| Contact lenses are optical medical devices, | | | | the cornea of the eye, contact lenses provide |
| just as spectacles are, and often provide | | | | vision that is more natural. The objects |
| cosmetic and optical advantages over them. | | | | appear in the correct size and position, |
| The more than 35 million people in the United | | | | without any distortion. The distance between |
| States who have opted for contact lenses over | | | | the eye and the glasses can vary, causing the |
| the use of glasses have done so because of | | | | objects to appear larger or smaller than they |
| their convenience, and cosmetic value. Many | | | | actually are. |
| people initially feel discomfort when | | | | |
| starting to use contact lenses, but the | | | | Stable Vision - Contact lenses are not |
| benefits of using them far outweigh these | | | | affected by quick body movements, such as in |
| minor discomforts. | | | | sports and similar activities, and remain in |
| | | | place, providing clear and stable vision. |
| The Short History Of Spectacles | | | | Eyeglasses are unstable on your face when |
| | | | running, making your vision unstable, |
| The invention of spectacles has greatly | | | | affecting your performance. |
| influenced progress in the arts and sciences, | | | | |
| yet it is not very clear who invented this | | | | Peripheral Vision - Contacts give you a wider |
| instrument. In 1270, Marco Polo saw elderly | | | | and better peripheral vision that glasses. |
| Chinese using this device, which they claim | | | | Contact lenses move along with your eyes and |
| to have originated in Arabia in the 11th | | | | you are always looking through the clearest |
| century. | | | | part of the lens - the optic zone. On the |
| | | | other hand, the frames of the glasses block |
| The spectacles evolved in the western world | | | | your peripheral vision, and when you move |
| from the late 1200s onwards, with riveted | | | | your eyes to the side, you are no longer |
| spectacles used by monks and scholars, who | | | | looking through the optical center, causing |
| held the lenses in front of there eyes, or | | | | blurred and distorted vision. |
| balanced them on their noses. The invention | | | | |
| of the printing press in 1452 encouraged the | | | | Unaffected By Weather - Contact lenses do not |
| mass production of spectacles, along with the | | | | fog up when you come in from the cold, and |
| growing popularity of books. For the lower | | | | neither do they get splattered by rain. In |
| and middle classes, there were spectacles | | | | addition, they do not steam up from body heat |
| mounted in wood, horn, bone, etc, whereas the | | | | or perspiration. |
| upper classes used hand held spectacles in | | | | |
| gold or silver frames. | | | | Comfortable - Contact lenses are quite |
| | | | comfortable to wear as they do not pinch your |
| The significant advancement in frame design | | | | nose, or rub or press against your ears and |
| occurred in the 1600s, with rigid bridges | | | | temple, unlike glasses, which, in addition, |
| that allowed the spectacles to remain in | | | | slide down your nose when you perspire. |
| place. In the present times, there has been a | | | | |
| tremendous progress in frames and lens | | | | Contact lenses have been a boon for children |
| acuity, with the spectacles, whether plain or | | | | in one particular sense. They do not get |
| prescription, becoming a fashion statement. | | | | picked on at school by their friends. This |
| | | | relieves them from the psychological and |
| The Short History Of Contact Lenses | | | | physical traumas related to wearing glasses. |
| | | | |
| If you are of the view that contact lenses | | | | Glasses, at times do not work, and contact |
| are a new invention, you are way off the | | | | lenses are certainly superior to them: |
| mark. Leonardo Da Vinci first described and | | | | |
| sketched his ideas of contact lenses way back | | | | Thick glasses are required in cases of severe |
| in 1508! However, it took more than 300 years | | | | short sightedness, making them very heavy, |
| to fabricate and wear them. | | | | and your eyes look very small. |
| | | | |
| Swiss physician A.E. Fick and Paris optician | | | | Glasses do not provide adequate correction |
| Edouard Kalt are credited with fitting the | | | | when the difference between the visual acuity |
| first contact lenses, in the late 1800s, for | | | | of your eyes is more than 2.5 diopters - a |
| myopia and hyperopia. These heavy glass | | | | unit of measurement of the refractive power |
| lenses could be used for a few hours of wear | | | | of lenses. |
| only. | | | | |
| | | | After cataract removal, your eyes need a |
| Plastic came into use in 1936, when William | | | | special protection, which only contact lenses |
| Feinbloom, an optometrist in New York, made | | | | can provide adequately. |
| contact lenses with the central portion of | | | | |
| glass surrounded by plastic in the periphery | | | | With improvements in technology, a wide |
| that covered the sclera. 1948 saw a | | | | variety of contact lenses are available, both |
| Californian optometrist, Kevin Tuohy produce | | | | for ophthalmic, as well as cosmetic uses. |
| contact lenses completely made of plastic. | | | | People who normally wear glasses can easily |
| | | | and safely shift to wearing contact lenses. |
| The same year, George Butterfield, an | | | | People had many misgivings about using |
| optometrist from Oregon, improved upon Kevin | | | | contact lenses, and opted for glasses, but |
| Tuohy's design with lenses that matched the | | | | these are no longer hold true. |
| shape of the cornea, and would not easily pop | | | | |
| off. These lenses have evolved to the present | | | | There was a time when contact lenses used to |
| soft contact lenses, which are worn by more | | | | pop out, and this was during the time when |
| than 90% of the contact lens wearers in the | | | | contact lenses were hard lenses. Today, there |
| United States. | | | | is no 'popping' out with the introduction of |
| | | | soft contact lenses. These soft contact |
| Contact Lenses vs. Glasses | | | | lenses conform to the shape of the eye, and |
| | | | do not move or pop out. |
| Contact lenses offer functional advantages | | | | |
| over glasses in areas, such as sports, work - | | | | Another myth of contact lenses being |
| in humid environment, and in occupations | | | | expensive is not correct. These are less |
| where spectacles are inconvenient and not | | | | expensive than many of the designer frames |
| compatible with the equipment used, such as | | | | that are available today. |
| special headgears. Let us look at some of the | | | | |
| advantages that contact lenses offer over | | | | Follow the instructions of the manufacturers |
| glasses: | | | | to take care of your contact lenses, to |
| | | | enable them to provide you with clear and |
| Natural Vision - As they are worn right on | | | | healthy vision. |