Contact lenses are medical devices that go on top of your cornea, which is the front surface of your eye, and corrects your refractive error ie. Myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.
 
Contact lenses are now readily available to meet many patients' needs and one's lifestyle.  Mainly they get divided into two types: soft and hard.  Soft contact lenses are more popular and they come in a variety of replacement schedules.  Many patients can benefit from the convenience of wearing contact lenses.
 
There are many different outlets to obtain contact lenses in Canada; through your optometrist, optical retailer and the Internet.  Online sales of contact lenses are on the rise.  In light of the recent economic woes, this option might sound more appealing.  However, consumers need to beware there are a few risks to consider before purchasing online.
 
A contact lens prescription is NOT the same as a glasses prescription. It should include the brand name of the contact lenses you were fit with, base curvature, diameter, power/strength of the lenses, recommended contact lens solution name and expiration date.  Because contact lenses come in a variety of fits, one should go through a proper contact lens fitting with an eye care professional to assess how well a particular base curve fits to your eye curvature and that your vision is appropriately corrected to reduce eye strain.
 
Click here to learn more about your contact lens prescription and what our optometrists do to ensure your best eye health, comfort and vision for as long as you remain in contact lenses.