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Contact Lenses

Cosmetic Contact Lens
Ciba WJ PBH FreshLook Colours Blue

Just about anyone who wears glasses can wear contact lenses

In 2010 Contact Lenses have come of age. Modern contact lens materials mean that lenses are comfortable and safe. Ask anyone who wears the latest lenses. And there is no hassle - about 85% of people new to contact lenses in our practice, now choose Daily Diaposable lens types meaning no more cleaning, flexibility to mix with wearing lenses or glasses and improved eye health.

We are Contact Lens specialists

There are many types of contact lenses. You can rely on our highly experienced contact lens practitioners to find the most suitable type for your needs. Our senior team of Optometrists have great experience from many years involved in the specialist contact lens fitting service at Moorfields Eye Hospital, so you can be confident that their skills will mean that your eyes are looked after as well as they can be.

We care

We will spend the time with you to find out exactly what your needs are and when you want to wear lenses. As an independent practice we fit all available lens types - not just one or two brands and are dedicated to making sure we have found the absolute bast contact lens for you. So even with more complex situations - such as those people needing multifocal corrections or who wish to have Orthokeratology, we have the right approach and the appropriate inclination and skills to get things just right - for you. Make an appointment with us today.

The types of contact lenses available:

  • Daily disposable - these are the ultimate in convenience, no hassle, no cleaning. Each lens is fresh and sterile and up to 98% oxygen permeable. Suitable for full and part time wearers.
  • Soft disposable - fortnightly or monthly disposable.
  • Silicone Hydrogels - ever found your eyes becomming tired and vision blurring at the end of the day, then silicone hydrogels enable you to wear your contact lenses longer and let more oxygen through to the eyes. They are therefore more comfortable and healthier. Now available as a Daily Disposable - Acuvue Tru Eye and Sauflon Clariti
  • Monthly Extended Wear - up to 30 days continuous wear. Now you can fall asleep and wake up to clear, comfortable and healthy vision.
  • Toric soft - no longer is astigmatism a problem if you want the convenience and comfort of soft lenses. For most power ranges you can get monthly disposable toric lenses, and for some even daily disposable toric lenses.
  • Bifocal or Varifocal - If reading is becoming a problem, there is a solution for soft and rigid lens wearers. Bifocal lenses are also available in two-weekly and DAILY DISPOSABLE PROGRESSIVES. We can offer you freedom from reading glasses.
  • Monovison - alternative to wearing bifocal contact lenses - wear a distance lens in one eye and reading in the other - it may sound odd but most people adapt quickly and it feels very natural.
  • Rigid gas permeable - for some prescriptions these offer a superior quality of vision.
  • Coloured lenses - you can either enhance the natural colour of your eyes or change them completely. They are also available as DAILY DISPOSABLE COLOURED LENSES.
  • Overnight vision correction - correct your vision while you sleep.

Our approach to lens fitting and the equipment we use:




        
 

        With all this information
        to hand we will then examine your eyes to check their health
        and suitability for contact lenses. For this we use the slit-lamp
        microscope which gives us a magnified view of your eye surface
        and lids. We will also check the prescription for your spectacles
        which has a bearing on what type of contact lenses will be the
        most suitable for you. 





        
Corneal topography -
        This is a process
        for mapping the surface curvature of the cornea, similar to making
        a contour map of the land. The cornea is the clear part on the
        surface of the eye that a contact lens fits over. About 70% of
        the eyes focusing power is done by the cornea so its shape can
        determine the visual ability of the eye. A perfect eye has an
        evenly rounded shape, but sometimes the cornea is too flat making
        it long-sighted, too steep making it short-sighted or unevenly
        curved causing astigmatism (rugby ball shaped).


        

        
 

  The pupose of corneal topography is to produce a detailed description of the corneal shape and power. We can use the computerized imaging technology to produce a 3 dimensional map. This is a fantastic tool for giving a base-line of the shape of the cornea and monitoring the health for any changes that may be caused by contact lenses.

Contact Lens Trial:

When it has been decided what type of lenses suit your prescription and your needs, the next stage is a trial. This will give you an idea of what it is like to wear contact lenses in your eyes. Lenses will be chosen that are as close as possible to the prescription and size needed. Once inserted it is usual for the lenses to be left to settle for a short while to assess the fit and vision and for you to get an idea of the comfort. We may ask you to take a short walk wearing them to see how you feel.

At the end of this visit the lenses that you need will be chosen and ordered if necessary. Most of the time we have the correct lenses available immediately.

Handling your contact lenses:

Contact Lens Cleaning
 Before you leave the practice, you will be taught how to handle them. This involves inserting and removing the lenses from your eyes and also instructions on how to clean and look after them if they are not daily disposable lenses. Wearing contact lenses safely involves commitment from you on following our instructions on disposal of the lenses or cleaning and disinfecting. This is VERY important. Dirty contact lenses can cause lots of problems including infections, discomfort and may reduce your vision. Do not change your cleaning system without advice from us. Once you are competent with the handling you start to build up your wearing time gradually. 


    
Aftercare Visits:


    
You will need to attend
    for routine check ups for your contact lenses so we can make
    sure that the lens condition is good and 

    that your eyes are healthy. These visits are important as contact
    lenses can cause problems to your eyes that you would not notice.


    
Complications from lenses
    are RARE if you follow all the instructions given. IF YOU
    GET ANY REDNESS OR DISCOMFORT ALWAYS REMOVE THE LENSES. Please
    don't hesitate to contact us about any problems no matter how
    small. We are always happy to help and advise.


    
Payment schemes or Pay
    As You Go:


    
Our "pay per month
    plan" makes lens prices affordable to all. It is a convenient
    way to spread the cost of your contact lenses, solutions and
    aftercare fee. When you register for standing order you pay a
    three month up front fee and start a standing order for regular
    monthly payments. You then receive six months supply of contact
    lenses. Not only is this convenient, it also saves you money
    as you pay internet comparable prices for your lenses.


    
You will immediately be
    entitled to the following:


    
    
      
  • ALL EXAMINATIONS - your
      monthly fee will include all examinations necessary both routine
      and emergency, retinal imaging and anterior imaging as clinically
      indicated, plus any referral refinement appointments that may
      be necessary.
      
  • LOWER CONTACT LENS PRICES
      - comparable to those available over the internet and in supermarkets.
      
  • FREE diagnostic lenses
      - should you need 'emergency supplies'
      
  • FREE exchanges of unopened
      boxes - should your prescription change*
      
  • FREE 1st class postage
      within the UK
      
  • 20% DISCOUNT on all contact
      lens solutions
      
  • 20% DISCOUNT on all Sunspecs
      and Sports Goggles.
    
          
    





    
Contact Lenses for Children


    
Following on from our practitioners
    experience at Moorfield's Eye Hospital Contact lens Department,
    our Optometrists are delighted to offer paediatric contact lens
    fitting at any point when the child is able to understand the
    process and is confident to trial them.


    
With the latest advances
    in soft contact lens materials with breathable silicone hydrogels
    that are daily disposable, contact lenses have never been safer.
    Your optometrist will be able to tell you if these lenses are
    available for your child following there NHS eye examination.


    
Building self esteem


    
Many kids feel self-conscious
    wearing eyeglasses or simply don't like the way they look in
    glasses. Wearing contact lenses often can improve how children
    feel about their appearance, elevating their self-confidence.


    
Safety with sports


    
For children who are active
    in sports, contact lenses offer a number of advantages over glasses.
    If your child needs to wear their glasses for sports, even if
    they have impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses, you still must
    worry about the frames breaking during contact sports, possibly
    causing an eye injury. Contact lenses eliminate this risk and
    provide other benefits as well, including an unobstructed view
    of the playing field for better peripheral vision that enables
    your child to react faster to other players and objects such
    as a football or baseball approaching from the side.


    
Testament from one of
    our patients, fitted aged 8 yrs old (A.L.)


    
I am 11 years old and have
    needed to wear glasses since I was 7. When I was 8, Chloe suggested
    that I could wear contact lenses because I needed to wear glasses
    all the time. I did lots of sports so I kept on taking my glasses
    off.


    
The people who work at
    'Specs' were very kind. I would go in every day for 5 days to
    learn how to put the contact lenses in. There were days when
    I thought I could not do it, but Chloe believed I could. Because
    of their kindness I can now pop my contact lenses in each morning
    without difficulty and anybody who finds out that I wear contact
    are amazed.


    
Specs have helped me ever
    since I was seven years old and I know they still will for a
    long time.
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