You can’t make the college basketball team simply because you have to wear those glasses? You should get that out of your mind because contact lenses will make everything possible for you.

If you have an eye problem that has been getting in your way and you want to play sports, then you should keep in mind that there is something that will help you out.

Contact lenses will provide you with clear vision so that you can play the sport of your choice.

• With the contact lenses you will be having that freedom you could never have because of those glasses.
  
• With contact lenses you can now play sports such as football, basketball, baseball, soccer and hockey.

Believe it or not, contacts give you better peripheral vision that the eyeglasses do. Another advantage you will be getting is that you will not be injuring your eyes. When individuals play games and wear glasses at the same time, they have a high chance of something happening, their glasses breaking and their eyes getting hurt.

The contact lenses can help in correcting a lot of visual problems that you are faced with. It does not matter if you have been suffering from near sightedness, astigmatism, or far sightedness, you will still be able to turn to contact lenses. In order to get a complete diagnosis done on your eyes and get your contact lenses, you should visit an eye care specialist. The eye care specialist will be able to tell you if contact lenses are suitable for you.

The key to good performance when it comes to playing sports all revolves around the ability to see well. You will need to see the ball, see when to swing and much more, with contact lenses it will all be possible. When you have contact lenses, you will find that a number of different things are better.

* You will have better perception and depth
* Better peripheral vision
* No fogging because of rain or steam
* Contacts are great for vigorous sports
* You will have better judgment of the speed and distance

As you have read, you will be a lot safer when wearing contact lenses instead of glasses. Another great thing about the contact lenses is the fact that you can wear protective goggles while you are playing sports.

When you are wearing eye glasses, it is hard and nearly impossible for you to wear protective goggles. In some sports, protective goggles are an absolute must. When you have glasses, you could have shattered spectacles, broken frames and many more injuries done to your glasses.

In order to protect your eyes when you have contact lenses in, swimmers and surfers can wear goggles that are tight fitting and at the same time they will be maintaining their good vision.

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Using highly accurate measuring instruments and very sophisticated surgical procedures it is now possible to remove a defective natural lens from an eye and replace it with a soft lens implant that can restore perfect or near perfect vision.

This procedure is known as Clear Lens Replacement (CLR) surgery.

For a century or more, surgeons have had the skills to remove the lens from an eye, mainly to restore some sort of impaired and unfocused vision to cataract sufferers.

A cataract causes the lens to become cloudy, vision blurs and eventual blindness occurs.

With the advent of modern computerized measuring equipment, accurate to one hundredth of a millimeter, not only can cataract sufferers have excellent vision restored but virtually any body suffering from visual impairment such as short or long sight can enjoy the benefits of lens replacement surgery.

What Will The Surgeon Do?

A few days prior the operation, the surgeon will take measurements that will allow the computer to calculate the dimensions of the artificial replacement lens. This procedure is painless.

Before operating a general but light anaesthetic is administered and the surface and eye area is numbed. A very small incision is made through the surface tissue of the eye to enable the natural lens to be removed.

This is done by using an instrument that very gently sucks out the tissue and can take a little time. The surgeon then inserts the prepared soft lens implant into the eye, puts a light dressing over the area and the job is done. The process is in most cases painless.

Normally the surgeon will operate on only one eye and wait around two weeks before operating on the other as a precaution against the rare risk of a complication

Generally speaking patients are in and out of hospital in an hour to an hour and a half and suffer no more than mild discomfort.

Eye Surgery Aftercare

After removing the protective dressing the morning following the operation you will be able to drive and read without any problem – providing you remember to remove the appropriate lens from your eyeglasses!

The wonderful experience of being able to see clearly after a lifetime of wearing glasses is unforgettable and can take some getting used to.

The eye may water or have a slight itch for a while after the operation. Your surgeon will take into account this possibility and prescribe the appropriate medication.

Do not rub your eyes and do not indulge in any active exercise and avoid any heavy lifting for six weeks after the operations. By this time the eyes should have settled down to normality.

Reading and long distance sight will no longer need the aid of contacts or eyeglasses and no problems with discerning colors or night driving should be experienced.

Are There Any Risks to Eye Surgery?

As with any invasive surgical procedure there is always a small risk of infection. Should the eye become infected after the operation in most cases it can be quickly and successively treated although some discomfort is likely to be experienced.

Do have an in depth discussion with your eye specialist with an emphasis on any risks before deciding to undertake CLR surgery.

The Long Term Benefits

The feeling of freedom after being dependent on visual impairment aids takes time to become adjusted. Many will have a greater feeling of self confidence as there will be no more fears of losing or breaking their glasses or the embarrassment of groveling around for a lost contact lens.

There are very real cosmetic benefits. You will never again have to worry about spectacle frames that suit you or your eye make up choice of color. Applying your make up will be so much easier and most importantly you will not have spectacle frames and their lenses obscuring your most important beauty feature – your eyes.

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Asensible healthy diet will go a long way towards maintaining clear beautiful sparkling eyes for a lifetime and will significantly slow the onset of deteriorating vision and other eye problems.

You are never too young and it´s never too late to start a healthy dietary regime to help protect your eyes from risk.

There are many people who have good eyesight into their eighties and beyond.

Aging does not automatically mean that your eyesight will diminish but as aging progresses changes can occur that may weaken the ability to see. This can occur as early as the teen years if not earlier.

Sensible precautions to avoid eye strain by spending too long staring at a computer screen, reading small print in bad light, avoiding smoky ill ventilated atmospheres and so on are obvious.

What is less well known is the importance of diet to protect the eyes. The effects of the right food for your eyes is essential for optimum eye health.

Fish Oil

may help to protect and promote healthy retinal function and has been found to assist in preventing the onset of Macular Degeneration, the leading cause of blindness. Cod Liver Oil or fish oil capsules taken daily as a regular addition to your diet is probably the least likely to be overlooked.

Salmon, Trout, Herrings and any other tasty oily fish can make an occasional and enjoyable meal to supplement the capsules.

Fresh Vegetables and Fruit

are very important in helping to maintain effective vision health. Green leafy vegetables contain carotenoides, principally Beta-carotene and Lutein. Both are antioxidants and are found in spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli, collard greens, and similar. Egg Yolks also contain beneficial carotenoids.

Berries

Dark berries, such as blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, cranberries and bilberries will have a beneficial effect by strengthening the capillaries that carry nutrients to the eyes.

Avoid the fats found in many processed and baked foods These will include margarines, fried foods, doughnuts, cookies, pastries, french fries, and biscuits. These non beneficial fats, known as Trans Fat should not be confused with Omega-3 fatty acids found in Salmon, Trout, Tuna and other oily fish which can decrease the risk of eye disease.

Age Related Macular Degeneration

(AMD) is a slow but progressive degeneration of central vision for which there is arguably no cure. Risk factors for AMD include genetic inheritance, smoking, high blood pressure or simply advancing age. It is the most common cause of blindness.

Many sufferers of AMD or who are at risk of the disease have no factors that can they can control to mitigate or avoid the onset of the disease with the possible exception of nutrition. Studies have shown that individuals with the highest consumption of dark leaved green vegetables rich in carotenoids, such as raw spinach or kale had a significantly lower chance of developing AMD than those who ate these foods the least.

High levels of antioxidant vitamins and zinc can also be effective in lowering the risk of developing the disease and can also slow its progression.

There is a school of thought that the bilberry or blueberry can prevent or even reverse AMD and sufferers are advised to investigate this as a possible treatment.

These studies clearly show the importance of nutrition in prevention and slowing the development of AMD.Do obtain qualified medical advice before taking high dose nutritional supplements for the control of AMD as there may be other risk factors, not associated with eye care, to take into account. This is particularly important for smokers.

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Despite contact lenses to correct visual impairment being available for many years, constant developments have given wearers an ever widening choice that includes ease of use, convenience, sight correction and cosmetic enhancement.

If you are considering contact lenses or even if you are an existing user it is worth getting up to date knowledge of the variety of lenses available before visiting your Ophthalmologist, Optometrist or Optician.

You should always bear in mind that contacts are medical devices that require specialist fitting and aftercare. Only suitably qualified eyesight consultants should prescribe contact lenses so if in any doubt check out the qualifications.

Most people with the types of visual impairment that can be corrected by contact lenses will have very few, if any, wearing problems providing that they are measured and fitted correctly.

Contact lenses can be prescribed for replacing Bi-focal spectacles. They are known as Toric lenses and are available as extended wear, disposable or traditional reusable lenses.

All contact lenses are available in a variety of colors whether they are used for vision correction or simply to cosmetically enhance eye color.

Sadly in rare cases the shape of the eye or other considerations can cause problems and consequently contact lenses will not an option.

Types of Contact Lenses

• Traditional Reusable Lenses

This type has an extended life for six months or longer before needing to be replaced.

Prescriptions for these lenses and all others will depend on the physical measurements of the eyes and the requirement to correct the visual impairment.

It is an important consideration to bear in mind that the more frequently you replace your lenses the healthier and more comfortable your eyes will feel.

Substances occurring in tears, such as protein and calcium will build up on the surfaces of lenses and must be cleaned after each days wear.

If not carefully cleaned and kept in a sterilized container the eyes will become more prone to infection and the lenses will also become gradually more uncomfortable to wear.

There are a variety of excellent proprietary lens cleaning and storage solutions available at pharmacies.

Contact lenses can also be used to change eye shape such as bulging.

• Disposable Lenses

Obtainable for up to two weeks wear before being discarded and replaced with fresh lenses.

Now the most popular type of contact lens and recommended by eye care practitioners as the healthiest lens option.

Daily disposables have now become an affordable option, will never need cleaning or after care so no build up of deposits are likely to occur that lead to eye infections.

However disposable lenses can be cleaned and there are some excellent products available but disposables can save you the time, effort and expense of doing this and the health risks are lessened.

• Gas Permeable Extended Wear Contact Lenses

As these lenses allow more oxygen to reach the eyes they may be worn continuously for up to thirty days without removal including overnight wear to extend their usage time.

The most convenient of all contact lens types. Should be disposed of after use. Watch out, as there are still some brands that only allow for seven days continuous wear although they are becoming less available.

• Frequent Replacement Contact Lenses

These lenses should be replaced monthly or quarterly and are not suitable for overnight wear.

A well qualified vision practitioner should recommend the most suitable and comfortable type of contact lens to suit the shape of the eye and the wearer’s needs without obligation or charge.

Today, with the incredible advance in modern science, it is possible to have a clear lens replacement that is able to actually restore almost perfect, if not perfect vision.

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The essential differences in vision experience between contact lens and spectacles or eyeglasses is peripheral sight.

Spectacle frames obscure or block sideways, upward and downward sight whereas contact lens cause no obstruction to all round vision.

When you look outside the perimeter of the spectacle frame objects will appear blurred or distorted, as you are not looking through the corrective lens.

The distance between the eye and the spectacle lens can make objects seem bigger or smaller depending on whether the wearer is long or short sighted.

Contact lenses are located in contact with and covering the cornea. The ophthalmologist will take precise measurements of the eye surface in order for the contact lens to fit comfortably and provide the necessary vision correction.

Unlike spectacles, contact lenses do not get scratched, mist up or cause vision problems when out in the rain so are ideal for active outdoor types and sportspeople.

Although many people quickly adapt to wearing contact lenses there are some who experience considerable discomfort. Most ophthalmologists will provide a pair of contact lens for a trial period and will advise if the wearer is unlikely to adapt to them.

There are two basic types of contact lens, soft or rigid gas permeable (RGP) with variations in both types.

Both main types can be used to correct most kind of vision defects. Soft lens are the most popular with the majority of wearers as they are quicker and easier to get used to with RGP lens more suitable for continuous use over a long period.

It is hard to believe that the extraordinary artist, scientist and visionary, Leonardo da Vinci is credited with the concept of contact lens for sight correction five hundred years ago.

It is a matter of record that various scientists came up with ideas to advance the notion of a contact lens for sight correction until three hundred years later a renowned British astronomer, chemist and pioneer in photography, Sir John Hershel, advanced the idea of making a mold of the cornea and applying a “spherical capsule filled with animal jelly”

In 1887, FE Muller, a German glass blower, successfully produced the first contact that we would recognise today.

A transparent covering that rested on the eye surface that could be tolerated. In the following year another German, AE Fick, developed the first contact lens that was successful in improving vision.

Over the next one hundred and twenty years contact lens have been steadily improved to the point where only isolated cases of sufferers from visual impairment are unable to enjoy the benefits of contacts.

But time moves on and now affordable laser treatment is widely available to improve vision to 20/20 levels to sufferers of short or long sight. The big bonus is no more reliance on either contacts or eyeglasses.

Also available, but at a cost, are lens transplants where the defective lens is replaced with a man made substitute to provide perfect vision. Even some US fighter pilots have had the lens replacement procedure to give them extraordinary eyesight.

Over two thousand five hundred years ago there are records of cataract surgery where the defective cloudy lens was removed. In the last fifty years this operation and the substitution of a corrective artificial lens has saved the sight of many millions.

Now the transplant procedure has been developed to such accuracy that the majority of sufferers from short, long or other lens defects can enjoy perfect vision by undertaking a day to day, virtually pain and risk free operation

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The prospect of losing your vision is not a pleasant one. But the reality is that a great many people will lose at least a good deal of sight as they age.

While some will become significantly visually impaired, others with become legally blind. Three age-related eye diseases are the primary cause of this vision loss.

Macular Degeneration

This eye disease affects the central vision. There are two types of macular degeneration:

1. “dry” macular degeneration, which progresses slowly.
2. “wet” macular degeneration, which progresses very rapidly, resulting in severe loss of vision very quickly.

With either form of the disease, the part of the retina called the macula degenerates. The first symptom may be the need to have more light when reading or doing close work. Though it is most commonly diagnosed in people who are in their sixties, it can be diagnosed earlier.

Treatment varies, depending on the form of macular degeneration. Laser treatments can help some who have the ‘wet’ form of the disease.

It won’t restore lost vision but, by sealing the blood vessels that are leaking, it will slow down the disease since new abnormal blood vessel growth will be discouraged.

There is currently no treatment for ‘dry’ macular degeneration but certain vitamins seem to help people who have intermediate macular degeneration. The vitamins that can be taken are:

• 400 IU Vitamin E
• 500 mg Vitamin C
• 80 mg Zinc
• 15 mg Beta Carotene or 20 mg Lutein
• 2 mg Copper

Many stores now carry supplements made specific for eye health that contain these vitamins.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma, often referred to as ‘tunnel vision’, causes the optic nerve to become damaged by rising fluid pressure in the eye.

There are frequently no early symptoms but can be detected through a comprehensive eye exam. When symptoms do appear, it is the peripheral vision that is affected, giving the feeling of looking through a tunnel.

Though it is usually considered an age-related disease, other groups of people are at risk for glaucoma. These include Mexican Americans over 60, those with a family history of glaucoma and African Americans over 40. People in these groups should be tested every couple of years or more often.

There are two possible treatments for glaucoma. The first is prescription eye drops and the second is Glaucoma Filtration Surgery.  An ophthalmologist can determine which treatment is appropriate for a patient.

Cataracts

Cataracts are the most common of the age-related eye diseases. It is estimated that half of all Americans who are 80 years old either have cataracts or have had cataract surgery.

With cataracts, the lenses of the eyes become cloudy. Symptoms that commonly occur with cataracts are seemingly faded colors, double vision, the need to change eyeglass prescriptions often, glare, loss of night vision, and generally blurry vision.

Cataracts develop quite slowly most of the time.

Some non-surgical methods of coping with cataracts are brighter lights, sunglasses with anti-glare coating , magnifying lenses and, of course, new prescription eyeglasses.

Surgery is an option that many people choose. Here, the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an artificial lens.

If you suspect you may have one of these three eye diseases, visit your doctor to discuss you concerns. New methods of treatment are being studied for them and your doctor will know of any that might be tried if you are a candidate for them.

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The best case expectations for patients successfully undergoing Lasik Eye Surgery is that there are no longer any vision problems or, at the very least, a significant reduction in dependency upon contact lenses or eyeglasses is likely to be experienced.

What to Expect

The first stage is for the eye surgeon to take very accurate measurements to establish just how much reshaping of the cornea is necessary.

This procedure is painless and is undertaken often several days before surgery.

The equipment used is highly sophisticated and relies on a computer to process the information that will provide the surgeon with the information needed.

Often only one eye will be treated initially followed by the other up to two weeks later. This is purely as a safety precaution despite this procedure having an excellent safety record.

The Surgery

An anaesthetic eye drop that numbs the upper layer of the eye surface is the first stage of the procedure. No general anaesthetic is necessary and the patient remains conscious and aware throughout.

Using a laser the surgeon makes an incision in the delicate corneal surface tissue enabling it to be moved out of the way to allow the laser to reshape the underlying cornea.

The incision is then replaced and sealed by the laser and a protective dressing is placed over the eye. As a rule the surgical procedure takes no more than ten to fifteen minutes an eye.

After Effects

Discomfort or even pain may be experienced when the anaesthetic eye drops wear off, although very often this of very short duration.

There may be some initial vision loss or blurriness and a sensitivity to light and dryness of the eye surface can be a problem.

If experienced these side effects will normally disappear in time often quite quickly. The possible exception is dryness of the eyes, which can be embarrassing, as tears will form.

Your surgeon can prescribe drops to alleviate this problem if it occurs. It is rare for any of these side effects to persist and become permanent.

Advice

As anybody knows who is dependent on eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct impaired vision it can seem worth any risk to have normal unaided sight.

As they say ‘the eyes are the mirror of the soul’ and women in particular are conscious that their eyes and surrounding area should be the most attractive of their facial features and should never be obscured by eyeglasses.

It is therefore of the utmost importance to seek the advice of a fully qualified and experienced ophthalmic surgeon before contemplating Lasik surgery.

As your sight is so valuable to be on the safe side if you have any doubts get a second qualified opinion. If the surgery goes wrong it is permanent and normally cannot be reversed.

Think hard about the risks and benefits before going ahead.

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