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15th, January 2021 | Oh Jinna

Contact Lens Prescription: Everything You Need to Know

Everything You Need to Know About Your Contact Lens Prescription

If you plan on getting contact lenses, the first thing you’ll need is a contact lens prescription. This is because your prescription has the right details to ensure that your contacts are suited for your eyes.

Corrective contact lenses are specifically designed to help people with vision problems see clearer. Like eyeglasses, you can get contact lenses if you suffer from refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.

Similarly, you also need a specific prescription for your contact lenses. This means that you can’t use your eyeglasses prescription for contact lenses. Luckily, the process of getting a contact lens prescription is as convenient as getting one for eyeglasses.

Can’t Buy Lenses Without a Contact Lens Prescription

Getting a contact lens prescription is very easy. First, you need to visit an eye clinic where you can undergo an eye exam. This will take you around thirty minutes to accomplish.

Another crucial part of having a contact lens prescription is that you can’t buy lenses without them. This is because your prescription ensures that your lenses are safe and perfect for your eyes.

In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has some strict rules and guidelines when it comes to buying contacts. And one of them revolves around the need to have a valid contact lens prescription when purchasing contacts.

Do you need a prescription for Plano or colored contact lenses?

You will still need a valid prescription to buy cosmetic colored contact lenses. A prescription is still necessary even if you buy contacts without a lens power. This is because you need your prescription for the right size, shape, and fit or your lenses.

Without a contact lens prescription, you may end up buying lenses that don’t fit comfortably on your eyes. Although it may not seem terrifying at first, improper use of lenses can lead to eye scratches and infections.

With this in mind, you should definitely have a valid prescription on hand when you buy colored lenses. Remember, colored lenses can make you look amazing and are safe to use if you buy them with a prescription.

Importance of Having a Contact Lens Prescription

Millions of people all over the world use contact lenses for both vision correction and cosmetic reasons. As a result, it’s essential to have a way to ensure that they’re using lenses that pass industry standards.

Despite their growing popularity, contact lenses are still medical accessories that require a certain level of care and quality. By having the right prescription, manufacturers and sellers can provide the right lenses to their customers.

In like manner, contact lens owners also have the responsibility of following the proper contact-lens care practices. From providing a valid prescription to taking care of your lenses, you need to make sure that you are a responsible contact lens owner.

Does Your Contact Lens Prescription Expire?

Contact lens prescriptions generally last for about a year or so. This depends on the minimum validity of your state law. For the most part, you can surely use your prescription for at least a year after its issuance.

All things considered, you can’t expect to buy new lenses if your prescription has expired. In this case, you’ll have to get a new contact lens prescription as soon as possible. But you shouldn’t worry because getting a new prescription is as quick and easy as it was the first time.

What to do when your prescription expires?

The first thing you need to do when your prescription expires is to contact your nearest eye physician. After all, you need another eye exam before you can get a new prescription. Additionally, having your eyes checked after a year is also a good way to keep you updated on your vision.

You may feel like your eyes are as good as they’ve always been, however, an eye exam may prove otherwise. A lot can happen in a year, which means that you may need adjustments for your contact lenses. For example, you may need a stronger lens power if your vision problems have progressed.

Importance of Regular Eye Exams

There are a lot of benefits from having regular eye exams. For example, regular checkups can ensure that you’re using the right lenses for your eyes. If your results show otherwise, then you can easily get a new prescription for more suitable lenses.

Checkups can also help you detect subtle signs of eye problems that you may not be aware of. By having regular eye exams, your doctor can treat any symptoms before they get worse. This could save you from a lot of problems in the long run.

There are different types of eye exams and here are some of them:

Glaucoma Screening
Eye Muscle Test
Visual Acuity Test
Refraction Assessment
Ocular Ultrasound
Color Vision Testing
Perimetry
Retinal Exam
Slit-Lamp Test

Using Your Contact Lens Prescription

The validity of your contact lens prescription is not limited to your doctor’s clinic. In fact, you can use your prescription to buy contact lenses from different sellers. You can even use it to buy contact lenses online.

Aside from having a prescription, you also need to make sure that you buy your lenses from a legitimate source. The popularity of contact lenses is attracting unreliable retailers and manufacturers who offer low-quality products. For example, an article from the American Academy of Opthalmology states the dangers of buying lenses without a prescription.

Easy tips to keep your eyes safe as you use your contact lenses

A contact lens prescription is a very essential part of owning contact lenses. From corrective to cosmetic lenses, you need a prescription when you buy them. Additionally, your prescription ensures that you use the right lenses for your visual needs.

Once you have your ideal lenses, the next thing you should think about is taking care of your contacts. Contact lenses are tools that sit directly on your eyes for long periods of time. As a result, you need to keep them clean and safe to use to avoid any eye problems from occurring.

1. Wash Your Hands

You should practice the habit of washing your hands with soap and water before touching your lenses. Your hands come into contact with many different surfaces that may have dirt and bacteria that can contaminate your lenses.

Never touch your lenses when your hands are dirty
Avoid handling your lenses if you have lotion or cream on your hands
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water if possible
Dry your hands with a microfiber cloth
Drying your hands with a cotton fabric may leave particles on your hands
You can use a clean tissue to dry your hands if a microfiber towel is not available

2. Don’t Share Your Contacts

Your contact lenses are specifically prescribed and designed for your eyes. This means that your lenses will not fit perfectly for other people. Additionally, sharing your lenses with others is an unhygienic habit that you should definitely avoid.

A BBC article states that sharing lenses can lead to the spread of eye diseases. So if you want to keep your eyes safe, make sure you keep your lenses to yourself. Additionally, it’s also a good idea to help others refrain from doing this sort of bad habit.

3. Use the Right Solution

A lot of dirt particles can build up on your lenses after a long day of use. As a result, you need to properly disinfect your lenses every day. Luckily, cleaning them isn’t that hard of a task to accomplish.

The first thing you need is the right contact lens solution to disinfect your lenses. Using the right solution can ensure that all the dirt and bacteria on your lenses are effectively removed. Additionally, you should also rinse and store your lenses with the same solution overnight. Doing this will make your lenses perfectly clean and ready for another busy day.

4. Clean Your Contact Lens Case

Cleaning your lenses aren’t enough. Like your lenses, your contact lens case is also prone to dirt and bacteria build-up. This means that you also need to wash your contact lens case regularly.

Washing your case at least once a week will be enough to keep your lenses safe for use. You can easily wash your case by using a contact lens disinfecting solution. All you have to do is rinse your case and then rub its walls thoroughly with your fingers.

5. Don’t Overuse Your Lenses

Your contact lens prescription has an expiration date and so does your lenses. All contact lenses need to be replaced at some point. Some may lenses need to be replaced right after you use them while others can last for weeks.

Whichever the case, you need to make sure you know how long your lenses can be reused. Disposable lenses normally last after one day of use while daily wear lenses can be reused for days to weeks. However, you need to make sure to proper contact lens maintenance if you want to reuse them safely.

Final Thoughts

To sum it up, skipping the process of getting a prescription is a bad way to start your contact lens journey. After all, without the right prescription, you’re bound to buy lenses from unreliable sellers. In other words, you might end up with lenses that can lead to vision problems and eye infections.

Whether you’re looking for corrective lenses or cosmetic colored lenses, you need the right prescription to buy them. With this in mind, we advise you to follow the correct way of buying contacts. Besides, having your eyes checked, and getting a prescription will only take you less than an hour to accomplish.

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