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ASTIGMATISM AND CONTACT LENSES Maybe you've heard it before: "Sorry. . .you have astigmatism. . .you can't wear contact lenses." Hmmm. . .maybe it's time you come to someone who specializes in astigmatism! Do you know that there are over 60 different brands of soft toric lenses that correct astigmatism. . .even extreme amounts of astigmatism? Astigmatism is merely a visual condition of the eye that is caused by its shape, just like myopia (nearsight) and hyperopia (farsight). Nearsight is caused by an eye that is too long, while farsight is caused by an eye that is too short. Astigmatism is caused by an eye that has 2 different powers, which splits the focusing of an object into 2 separate images. The most common form is corneal astigmatism, in which the front of the eye is not perfectly spherical, but warped, with two unequal curvatures. These unequal curvatures result in magnification differences and cause blurry vision, shadows seen around objects, eye muscle spasms, eyestrain, and headaches. Approximately 84% of the population has astigmatism. . .it is by far the most common refractive problem, more than nearsight and farsight put together! Both eyeglasses and contact lenses correct astigmatism, but, contrary to what most doctors still say, contact lenses do a much better job! Astigmatism eyeglasses cause distortion just like those "Fun House" mirrors that make you look tall and skinny or short and fat. . .there is more magnification in one direction than the opposite. Most of the distortion occurs away from the lens centers, so large eyeglass frames cause more problems than small frames. In addition, when you move, the side vision appears to "swim". Contact lenses do not cause any of these problems because the eyes are always looking through the center of the lenses, where there is no distortion! When you move your eyes, the contacts move too. Most doctors still tell people that they can't wear contacts if they have astigmatism. The truth is that it is too time consuming for them to fit astigmatism contacts, or they have not kept up with new contact lens technology. You really do have to try them for yourself. If you already use astigmatism contacts, or you've tried them unsuccessfully in the past, call us to set up an evaluation, and we will discuss which lens will work best for YOUR eyes. PROGRESSIVE AND BIFOCAL CONTACT LENSES If you already wear contacts, but are having problems with your near vision because you are over 40 years old, then you will be happy to hear about this newest area of contact lens development. Imagine being able to read or work at your computer, without having to strain your eyes or pull out your reading glasses. We now have the contact lenses you've been waiting for! Bifocal contact lenses have had major improvements over the past few years, and there are now dozens of brands available for people with different vision needs.
People often confuse bifocal contacts with "monovision", where one eye is corrected for far vision, and the other eye is corrected for near vision. Bifocal contacts are designed with a far and near correction in each lens! There are many different designs, but they fall into 3 main categories: Line bifocals: weighted on the bottom, so that it stays in the proper position. When you look straight ahead, you are looking above the line through the far prescription, and when you look down to read, you are looking below the line, through the near prescription.
Concentric bifocals: the center has the far prescription, and the outer portion has the near prescription.
Progressive concentric bifocals: the prescription gradually changes from the center of the lens toward the outer portion. This design usually works better for computer users.
No matter how strong or weak your prescription is (and now, even if you have astigmatism too!), there is a bifocal lens that will very likely work for you. We are quite familiar with all of the brands, and Dr. Jeruss will be happy to discuss all of your options with you. NEW! SEMI-RIGID OXYGEN PERMEABLE CONTACTS "Hard
lenses? No way! I tried
them a long time ago,
and they were uncomfortable!" Goodness, how things have changed! The first contact lenses were made from PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate), and were uncomfortable because they transmitted zero oxygen and were fitted by doctors who had zero experience. The first "gas perms" were not much better, so when soft lenses were invented, hard and "gas perm" lens fitting became even less desirable. With the advent of disposable lenses, "gas perms" have almost gone the way of the dinosaur in America. Not so fast!!! There have been amazing breakthroughs in gas permeable lens materials and designs in the past 5 years. The materials have become much more comfortable and healthy because of the increased oxygen permeability and surface wettability. And now we have WAVE custom designed lenses that fit the cornea exactly. Dr. Jeruss is one of the few doctors in the world who knows how to design WAVE lenses, and is amazed at how much more comfortable his patients are with these lenses. Why would a person do better with semi-rigid lenses than with soft? There are a large number of advantages:
SPORTS CONTACTS Many people wear contact lenses for sports only. They appreciate the improved peripheral vision that eyeglasses do not provide. They also enjoy not having to constantly wipe perspiration off their glasses or look through fogged up lenses. Typically, a large lens is the best for sports, because it is less likely to move around and cause fluctuating vision. It is also less likely to fall out during strenuous activity or windy conditions. There are a number of contact lens brands made with the sports enthusiast specifically in mind. Maxsight™ Sport-Tinted Contact Lenses
You may have heard about the amber-tinted contact lenses that professional baseball players have been wearing to help them see the ball better. Nike Maxsight™ sport-tinted contact lenses are made by Bausch & Lomb and are indicated for daily wear for correction of myopia and hyperopia. They use what the company calls Light Architecture optics to filter specific wavelengths of light in order to enhance key visual elements such as a ball or background. At the same time, they reduce sun glare. The result is the ability to see a ball or other selected objects with greater clarity. MaxSight™ will come in two tints: Gray-Green, for sports such as golf, football, and running, which are played in bright sunlight; and Amber, for fast-moving ball sports such as soccer, tennis, and baseball, which are played in variable light. For more information, click to view the Sporting News article about MaxSight™ lenses. CONTACTS FOR COLOR BLINDNESS
What most people refer to as "color blindness" is really a result of the eye's retinal "cone" receptors being faulty. There is still color perception…it's just not as detailed or accurate. For real! We can design a special contact lens that can improve color vision!
It is amazing to watch a person with a color vision deficiency put on one of these lenses, look around the room, and point out all of the different colors that he had previously missed. We can tint any lens, so that people can enjoy clear vision with their prescription, as well as their new color vision ability. How it works: this special tint is a magenta filter, worn on one eye only, and it slows down that eye's electronic signal to the brain. When the brain processes both eyes together, it distinguishes the colors more accurately. Imagine how many wives and girlfriends will appreciate not having to dress their husbands and boyfriends anymore! Call us for an evaluation and trial fitting. KERATOCONUS
This is a progressive condition that causes the cornea to become thinner and eventually bulge forward in a cone-like shape. The result is increasingly distorted vision that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses or soft contact lenses. There are a variety of semi-rigid oxygen permeable lens designs that fit different types of keratoconus, and all of them do an excellent job of providing clear vision by negating or compensating for the distortion of the cornea. Sometimes, we will fit a combination of semi-rigid and soft contact lenses, a method called "piggy-back lenses". The newest keratoconus lens is the SynergEyes™ KC hybrid lens, which combines a hard center with a soft outer skirt, providing the clear vision of a hard lens with the comfort of a soft lens. Dr. Jeruss is one of the very first doctors in the country to fit this lens. Unfortunately, in many cases, the ultimate progression of this condition results in corneal scarring, and eventually a corneal transplant is the only treatment. KIDS AND CONTACT LENSES
For many kids, their self-esteem increases when they begin wearing contact lenses. They feel more confidence in being accepted by their peers. Often they become less shy and begin developing better social skills. Aside from the important emotional reasons for wearing contact lenses, there are therapeutic reasons for kids to wear contacts, as well. Numerous studies have shown that wearing semi-rigid oxygen permeable lenses slows down the progression of nearsightedness in children. This will benefit them later on in life. "I DON'T THINK I CAN WEAR CONTACTS!" "I'm afraid to touch my eyes" Nobody is born knowing how to put on a contact lens, so the initial fear of putting on a contact lens is very easily overcome with a session of insertion and removal training. Our staff are very patient and understanding with first time contact lens wearers, and we will make sure that your first time experience is smooth and relaxing. "They told me I couldn't wear contacts" If your previous doctors gave up without even trying, then they were either being lazy, or they haven't kept up with all of the contact lenses available, or they just didn't want to spend the extra time with you when they could spend it with another patient. "Dr So-and-So tried to fit me, but they didn't work" Your previous doctors may have fit contact lenses, but they were probably not true specialists, who are familiar with the hundreds of materials and designs that can make all the difference between success and failure. We make trying contact lenses fun and easy, with a money-back guarantee if they don't work. DISPOSABLE CONTACT LENSES
It seems that there is a new contact lens every year, and patients often ask: "Which one's the best?" The answer is that we have lenses that are "the best" for dry eyes, lenses that are "the best" for deposit resistance, lenses that are "the best" for oxygen transmission, lenses that are "the best" for easy handling, etc. We will fit YOU with "the best lens for YOU"!
Don't worry. We have turned this situation around many times with specially designed contact lenses to enhance the effect of the surgery. They act similarly to the Ortho-K lenses described in the article "Improve Your Vision While You Sleep". These contacts gently re-shape the corneal curvature to the desired prescription, and stabilize the vision to a more satisfactory level. Another option is to wear semi-rigid gas permeable lenses underneath or on top of a soft lens. This is called "piggybacking", and it provides the clear vision of a hard lens with the comfort of a soft lens. The newest option is using the SynergEyes™, a hybrid lens. This combines a hard center with a soft outer skirt, and also provides the clear vision of a hard lens with the comfort of a soft lens. Dr Jeruss is one of the first doctors in the world to start fitting this amazing lens! |
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When is the proper age
for kids to begin wearing
contact lenses? The
answer is that even
infants can and do wear
contact lenses. Practically
speaking, most kids
are mature enough by
age 8 to care for contacts,
because they realize
that it is a privilege
to have their parents
trust them with such
an adult responsibility.
Even kids who don't
clean their rooms do
just fine with contacts.
They are usually so
appreciative that they
start helping more around
the house. (Of course,
this is the perfect
time to take advantage
of this new-found sense
of responsibility and
get those beds made
and the trash taken
out!)
We
are concerned about
the inferior quality
of many of the disposable
contacts currently being
made. We have found
that the defect rate
of those mass produced
cheap lenses is too
high, and we have noticed
more corneal abrasions
and infections in patients
who wear those contacts.
Unfortunately, they
are popular because
of TV and internet advertising
and the aggressive selling
of these lenses to the
"fast food" opticals.
