen the risks associated with eye irritations.

Puffy eyes which include the skin around the eyes and the eyelids can be caused by many things. The eyelid skin is quite thin and has many blood vessels that cause it to be quite sensitive. Puffy eyes normally go away after you rest them. However, if they do not, it could be a symptom of a condition that may need to be checked by a professional.

If they are painful, your vision is blurry or other symptoms occur that concern y ou, an optometrist should be consulted. The eyes are one of our most important senses and taking care of them is essential

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When it comes to conjunctivitis, or pink eye, many people start to panic. It is not like it is the worst thing that could ever happen to a person, but it is contagious and many people do treat it like the plague. However, the more educated you are on conjunctivitis, the less you will fear and the easier life will be if you have contracted it.

Some people believe that their contacts may be the cause of the conjunctivitis. Truth be told, while the contact lenses are never the sole cause, they can be a method of transport for the viral infection that traveled to your eyes and can re-infect your eyes, although it is not likely that they will be the initial cause of pink eye.

What Is Conjunctivitis?

Even though it is painful and possibly even embarrassing, you can rest peacefully knowing that this is the most common eye infection and it is one that is very easy to treat. This is inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the tissue found inside the eyelids that helps the eyeball and the eyelid moist. Bacteria, viruses and substances such as chlorine from the pool, shampoo, smoke and dirt can cause conjunctivitis.

Symptoms

If you have pink eye, or conjunctivitis, you will experience redness in the whites of your eye and you will produce a larger than normal amount of tears. There could be a yellow, white or green discharge from your eyes. Your eyes may also itch or burn and you will most likely have a sensitivity to bright light.

How Do Contact Lenses Play A Part?

Now, you might have heard that people must throw out their contact lenses that they were using. Why is this? Well, if you picked up the conjunctivitis from something else and you have been wearing contact lenses, the contacts you have been wearing are now contaminated. While treating your eye infection, you will want to wear eye glasses or simply go without any corrective lenses.

Putting contact lenses in your eyes while treating pink eye will only irritate your eyes more and re-infect your eyes. Once the pink eye is gone, you need to put in a brand new pair of contact lenses. Even if you used contact lens cleaner, you cannot re-use the same pair unless you want infected again.

So technically, no, your own contact lenses will not usually be the cause of your initial conjunctivitis infection, but they can re-infect your eyes with it, should you use the same pair after you have cleared the infection out of your eyes.

Rare Exceptions

If there is a rare case where you allowed someone else to touch or use your contact lenses, which you should never do, and they transferred the bacteria to your lenses, then yes, you could receive pink eye that way. Of course, it is still not the contact lenses themselves that caused the inflammation and infection, but rather the transfer of the bacteria from someone else to something you use and stick in your eye. It would be the same if you shook hands with someone with pink eye and then rubbed your eyes. You will most likely end up with conjunctivitis.

Get Better And Do Not Re-infect

During your treatment, you want to make sure that you are avoiding people and keep your hands washed. Do not touch your eye and do not use contact lenses during that time because you could actually make the situation worse for yourself.

Never reuse any contacts that were in your eye before treatment was received and finished. Throw out any eye drops or anything else that may have made direct contact with your eyes. These items could end up re-infecting you and anyone else that uses them. The more careful you are, the less likely you will be to re-infect yourself or to infect someone else.

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Many people are afraid to try wearing contact lenses because they have heard horrific stories about people getting eye infections and even going blind and the contact lenses are often blamed. The truth is that contact lenses are a safe and an effective method of helping your eye sight and almost all infections are not the result of the lenses themselves but, caused by incorrect cleaning of the contact lenses.

Cleaning your contact lenses is a very simple and easy procedure but, it does require you to follow certain guidelines to ensure that you keep your lenses and their case as bacteria free as possible. By consulting with your optometrist and following these few simple steps you should be able to wear your contact lenses with no worry of infection to your eyes.

Clean your case

Even a single drop of water sitting in your contact lens case can house hundreds of bacteria. That is why it is important to clean your contact lens case daily and make sure it is completely dry before putting your contacts back in the case. The best time to clean your case is immediately after removing your contact lenses for the day. Pour 3% hydrogen peroxide inside the case and rub it for several seconds, then let it sit for about 30 seconds. Rinse thoroughly in hot water and turn upside down on a clean towel to air dry throughout the day. When you are ready to remove and clean your contacts at the end of the day your case will be clean and ready to place them in.

Cleaning Your Contacts

There are two systems available for cleaning your contact lenses. The two way system and all in one system. While many people prefer the all in one system because of it’s convenience, the fact of the matter is that the two way system does a much better job of removing bacteria from your lenses than does the all in one system. For that reason, the two in one system offers the best care for your lenses and the best protection for your eyes.

The first step in the two way cleaning system for contact lenses is the disinfecting of the lenses. This is done using a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Studies have shown that rubbing your lenses for 20 to 30 seconds removes more bacteria than soaking alone. Try soaking your lenses for a few seconds then rubbing them for 20 or 30 seconds and then soaking them again for another 20 seconds or so. This should remove almost if not all the bacteria on your lenses.

You then rinse them with the neutralizing solution and put them in the clean case to keep clean throughout the night.

Other Things To Consider in Keeping Your Contact Lenses Clean

Besides simply properly cleaning your lenses there are a few other things you will need to consider to keep your lenses as bacteria free as possible. First, before putting your lenses in your eye, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, rinse well and dry. Second, only handle your contact lenses with the tips of your fingers and if one should fall on a counter top, table, or floor it is always advisable to reclean your contact before putting it in your eye.

Don’t continually take your contacts out and put them on in the course of the day. Repeated handling of your contacts is bound to accumulate bacteria. If your contacts are uncomfortable enough that you feel the need to remove them constantly it is best to leave them out for the day and wear your glasses giving your eyes a chance to rest.

You should also refrain from wearing your contacts if you have a case of pink eye or other eye condition as in these cases you are not only increasing the risk of spreading bacteria, but also slow the healing process.

Contacts are a wonderful alternative to glasses and provide you with the look you want at an affordable price. Keeping your contacts as clean and as bacteria free as possible will allow you to wear your contacts with complete comfort and confidence day in and day out.

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