Tuesday, June 7 2005 19:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Contact lens fitting requires a number of follow-up visits to the doctor (two to three visits in the first three months). These visits are very important to ensure the proper fit of the lens and the health of the eye. Please keep all appointments made for you.

Contact lens appointments are recommended every six months and are mandatory yearly for prescription refill.

A contact lens prescription does not exist until the doctor deems your lens fit after several checks during follow-up care. After you have been released from initial follow-up care, you may request a copy of your contact lens prescription.

Contact lenses are classified by the FDA (US Food and Drug administration) as a medical device and are therefore regulated differently than glasses. Because one is actually putting a contact lens on the surface of the eye, there are risks for infections, ulcers and other complications that are not present with glasses.

When contact lenses are fitted to the eye, much more is taken into account than just the numbers from the glasses prescription. The curvature of the cornea (the clear tissue at the front of the eye that the contact lens sits on) is one important measurement that is taken. The diameter of the contact lens with respect to the diameter of the cornea is looked at as well. Position of the eyelids can affect contact lens choice. Additionally, health of the surface of the eye and the surrounding lids are taken into account.

People often notice that the contact lens prescription differs from the glasses prescription in the numbers. This is because glasses sit about 12 mm from the eye, and contact lenses sit right on the eye. In order to account for this distance between the glasses and the eye, a mathematical calculation is made to determine the appropriate contact lens power.

Can change your eye colour

Coming back to fashion part of the contact lenses, contact lenses can change your eye colour! The exciting thing about coloured contact lenses is that you don't have to even need visual correction to wear these lenses! You can have great eyesight and still be fit with lenses. It is important to remember, though, that contact lenses are a medical device.

There are an increasing number of options to change or enhance your eye colour with contact lenses. There are two broad categories of lenses: those that have sheer or transparent tints and those that have opaque tints. Individuals with light coloured eyes can wear either type. Individuals with dark coloured eyes generally see more dramatic effects with opaque lenses that actually cover their natural eye colour.