CONTACT LENSES
NURCHALIZA HAZARIA SIREGAR DEPARTEMEN ILMU KESEHATAN MATA FK USU
Contact lenses were thought of as early as 1508 when Leonardo da Vinci sketched and described several forms of them.
Contact lenses are a changing area of optometry with new lenses being constantly developed
Refractive errors are corrected by contact lenses, which are placed directly on the cornea
pupil
cornea
iris
sclera
Lid margin
conjunctiva
Normal focus Short sightedness (Myopia)
Distance vision blurry, near usually OK.
Short-sighted focus Short-sighted correction
Long-sightedness (Hyperopia)
Difficulty seeing clearly and comfortably up close.
Long-sighted focus
Long-sighted correction
Astigmatism
Irregular curvature of the eye (shaped more like a football than a basketball)
Light in different planes focuses at different points
A
90
180
There are many types of contact lenses
Hard lenses
RGP lenses Soft lenses
Disposable or non-disposable
Coloured or clear Spherical or toric
Extended wear
Multifocal
Hard lenses
Plastic polymer. Most durable. Rigid, therefore may scratch the cornea.
Not gas permeable corneal hypoxia corneal ulcers.
Cannot be worn continuously. Difficult to get used to (because they are very rigid). Less susceptible to infection + allergy. Best for treating astigmatism (smoothes out the uneven
curvature).
Hard lenses
Hard lenses
Hard contact lenses are used in orthokeratology: the fitting of a series of rigid contact lenses to reshape the cornea. It is an alternative to glasses and surgery
Hard lenses
RGP lenses (rigid gas permeable)
Smaller than size of cornea May be less comfortable
than soft lenses initially
Very effective in
correcting astigmatism
RGP lenses (rigid gas permeable)
They are permeable only to gases. They are more comfortable than hard lenses, but
less than soft ones. They are more durable than soft lenses, but less than hard lenses. Allow oxygen to pass, but also allow proteins to deposit. More durable than soft lenses, but less durable than hard ones
Soft lenses
Most commonly used (90%) Made from hydrogel plastic
material containing water
Are 1-2mm larger than
cornea
Easy to adapt to
Soft lenses
Permeable for both gases + liquids Could be worn for long periods. Tolerated much better. They do not correct astigmatism. Are the most comfortable lenses. Are the least durable lenses (must be replaced more often).
Soft Lenses
Susceptible to accumulation of deposits (because
they absorb more water, which binds proteins). This accumulation of protein deposits leads to allergic conjunctivitis and other allergies.
Spherical lenses
Correct short or long-sightedness
Cheapest, most comfortable lenses
Easy to get in disposable form
Toric lenses
Are similar to soft contact lenses, but have a
couple of extra characteristics: They have 2 powers in them: 1 for spherical correction + 1 for astigmatism. They are designed to keep the lens in a stable position even on movement. Lens is specially weighted to conform to irregular cornea
Toric lenses
They offer the comfort of soft lenses ,and at the
same time they correct astigmatism, but their disadvantage is that the lens will sometimes rotate, and this creates a very irritating change in vision as the lens rotates
More expensive than spherical
Some are available in disposable
Disposable lenses
Daily, two-weekly or monthly
replacement
Very simple cleaning (no cleaning for
daily)
Latest designs and materials
Very popular
Coloured lenses
Handling tint
Lens more visible when inserting or removing
Enhancing tint
Makes light coloured eyes more vivid
Opaque tint
Can change brown eyes to blue
Extended wear lenses
New technology
Made from silicone material which transmits
oxygen well removing
Can wear for up to thirty days without
Will not suit all people your optometrist
will advise
Multifocal contact lenses
Can wear one reading lens, one distance
Can have dual focus lenses New technology slightly more expensive Available as a disposable lens
Advantages of contact lenses over glasses
Better field of view No fogging up No one has to know you have refractive error No frames eg, useful for sport Sometimes the vision is better
Hygiene is extremely important with contact lenses
Always wash your hands
before touching lenses
If lenses are not clean, bacteria can stick to
them
A tiny scratch on the eye can
get infected
If you have a sore, red eye take your lenses out and go to see ophthalmologist ASAP
If properly looked after, the chance of having an infection with contact lenses is extremely low
Consultations for contact lenses
Contact lenses need to be fitted to each
individual eye
Several tests are required for:
measuring and trying the lenses
teaching insertion and removal
after care
Ophthalmologist can advise you about the
tests are required
Contraindications to using contact lenses
History of atopy. Dry eyes. Previous glaucoma filtration surgery. Inability to handle and cope with the lenses.
Thank You
