Prescription Contact Lenses

You may think of prescription contact lenses as a more modern invention; however, the credit for the idea of contact lens worn on the eye belonged to Leonardo da Vinci. This occurred in 1508, but it would take another 300 years before anyone tried his theory. More than 100 million people enjoy wearing contact lenses on a daily basis. Reasons to wear contact lenses may vary from person to person; however, most find that they are more flattering than glasses, give a wider field of vision, and in some cases are the only way they can see accurately.

The first contact lenses were made from blown glass in 1888 by Adolf Fick. One of the problems of the first contact lenses was getting them to mould to the shape of the eye. Several scientists worked on theories. It wasn’t until 1929 that making a mould from a living eye would be used. Once this idea proved worthwhile lens makers began manufacturing contact lenses that actually had the shape of the wearer’s eye. The first contact lenses made from glass could only be worn for a few hours at a time before they became uncomfortable.

The 1930s saw the addition of plastic to the glass contact lenses so that they were lighter and easier to wear. The first lenses were large enough to cover the eye and were known as sclera lenses. A corneal lens was produced in 1949 so that they only sat upon the cornea of the eye. This design allowed prescription contact lenses to be worn for a maximum of 16 hours a day. Contact lenses really saw growth in sales beginning in the 1960s as better technology provided even more benefits.

This technology is what brought gas permeable and soft contact lenses to the masses. A gas permeable lens allows air to circulate through the lens to the eye’s surface. This increases the comfort of the lens from the minute it is placed upon the corneas. A British optometrist is credited with suggesting a disposable lens.

Today many people wear contact lenses as part of a cosmetic change of appearance of the eyes. They can be found in non-prescription form or with mild power strength. Some people may experience mild irritation when these lenses are first placed on the cornea, but the eye quickly becomes accustomed to them. As with anything that is placed in or on the eye they need to be kept sterile to avoid infection. Anyone that wishes to wear contact lenses for corrective vision or for cosmetic reasons needs to have an eye care provider involved.

Corrective contact lenses can take care of refraction errors, which is a mismatching of light onto the retina. Other eye problems that can be addressed with contact lenses include near and far sightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. There is also some minor help for individuals that suffer from colour blindness. Although this type of contact lens doesn’t completely fix the problem a red tinted X-Chrom contact lens may give the person back some normal colour vision.

Contact lenses have been a great benefit to many people since their development. Today people that wish to see better or change their eye’s appearance can do so. The price of contact lenses has become affordable whether they are for a night out on the town or to see well.