Once you get a contact lens prescription, it's possible to buy from stores, online, over the phone, or by mail. Contact lens sales are regulated by both the FDA (Food And Drug Administration) and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission.)

Soft lenses also come as disposable products, used once and then discarded, or as planned-replacement lenses. And rigid gas-permeable lenses tend to actually be cheaper over the life of the lens, even though they cost more, because they last longer than soft lenses. And bifocal correction is possible with both soft and rigid lenses.

Contact lenses give you excellent peripheral vision for sports, driving, safety, and performing among others. And extra-thin soft lenses are on the market for very sensitive people. Soft lenses aren't as likely as rigid lenses to pop out or get foreign material like dust underneath them.

There are also a few rigid gas-permeable lenses that are designed and approved for wearing overnight. And extended wear contact lenses are used for overnight or continuous wear, thus ranging from one to six nights or up to 30 days. The length of continuous lens wear depends on the type of lens you get and the doctor's evaluation of your tolerance for overnight wear.

With planned-replacement lenses, the eye doctor works out a replacement schedule to meet the needs of each patient. And rigid lenses generally will give you clearer vision.

Beware of attempts to substitute a different brand from the one you want when buying your contacts. Make sure to have a current, valid prescription when you do order contact lenses. There are many good contact lens suppliers now online making their lenses available at a good discount for both prescription and non-prescription lenses.

When you do place your contact lens order, make sure to request the manufacturer's patient information for your type of contact lenses. It'll give you important risk and benefit information as well as specific written instructions for use. And always ask what rebates are available to you. You have many choices today; you can buy contact lenses from an eye doctor, at an eye clinic, on the Internet, from an optical store or a warehouse club.

Whenever you do place your order make sure that your lenses are available and not out of stock, because you'll likely need them as soon as possible. Make sure to focus on the value, not just the price because most people, who are looking for the best price, are really looking for the best value.

Be aware that extended-wear rigid lenses can cause unexpected and undesirable, reshaping of the cornea. Heat disinfection is the only method that's effective against the microorganism Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is a common culprit for contact lens wearers. It also kills organisms in and on the contact lens case. To be sure your eyes remain healthy you shouldn't order lenses with a prescription that has expired or right before the prescription is about to expire. You should get re-checked by your eye doctor.

You don't want to wear lenses any longer than they're prescribed for or when you're sleeping unless you're otherwise directed to. A basic rule is to never swap your contact lenses with anyone else. Soft extended-wear lenses bind down on the eye when it's closed. But they are porous and allow some tears through during sleep and because they have so little form, their binding has very little effect on the shape of the eye.

If your first lens fitting is performed by an eye care practitioner, he or she can also help minimize or eliminate the cause of any eye irritation that is associated with the new lenses. If you're looking for cheap contact lenses, you may find that the cheap materials or other ways of cutting costs will affect the quality you want. And if you're planning to buy contact lenses, you should buy the best quality you can get, even if it's at a higher price because you don't want to skimp on the quality when it comes to your eyes.

Reasons for choosing contact lenses

Each wearer has a different reason for using contact lenses. However, in our experience the major reasons why our customers want the option of contact lenses in addition to glasses are:

Convenience: for example daily disposables require no cleaning or care (unlike glasses) “The Look”: many wearers prefer the look of contact lenses to glasses and find that it is a confidence booster Sports Use: many people could not enjoy their favourite sports without contact lenses. Often people will begin wearing contact lenses for sport and end up using them in all walks of their lives because of the benefits they discover

Types of contact lenses

Contact lenses can be split into the following groups:

Daily Disposables – replaced with a fresh pair of every day Two Weekly Disposables – replaced with a fresh pair every two weeks Monthly Disposables – replaced with a fresh pair every month Extended Wear Lenses – can be worn continuously whilst awake and asleep Toric Lenses – for patients who suffer from astigmatism Multi-Focal Lenses – provide all in one vision correction for patients who cannot see clearly over long and short distances Coloured Contact Lenses – fashion lenses for people who fancy a change from their natural eye colour

The majority of contact lenses purchased are soft and Lenstore.co.uk only stocks soft contact lenses. Hard (or “Rigid Gas Permeable”) contact lenses do exist and are typically for patients who suffer from severe astigmatism and irregular corneas. Your Optician will let you know if hard contact lenses are the most appropriate for your eyes but for the majority of people soft lenses provide the best option.

How to get contact lenses for the first time

If you currently wear glasses and want to try contact lenses the first thing you should do is book a contact lens examination with your Optician. He / she will take you through the whole process of getting fitted for contact lenses. Your Optician will first check if your eyes are suited for contact lenses (most people’s are). He / she will then train you in how to insert and remove your lenses and will also show you how to clean and take care of them. Next you’ll be given a trial set of contact lenses which normally last a week. At the end of the trial week you visit your Optician again and he / she will ensure that your eyes have reacted well to the lenses. At that point you’ll buy three months supply of contact lenses from your Optician and wear them. After three months, you’ll visit your Optician for the last time during the fitting period and he / she will write you a prescription. Make sure you grab a copy of your prescription. You’ve now been officially fitted for contact lenses and can buy them from whichever supplier you choose.

Putting your contact lenses in

Step 1: Wash your hands with soap, rinse them thoroughly and dry them with a clean towel.

Step 2: Place the contact lens on the palm of your hand, check that it is clean and not torn.

Step 3: Ensure that the contact lens is not inside out (if it is the edges will flare up slightly) and place it on your forefinger (your pointing finger).

Step 4: Insert the lens. Use the forefinger on your opposite hand hold up your upper eyelid to prevent you from blinking. Use the third finger on the hand in which you have the contact lens to hold down your lower eyelid. Look up and place the contact lens onto the white of your eye. Look downwards to allow the lens to slip into position. Remove your fingers and close your eye momentarily. Your lens should be in place.

Step 5: Repeat the procedure on your other eye.

Helpful Tip: get into the habit of putting your right eye’s lens in first. It’ll reduce the chances of mixing up your contact lenses.

It does take a little practice to perfect your technique so don’t despair if you’re finding it difficult for the first few days or weeks. If you continue to have difficulty inserting your contact lenses then make an appointment with your contact lens Optician who should be happy to observe your technique and help you improve it.

Removing your contact lenses

Step 1: Make sure the contact lens is in the middle of your eye before trying to remove it. To check the lens is centred cover your other eye. If your vision is blurred your lens is not in the correct place. Look into a mirror and centre the lens with your finger.

Step 2: Pull down your lower eyelid.

Step 3: Whilst you have your eyelid pulled down, place your finger on the bottom edge of your lens and slide it down to the white part of your eye.

Step 4: Squeeze the contact lens gently between your finger and your thumb and remove the contact lens from your eye.

Helpful Tip: Get into the habit of removing your right eye’s lens first. It’ll reduce the chances of mixing up your contact lenses.

Cleaning and storing contact lenses

Step 1: Place the contact lens in the palm of your hand and apply a few drops of the recommended contact lens solution to the lens. Use your opposite hand’s forefinger (pointing finger) to rub the lens gently on both sides.

Step 2: Rinse the lens thoroughly using plenty of contact lens solution.

Step 3: Fill your lens case with plenty of contact lens solution and place your cleaned and rinsed contact lens in the appropriate compartment. Secure the cap of the lens case and repeat with your other contact lens. Leave your contact lenses in the lens case for at least four hours. Letting it soak in the solution will disinfect the contact lens.

Step 4: After putting your contact lenses back in your eyes, pour the remaining solution out of the lens case. Rinse the lens case with fresh solution and let the inside of the case dry out in the open air.

Warning: Please never use water to clean or store your contact lenses. Water does not have the necessary contents to disinfect your contact lens correctly. In fact, cleaning your contact lenses with water may lead to a contamination of your lenses and has been known to cause irreparable harm to the eye.

If you wear daily disposables you do not have to worry about storing your contact lenses as outlined above. However, if you drop your lens or something gets caught in your eye you may have to clean it in which case you should follow the procedure outlined in Steps 1 and 2 above.

How long to wear your lenses for

In general most soft contact lenses have a recommended wearing time of not more than 10-12 hours continuously for up to 5 days a week. It’s recommended that you wear glasses for a couple of days a week to ensure that your eyes receive more than enough oxygen to stay healthy. Extended wear lenses can be worn whilst you are both awake and asleep for up to a week. However it’s important to realise that the recommended wearing time for a contact lens will vary by the type of lens and the wearer. Contact lens manufacturers provide wearing guidelines for your lenses (usually found on the packaging). Please follow the wearing schedule suggested by your Optician as he / she is uniquely well placed to advice you.

When to get in touch with your Optician

You should get in touch with your Optician if you are:

Close to the expiry date of your prescription / due for a contact lens examination (typically every 12 months) In need of a copy of your contact lens prescription Experiencing a deterioration in the standard of your vision with contact lenses Considering changing to a contact lens solution which was not recommended by the person who fitted your contact lenses

If you experience any of the following symptoms / irritations in your eyes please firstly take your contact lenses out of your eyes (even if wearing them seems to lessen the discomfort or symptoms) and secondly get in touch with your Optician as soon as possible:

Feeling of discomfort Redness Excessive watering Visual disturbance

If your Optician is not available immediately and the problem is causing your severe disturbance you should consult you GP or go to Accident and Emergency at your local hospital. You can, of course, also call Lenstore.co.uk during our office hours and we will advise you on the best of course of action. We will do our very best to help you.

Aftercare

“Aftercare” is the medical care and advice that should be provided to you after you buy a pair of contact lenses. At a minimum, contact lens aftercare should include both advice on and helping to make arrangements for:

Regular contact lens examinations Where you can go in an emergency What signs or symptoms you should watch out for How to remove your contact lenses during an emergency Who your local contact for advice is

Aftercare is provided by your Optician and supplier of contact lenses. Lenstore.co.uk provides a lot of advice on our website and over the phone about aftercare and your Optician is obliged provide you with all of the access you need to professional medical advice and care.