Contact Lenses
Material and manufacturing technology has evolved over the years providing more options than ever before to comfortably wear contact lenses. Many people who thought they could not wear contact lenses in the past may now have the opportunity to wear them. Whether you have astigmatism, dry eyes, irregular corneas, or need bifocals, there may be a contact lens option for you.
Environmental Impact
Daily disposable contact lenses are rapidly becoming more popular for a variety of reasons. They are convenient, more comfortable than a lens that has been worn multiple times, and more sanitary since you only handle them once. However there are some concerns about the environmental impact of single use lenses and packaging. At Poughkeepsie Optometry, we are a recycling center for contact lenses and packaging. Through Bausch & Lomb’s recycling program with Terracycle, we collect the contact lens, plastic blister pack, and foil cover from any contact lens manufacturer.
Specialty Contact Lenses
Rigid Gas Permeable Contact Lenses
Although rigid contact lenses are less popular than soft lenses, they may be the best choice for many individuals, including:
- Some people with astigmatism when soft contacts don’t produce the desired visual acuity or consistent vision.
- People with presbyopia, because GP lenses come in numerous multifocal designs.
- People who have a condition called keratoconus, where the cornea is cone-shaped and causes extreme visual distortion.
Scleral Contact Lenses
Scleral contacts are large-diameter gas permeable contact lenses specially designed to vault over the entire corneal surface and rest on the “white” of the eye (sclera). As a result scleral lenses provide a smooth optical surface to correct vision problems caused by keratoconus and other corneal irregularities.
Also, the space between the cornea and the back surface of a scleral lens acts as a fluid reservoir to provide comfort for people with severe dry eyes who otherwise could not tolerate contact lens wear.
