Alcon^® OPTI-FREE^®

Understanding Contacts

Many people think of contact lenses simply as cosmetic enhancements. But did you know that contact lenses are actually medical devices that correct a variety of conditions? 72% percent of the American adult population requires some form of vision correction.¹ Of these people, one in seven wear contact lenses.

The type of vision correction you need is one factor that will determine what type of contact lenses your eye doctor will prescribe. Some terms² you might hear include:

• Myopia, or nearsightedness: A vision condition in which you can see close objects clearly, but objects farther away are blurred.

• Hyperopia, or farsightedness: A vision condition in which distant objects are usually seen clearly, but close objects do not come into proper focus.

• Presbyopia: An age-related vision condition in which there is a gradual loss of the eye's ability to focus on near objects.

• Astigmatism: A vision condition that causes blurred vision due either to the irregular shape of the cornea, the clear front cover of the eye, or sometimes the curvature of the lens inside the eye.

• Colored contacts: These types of cosmetic lenses are tinted to make your eyes appear a different color. They can also correct discolorations in your irises.

Remember, only your eye doctor can determine the contact lens and solution combination that is right for you. Everyone has unique eye characteristics, which can affect the types of lenses you're able to wear. See your eye doctor for more information.

1. Vision Council of America (personal communication, April 2005).
2. Adapted from the American Optometric Association

Types of Contact Lenses

These days, lens material technology allows more people to wear contacts than ever before. The latest contact lens innovations include bifocal lenses, toric contacts to correct astigmatism, and disposable contacts that are made for daily, weekly or monthly use. In general, though, the two most basic types of contact lenses are soft and hard:

Soft contact lenses are made of water-absorbing, flexible plastic. They are also referred to as hydrogels. Silicone hydrogels, the latest technology in soft contact lenses, react differently with contact lens solution than traditional hydrogels. Both OPTI-FREE^® RepleniSH^® and OPTI-FREE^® EXPRESS^® contact solutions are designed for use with all types of soft contact lenses.

Hard contact lenses are made of a more rigid plastic (These lenses are also called RGP, or rigid gas permeable). OPTI-FREE^® GP Multi-Purpose Solution is specifically designed for use with RGP or hard contact lenses.

Soft contacts are more popular than RGP lenses, as they are typically more comfortable on the eye. However, soft lenses are less durable than RGP lenses and must be handled more carefully.

Remember, only your eye doctor can determine the contact lens and solution combination that is right for you. Everyone has unique eye characteristics, which can affect the types of lenses you're able to wear. See your eye doctor for more information.

More on Soft Contact Lenses

Currently, most soft contact lenses are classified³ as one of the following:

• Conventional (traditional) daily wear – Made of soft, flexible plastic that allows oxygen to pass through to the eyes. A daily or overnight wear schedule is followed. Lenses are replaced annually.
• Daily disposable – Lenses are used for a maximum of 24 hours before they are replaced.
• Disposable daily wear – Lenses are worn daily and replaced every two weeks.
• Disposable extended wear – Available for overnight wear, soft lenses are worn for an extended period of time – from one to six days – and then discarded.
• Planned replacement – Soft daily wear lenses that are replaced on a planned schedule, most often either every two weeks, monthly or quarterly.

3. Adapted from the American Optometric Association

Remember, only your eye doctor can determine the contact lens and solution combination that is right for you. Everyone has unique eye characteristics, which can affect the types of lenses you're able to wear. See your eye doctor for more information.