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