Contact Lens Guide

ABOUT CONTACT LENSES

Enhance Your Vision With Contact Lenses

Dr. Ito welcomes the "Difficult to Fit" wearer. At Ocean Park Optometry we have the diagnostic equipment and highly trained technicians to help our patients find contact lenses that work!

• You will receive a thorough eye exam.

• All brands such as Coopervision, J&J, CIBA, B&L

• Specialty lenses to fit bifocal wearers, toric, monovision or keratoconus

• We're often among the first in the nation to offer new lens designs that cannot be found at all-optical outlets.

• Contact lenses to catch someone's attention, Cat eyes, starry-eyed, wildfire, flags and more (with or without correction)

If you've been told you can't wear contact lenses, give us a call and talk with our contact lens specialists!

Contact Lenses: Are contacts for you?
The majority of people needing vision correction can wear contact lenses. New materials and technologies have made today's contacts more comfortable, much safer and easier to wear. Review the following questions and answers to help decide if contacts are an option for you.

Contact lens wear may be difficult if:

• Your eyes are irritated or bothered by allergies

• You work in an environment with dust or chemicals

• You have an overactive thyroid, severe arthritis or uncontrolled diabetes

• Your eyes are dry due to pregnancy or medications you are taking

After a thorough eye examination, the doctor will determine a determination of your suitability for contact lenses and the best options.

What are the advantages of wearing contact lenses?

• Many wearers believe that contact lenses show their eyes better without the distraction of eyeglasses

• Improved peripheral vision due to the removal of the eyeglass frame

• Better vision correction due to the removal of the distance between the eye and the eyeglass lens.

• No fogging in warm rooms

• No spots during rain showers

• More freedom, since they do not get in the way during sports and other activities

What are the disadvantages?

• Contact lenses require some adaptation period. New soft lens wearers typically adjust within a week. Rigid or hard lenses generally require a longer adjustment period.

• Except for some disposable varieties, almost all lenses require a cleaning and disinfecting regimen.

• Some types of lenses make the eye more light-sensitive

Warranty & Value packages for Contact Lenses

Direct Ship Your Contact Lenses
Lenses can be shipped directly to your home, whether you order them online or at our office. Shipping is free with an annual supply purchase. Go to our Order Contacts page.

Sunglass Savings Package
A 10% discount is applied to your non-prescription sunglass purchase with contact lenses. (Oakley brand excluded.) Must be purchased at the same time as the original contact lens order.

Risk-Free Fit Program!
If you are not completely satisfied with your contact lenses within one month of your evaluation and fitting, you can exchange or return your unopened contact lens boxes. The very best solution for most lifestyles is to utilize eyeglasses and contact lenses. If you've never worn contact lenses before, ask your doctor if this program is right for you. Try before you buy. For disposable lenses only.

Share the Care
Tell your friends and family about us! We welcome and appreciate your referrals!

Lens Promotion
We offer manufacturer's rebates on most disposable contact lenses, which reduce the final cost of your supply. Information on the specific rebate offers is available on our Order Contacts page after you log in.

Which Contacts Would Be Best For You?

Contact Lens Types
The types of contact lenses available have exploded in the past few years. There are contact lenses available for almost everyone. Many of our patients were told in the past that they couldn't wear contacts, or unsuccessfully tried contact lenses. You owe it to yourself to see what's new. We carry many options and promise to do our best in selecting contact lenses that you'll love wearing. Choose from the following list for a brief look at some of the options available.

Disposable Soft Lenses
Disposable soft lenses are much more popular than conventional soft lenses. These lenses are worn for a period of time then, of course, thrown away. The most well known disposables last for two weeks. There are also one-month, one-week and one-day disposables. These are perfect for many patients who were told they couldn't wear contact lenses because of allergies or mild dry eye conditions. They have a low cost per lens and are also popular for athletes and hobbyists who don't necessarily want to wear contact lenses every day.

Tinted Soft Lenses
Next, you have tinted soft lenses, available in conventional, disposable, or frequent replacement types. With tinted soft lenses, you can change your eye color or enhance your eye color. Even if you don't need corrective lenses, you can use "plano" tinted lenses to change your eye color.

Multifocal Soft Lenses
Recent technology has greatly improved multifocal soft lenses. Many patients past their 40s who need bifocals can now enjoy the comfort and benefits of soft contact lenses.

Toric Soft Lenses
Toric lenses are used to correct astigmatism. Astigmatism is a vision condition where an irregularly shaped cornea affects the vision. In the past, if you had astigmatism, your only options were either glasses or hard gas permeable contact lenses. But toric lenses now offer an alternative. There are several types of toric lenses to choose from.

Extended Wear Soft Lenses
Extended wear lenses are the result of new technology in lens materials that transmit more oxygen to the cornea of the eye. Some of these lens materials can be worn up to 30 days, day and night, without removal. Extended wear lenses can last one week, two weeks, or one month, depending upon the lens material and your doctor's recommendations.

Gas-Permeable (GP) Lenses
As the name implies, these lenses are hard and gas permeable. If you've been told you can't wear soft lenses, RGP lenses are often a great alternative. RGP lenses are available in specialized designs to correct just about any vision disorder.

Solutions
There are a variety of solutions available from many different manufacturers. The important thing to remember is that not every solution is right for every type of contact lens. Some contact lenses require the use of multipurpose solutions, while others require separate solutions for the four steps in contact lens care: disinfecting, cleaning, rinsing, and enzyme. Use only the lens solutions that are recommended by your eye doctor. If you wish to change brands, check with our office first.

Contact Lens Care Made Easy!
Few things affect the quality of your life more than your eyes-never put them at risk. Contact lenses are prescription medical devices. To make sure your eyes and vision stay healthy while wearing contact lenses, please follow these few guidelines or the instructions recommended by your doctor.

Warning: Ocular complications and/or long-term corneal damage are the consequences of contact lenses that are worn longer than recommended. Often times, your lenses will still feel good even when you are over-wearing them. Do not wear your lenses overnight unless they are approved for extended wear and your doctor has discussed this with you. Overnight wear increases the risk of infection and other complications.