Many of our patients are interested in contact lenses. Some patients are currently in contact lenses, some patients used to wear contact lenses, and some have never even tried them but want to. Contact lenses allow our eye doctors to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and even presbyopia (i.e. needing reading glasses). When it comes time to choose a contact lens for a patient, there are many choices.
Dr. Abert and Dr. Pedroza both like to fit their patients with CooperVision’s Biofinity lens. This lens material (comfilcon A 48%) is available in spherical, toric, and multifocal designs. This means that most of our patients are able to find their refractive error correction available in this brand. Biofinity is among the healthiest class of contact lenses, known as silicone hydrogel. When our optometrists talk about health, they are referring to the amount of oxygen that can permeate through the lens. The cornea (the clear part of the eye) gets its oxygen right from the atmosphere, so in those patients wearing a contact lens the oxygen either needs to enter the cornea through the tear layer or it needs to diffuse directly through the lens itself. It is particularly important that a contact lens fit is done so that the lens is allowed to float freely in the tear layer –this is what promotes the exchange of oxygen to the tear layer.
Biofinity is a monthly lens, meaning that the lenses are disposable and should be thrown out after 30 days of wear. It is best to remove these lenses before sleeping in order to prevent unwanted comfort issues and eye infections. No contact lens should be worn when in hot tubs or swimming.
Finding a comfortable contact lens is a big issue here in Colorado! Our air is dry, cold (this time of year!), and can occasionally be quiet windy. Moving in and out of air conditioning or heating can contribute to dryness. A contact lens sits within the tear layer of the eye and some contact lenses can contribute to dry eye symptoms. In addition, the wrong contact lens can contribute to other problems such as Computer Vision Syndrome. Biofinity is made from an excellent material that performs fantastically in the Colorado’s climate.
If you are currently in an older lens design, we encourage you to consider trying a healthy contact lens such as Biofinity. Our doctors are happy to let you try a pair of Biofinity’s for a week or two to see if you like them as part of our contact lens fit. We’re not happy until you’re happy! Call us today to schedule your yearly comprehensive eye and vision exam and your contact lens exam!