Tuesday, June 7 2005 19:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

What is your favourite colour? Hazel, brown, turquoise or emerald green. These colours are not for your attire, not even to colour your hair. Now you can see through these colours. Undoubtedly, we are talking about contact lenses in the making of progressive ophthalmology or on the race for artificial beauty.

Contact lenses are used to substitute spectacles. In the year 1888, Adolph Fick first thought of making contact lenses. But it took until 1948 when Kevin Tuohy invented soft lens for contacts to become a reality.

Lenses broadly are of two types - soft contact lenses (SCL) and rigid gas permeable lenses (RGP). Each type of lens has advantages and disadvantages. Soft contact lenses are comfortable initially. Some patients experience more dryness with soft contact lenses. Even doctors, in various cases due to dryness, do not prescribe contact lenses. Often people with mild to moderate dry eye find they can wear RGP's longer and more comfortably than SCL's.

Tips for using contact lens

Certain layman's tips for a contact lens user: wash your hands before handling your lenses. Do not use any soap containing cream, lotion, oil or perfume. If you experience redness, secretion, visual blurring, or pain, which is called RSVP in medical terms, remove the lenses at once. If the symptoms subside, the lenses can be cleaned and reinserted. If the lenses are removed and symptom does not subside or reappears upon reinsertion, remove lenses and consult an eye specialist immediately.

Contact lenses require proper care and handling. They must pass many rigid tests to insure proper power, shape, and durability. Contact lenses do not develop tears, nicks, or scratches by themselves. They are only caused through mishandling of the lenses by the patient. How well you care and handle them will determine how long they last. You must follow all instructions for caring and handling your lenses. Failure to do so could damage your lenses. The average patient will replace at least one lens per year. Lost, damaged, or contaminated lenses will not be replaced free of charge.