Contact lenses are small thin disks made of various types of plastic material.  They fit on the front surface of the eye (the cornea) and they are made to safely correct the same vision conditions that eye glasses correct. 

There are two main types of Contact Lenses: Soft lenses and Rigid Gas Permeable.  

Rigid contact lenses look just like a hard lens but becuase they allow your eye to breathe like a soft lens they are just as comfortable.  They take a little longer for your eye to adapt to than soft lenses, but by 1-2 weeks most patients are as comfortable as soft lens wearers.  Although you can lose one out of your eye, they won't tear and the average lens life is 2-3 years.  They are available for most perscriptions.  Proper fit and hygiene are essential to ensure good vision and healthy eyes. 

Contact Lenses made of soft plastic that are 30-70% water. they feel a lot like jello and are generally comfortable within the first 2-3 minutes.  Soft lenses allow your eye to breathe through them, so most patients are able to wear them 12-14 hours.  They are available in most perscriptions.  Although they can tear easily, they do no fall out of your eye.  Proper fit and hygiene are essential to ensure good vision and healthy eyes.

There are different modes of wear for your contact lenses, Dr Fiegel will determine the material and wearing schedule that will allow for optimum vision correction and the Health and Safety of your eye. 

The different modes of wear are:

• Conventional Daily Wear

  • these are removed, cleaned and disinfected everynight.  

• Conventional Extended Wear

  • These can be worn up to 7 days and nights before they are removed and replaced with a new pair.

• Disposable/ Planned Replacement

  • soft daily wear lenses that are replaced on a planned schedule.  

    • Custom Lenses most often are replaced every 2-4 weeks.  They require a simplified cleaning and disinfection system since they are replaced more frequently and promote good ocular health.

• Extended Wear Disposables

  • These lenses are usually soft lenses worn for an extended period of time, frweekly or monthly, and then discarded.

It is very important that you take proper care of your contact lenses.  These are a medical device that you place on your eye, if they are not cleaned properly or have bacteria growing on them you are putting that onto your eye which leads to infection or worse the loss of your eye. It is very important that you do not swim in your contacts, do NOT put them in your mouth, or share them, and clean them as  you are instructed to before you put them in your eyes AND when you take them out of your eyes.   If you experience any RSVP (redness, secretions, visual blurring or pain) call our office to get in to see Doctor Fiegel.   As Doctor says "Better safe than sorry"!

 Acanthamoeba is a naturally occurring amoeba (tiny, one-celled animals) commonly found in water sources, such as tap water, well water, hot tubs, and soil and sewage systems.

To avoid Acanthamoeba keratitis, contact lens wearers should follow lens wearing and cleaning instructions from both manufacturers and eye doctors very closely. Proper contact lens care greatly reduces the risk of all contact lens-related eye infections, including those caused by Acanthamoeba.  To help avoid Acanthamoeba contamination, contact lenses should  NEVER EVER be worn in a swimming poor or hot tub.   Prevention is always the best approach, because Acanthamoeba keratitis can be extremely difficult to treat; severe infections can result in a corneal transplant and even blindness.